Brake Bleeding Tools - CTA Brake Bleeding Wrench / 6 Point Wrenches

[ndphotonl]

Please consider replacing them if you have never replaced them. The nipples are usually mild steel

I already had to change a caliper because a sheared off nipple

Volvo S80 2.4T Sheared Off Nipple by Andy Ramdin, on Flickr

[abscate]

That would drill out just fine.

You can also bleed it out at the brake line - it is messy but it will work. It only needs 1/8 turn to seal or so

[kcodyjr]

In my younger years, a beer a wheel was a good timer for calculating how much fluid to pass thru a wheel.

I suppose I could pound down one of those cheap ball park beers in 5 minutes, but anything decent is 45 minutes to an hour.

In the first case, I'd be hammered before the job was done; and in the second, we're talking about a couple of liters of fluid per wheel, if done with a Motive power bleeder.

Can anyone give more precise guidance about bleed time, if I want to be sure that fresh fluid from the reservoir makes it all the way to the bleeder at each caliper?

[abscate]

You can calculate it, knowing that a 1cm diameter , 1 meter hose has 75 mL of fluid or just push 250 ml of brake fluiid per caliper like me. A 1 liter can will just do all four calioers, if you turkey baste out the reservoir old fluid first.


250 ml is about 10 fluid ounces in Imperialist Units

[oragex]

Hard to tell about the bleed time. Perhaps rather bleed amount as the fluid will drop inside the reservoir. If you can remove the small plastic "filter" cup from the reservoir, you will get a better view inside. - but that cup is hard to remove. I then prefer to first suck out as much old fluid from reservoir as possible, and refill with fresh. Then open a brake bleeder - two turns is plenty enough -and first thing, push back fully the piston inside the caliper - old pistons are hard to move, will need a 10" C-clamp. This way you remove already the oil fluid from inside the caliper. Then go with the pressure bleeder, it should not take long time as you are removing only the old fluid still inside the line which is not that much, perhaps 100-200ml, depends on which caliper. Always keep a transparent hose over the bleeder so as to prevent any air bubbles from going into the caliper. When finished, tighten the bleeder just a small amount, and spray around with oil or some anti-rust,. Before driving the car, press the brakes to bring the piston in contact with the brake pads. Brake fluid can be washed off easily with a water hose. Side note: if a bleeder feels stuck, I would make sure I can get a replacement caliper in case it snaps. Replacing the caliper is nasty because you may need to disconnect the brake hose at the upper end as well, and it gets stuck from rust inside the small bracket - spray Liquid Wrench days ahead to break it loose.

[cn90]

- I use a modified ATE brake cap (fitted with quick-connect fitting for air compressor).
Set compressor at 10 psi or so.
Info in this forum.

- Box wrenches, forgot the size but 11mm seems right.

- I bleed the brake with wheels on the ground.

The whole thing is done in 30 minutes. Just keep watching the reservoir to be sure it does not fall below Min.
Best is to have a helper looking at the reservoir.

[kcodyjr]

I've got the Motive power bleeder with the aluminum reservoir cap. I actually already bled the right side, until I saw clean fluid come through, and that's when I found out the two left calipers had seized bleeders. They both snapped.

So, I ordered four new calipers and installed them. That's when I noticed that the front hoses were badly cracked. So, I ordered a kit of four TechnaFit braided hoses from FCP.

That's when I found out the left front flare fitting was seized. I thought it was just sticky, until the frickin' thing snapped off along with that first centimeter of tubing. I realized what was happening with the rear flare nuts - also seized to the hard line - and instead turned the hose, and then turned the new hose clockwise to install, and then turned the calipers on to the new hoses (!!!!) before bolting them back in.

So, cleaned up that front left flare nut on the bench, bought a flare tool, and fixed that. By then, though, the reservoir had fully drained through the front left line.

At this point, I've bled the obvious air out of each of the calipers using the power bleeder and catch bottles, and they felt firm enough with the engine off, but they're spongy as hell with the engine running. I figure there's air bubbles trapped in there somewhere, that were introduced at the master cylinder end when the reservoir drained dry.

I did the last bleed RR, LR, RF, LF; I'm thinking to go the other way (closest-first) with the next bleed, and put enough fluid through to be sure there can't be any air in the lines. 250ml for each of the rear lines, 150 for the front right, 100 for the front left? Sounding like that would guarantee any air bubble should be driven through the lines and out through the calipers.

[ignatz]

I'd double check all those brake retainer clips first. If one isn't on correctly. the brakes will feel spongy because the caliper is moving while the brakes are depressed. Have someone push on the brakes while the engine is running and you look at the calipers.
Next, you say the brakes are spongy, if you said you have to pump them up, then I would say you had air in the system.
Depending on what rotor, pad, caliper and hose you used, there might be a bedding in time for the brakes to feel better. My previous Mercedes 190 2.3, always felt spongy after a front brake job until the new brakes bedded in.

[ignatz]

Also, I have a 2001 and 2002 V70 2.4t. The 02 was dealer maintained using Volvo parts before I got it. Those brakes have a longer and softer feel to them. They stop fine, but have a softer feel. If you drove my 02 for a week and then got in my 01 wagon, the brakes would immediately scare you, because they are firm and right there at the top of the pedal.
Two similar cars with completely different braking action. I have both of these cars for 4-5+ years and never put brakes on them. Just my gravity brake bleed ordeal to keep the fluid fresh.

[kcodyjr]

I'll recheck the retainer clips next time I'm out there. Akebono says no bedding-in procedure is required for any of their pads.

It's these Akebono pads and Zimmerman coated rotors:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 9702c88eeb

It's Volvo calipers rebuilt by Centric:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -142-39047
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -142-39048
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -142-39525
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... -142-39526

It's Techna-Fit braided hoses:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... t-vol-1205

It's OE Pentosin Super DOT4 fluid:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/super- ... 14-1204115