another brake question

[hunterguy86]

I got the front brakes all worked out.

When I tried to bleed the back, no fluid comes out. I can crack the line to the drum and I got fluid there but not from the bleeders.

I think the wheel cylinders are dead. What yall think?

 

[southernspeed]

Often you can get corrosion/caked up sludge blocking off the small hole at the base of the nipple. Take the nipple right out and make sure the hole is clear thru.

 

[hunterguy86]

So just take the brake line and bleeder off and spray some cleaner through it?

 

[southernspeed]

So just take the brake line and bleeder off and spray some cleaner through it?

If you take the bleed nipple out you'll see the where the hole is at the side of the taper at its' base. That hole often gets filled up with gunge.

 

[goldwing2000]

Sometimes the bleeder screw itself gets plugged, too. pull the bleeder screw completely out and see if you get any fluid that way. Then take a wire wheel to the outside of the screw and clean out the inside with a drill bit *BY HAND*.

If you have enough crud inside your wheel cylinder to block off the bleed hole, then you probably need new wheel cylinders.

 

[86haubs]

Sometimes the bleeder screw itself gets plugged, too. pull the bleeder screw completely out and see if you get any fluid that way. Then take a wire wheel to the outside of the screw and clean out the inside with a drill bit *BY HAND*.

If you have enough crud inside your wheel cylinder to block off the bleed hole, then you probably need new wheel cylinders.

I am not even sure if I would waste my time with that, the bleeder screws are cheap. It would be a lot faster than trying to clean up your old ones.

 

[goldwing2000]

I am not even sure if I would waste my time with that, the bleeder screws are cheap. It would be a lot faster than trying to clean up your old ones.

Depends on how bad they are, really. If it's just full of mud with a little surface rust, it's easier to clean them up then spend time driving to the parts store and money on gas and parts.

Whatever you do, just be sure to put some vacuum caps over them when you're all done. That should help keep it from happening again.