Mityvac Brake-Bleeding Kit
MITYVAC BRAKE-BLEEDING KIT
CW EVALUATION
Single-handed bubble extraction
BLEEDING A BRAKE SYSTEM CAN BE A tedious, messy task. Manual bleeding, wherein one person pumps the brake lever or pedal while another opens and closes the caliper bleeder valve, can be time consuming and is not always effective. Power bleeders, the kind found in better automotive garages and motorcycle shops, are much quicker and remove recalcitrant air bubbles more efficiently but are expensive, costing about $250.
So, what’s the budget-based home mechanic to do?
Use the Mityvac Brake-Bleeding Kit, that’s what. For $35, you get a rebuildable plastic vacuum pump, a fluid reservoir, all the necessary tubing and adapters, and an instruction manual. Unlike power bleeders, which force fluid through the lines from the caliper up to the master-cylinder reservoir, the Mityvac instead uses vacuum applied at the caliper to draw fluid down through the lines from the master cylinder.
Used properly, the Mityvac renders brake bleeding a one-person job. You just fill the master cylinder reservoir with fresh fluid, attach the connector hose to the caliper bleeder valve, squeeze the pump’s handle several times to create a vacuum, and crack the valve. Soon, fluid will begin to flow through the hose into the Mityvac’s reservoir. When air bubbles cease to appear in the clear connector hose, close the valve.
According to the manufacturer, one or two bleedings usually is sufficient to give the pedal or lever a positive, solid feel. We found that two to four cycles were necessary, depending upon the amount of air present in the system after any given repair. We also determined that safety wiring the Mityvac’s hoses to its fittings will help maintain proper line pressure and prevent fluid from splattering on bodywork.
Manufactured by Neward Enterprises, Inc. (9251 Archibald Ave., Cucamonga, CA 91730; 909/987-8975), the Mityvac is an affordable and effective way to take the messiness-not to mention the air-out of brake bleeding. □
