Bleeding rear brakes

[harry yarnell]

What's the preferred method of bleeding rear brakes?

I've just replaced a rotten rear line and attached my Myte-vac to the bleeder and little fluid comes out. The gauge shows PLEANTY of vacuum.

...something about running the pump and pressing the pedal...?

[Machiner 55]

Harry,

 

The rear brake calipers are "self bleeding". Make sure the res.is full of fluid, have someone step on the brake pedal then crack open one of the rear bleeder screws. The pump starts running and stays running as long as the pedal is pushed down. Close the bleeder screw when fluid comes out clear. Be sure the res. doesn't run dry in the process or you'll have to start over. Move to the other side and repeat.

If you don't have a helper, you can get a 2X4, a stick, a metal rod, someones wooden leg or some other thing to place between the brake pedal and the drivers seat. Power the seat forward just far enough to get the pump to start running then go back and open the bleeder. I think the right rear should be done first as it is the one farthest away from the pump. Don't know if this is necessary or just voodoo mechanics but it can't hurt anything.

 

Good Luck.

 

John F.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Machiner 55 (see edit history)

[harry yarnell]

Worked great. I feel embarrassed not looking at Ronnie's site, because there it is.

One of the BEST features of the Teves system; self bleeding brakes!

[rogold99]

I have found that a ice scraper works well propped between the seat and pedal, it is usually laying around in the way anyways.

 

Edited June 27, 2016 by rogold99 (see edit history)

[89REATTAJIM]

1 hour ago, rogold99 said:

I have found that a ice scraper works well propped between the seat and pedal, it is usually laying around in the way anyways.

 

  Don't know what an ice scraper is. I usually use the stick that we keep for repelling 'gators and sea gulls.

[Guest whytshdo]

Is this true for the front also?

[fordrodsteven]

no. Front brakes are bled as in conventional method. Here is an excerpt from the ROJ how-to section; Caveat: do the rear brakes first if bleeding all four.

 

4. To bleed the front brakes have the key off and bleed in a conventional method. Have someone pump the pedal a few times and hold it down while the other person opens the front bleeders.

The rear calipers on models equipped with the Teves system require a slightly different procedure to bleed the air from the system.

5. To bleed the rear brakes

A. Turn on the key and allow the system to pressurize

B. Have an assistant slightly depress the pedal and hold it.

C. Open each rear bleeder, one at a time, and hold open until clear fluid comes out. (The pump and motor will do the bleeding)

D. Close the bleeder with sufficient force but do not over-tighten.

When you are done check the high and low marks on the reservoir. After the system pump and motor has run and the lights are out the level should be at the low mark. When you have pumped the brakes with the key off 25 times the level will be at the high mark. Add or remove fluid if necessary to bring the fluid to the correct level.

Edited May 17, 2017 by fordrodsteven (see edit history)

[Guest whytshdo]

Excellent..Thank you. I'm about to redo all the brakes on my '89 and just wanted to be sure.

[fordrodsteven]

I personally follow the old convention (even with Teves ABS brakes) to bleed furthest from the master then moving closer to the master cylinder. So, I start at rear right (passenger) then rear left, then front right and last at front left. Also do not overfill the Teves system. Do not top it off. I usually pump the pedal (with the car not running) until the pedal gets very hard. This releases the pressure on the system and the fluid level will rise in the master cylinder. Then you fill it to the line on the cylinder tank. When you turn the key on the level will drop approximately 5/8". This is normal do not add more fluid to the fill line. I generally bleed twice at a wheel then add a little fluid as I go along. Then when I am done I pump down the pressure and insure proper fluid level.

[DAVES89]

42 minutes ago, fordrodsteven said:

I personally follow the old convention (even with Teves ABS brakes) to bleed furthest from the master then moving closer to the master cylinder. So, I start at rear right (passenger) then rear left, then front right and last at front left. Also do not overfill the Teves system. Do not top it off. I usually pump the pedal (with the car not running) until the pedal gets very hard. This releases the pressure on the system and the fluid level will rise in the master cylinder. Then you fill it to the line on the cylinder tank. When you turn the key on the level will drop approximately 5/8". This is normal do not add more fluid to the fill line. I generally bleed twice at a wheel then add a little fluid as I go along. Then when I am done I pump down the pressure and insure proper fluid level.

 This is exactly how I do my brakes. Good write up...

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, fordrodsteven said:

I personally follow the old convention (even with Teves ABS brakes) to bleed furthest from the master then moving closer to the master cylinder. So, I start at rear right (passenger) then rear left, then front right and last at front left. Also do not overfill the Teves system. Do not top it off. I usually pump the pedal (with the car not running) until the pedal gets very hard. This releases the pressure on the system and the fluid level will rise in the master cylinder. Then you fill it to the line on the cylinder tank. When you turn the key on the level will drop approximately 5/8". This is normal do not add more fluid to the fill line. I generally bleed twice at a wheel then add a little fluid as I go along. Then when I am done I pump down the pressure and insure proper fluid level.

 

Not a bad idea to do it that way but that is a carryover from the days when all four wheels were connected to one master cylinder piston. The Teves is like two separate brake systems that work in tandem. When you bleed the brakes on the front it has no effect on air in the rear half of the system and vice versa. The Teves system will have NO brake pressure on the rear when the pump isn't running, even if you are pressing on the pedal. Therefore you can't bleed the rear brakes properly without the pump running. It is really important to keep the Teves in good working order. When the pump fails you have NO rear brakes. The front brakes will still function if the pump stops but you won't have any power assist.

 

Most (not all) modern day vacuum assist systems without ABS are basically two separate brake systems as well but the brake lines are connected diagonally to each piston in the master cylinder. The right front and the left rear are connected to one master cylinder piston, and the left front and right rear are connected to another master cylinder piston. I'm not familiar with how modern ABS systems work so this may not apply to them.

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2017 by Ronnie (see edit history)

[fordrodsteven]

Oh, I understand that the newer systems do not necessarily require the old format ..... But I'm old and don't want to learn any new tricks right now. LOL

[89RedDarkGrey]

Sorry about that. When you get time- please watch it, and maybe decide adding it to ROJ? It has info for all of us Reatta owners.

 

Ronnie, I agree and the video demonstrates what you said

 

 

[Ronnie]

11 hours ago, 89RedDarkGrey said:

Sorry about that. When you get time- please watch it, and maybe decide adding it to ROJ? It has info for all of us Reatta owners.

 

Ronnie, I agree and the video demonstrates what you said

 

Thanks for your generous offer to allow me to add the video produced by Chrysler that you edited and made your own to Reatta Owners Journal .

 

ROJ is targeted at the average Reatta owner who wants to repair his Reatta by following simplified instructions (usually written by me or forum members)  using basic hand tools. Although it is a great video filled with lots of information on the Teves, I think most of it falls outside the scope of what ROJ is about by it being so detailed and in depth. A highly trained master mechanic like yourself, and a handful of other people here on this forum, will find your edited Chrysler video useful but to the average Reatta owner it might just add to their confusion about the Teves Brake System.

 

Also, I feel uneasy about the Chrysler copyright notice being overwritten by your opening statement saying that you accept NO responsibility for it's content or copyright infringement. I feel that if I post the video without permission from Chrysler I might be opening myself up for a copyright infringement problem with the real copyright holder..

 

Thank you again for offering the video. I'm sure you will have it close at hand and ready to post it whenever a need for it arises.