Although it's a tiny pain to build one, a reverse bleed or pressure bleeder is worth the time and effort. You can assemble the system totally dry without the risk of splashing brake fluid about (although if you are not using silicone brake fluid by now, you're a luddite). For those of you not familiar with the device, it uses a pressure pot to install the brake fluid from the bleeder nipple forward to the master cylinder. I had to build one years ago to bleed Saab clutch systems. Without it, it was possible to bleed the system, but I counted one time and it took 1200! strokes of the pedal to make it operational. I've made simple reverse bleeders from large medical irrigation syringes and a length of plastic tubing. Works just about as well as the expensive version. My current favourite is made from a Wurth *tm pressure sprayer that cost about thirty dollars and a length of silicon tubing. These spray-bottles are the best ones I've ever come across with a leak free trigger assembly and a durable pump. You can even buy an overhaul kit. Be careful that you don't pump the resevoir full to overflowing. You may need the tiniest bit of post-install bleeding as there may be a little air left in the wheel cylinders due to the relation between the location of the bleeder nipple and the brake line but this will be minimal at best. You will waste virtually no brake fluid as well.
Go for it.
Regards,
Ken Beckman
Last edited by kgb; 04/13/2008 10:10 PM.
