https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=29243
I don't have a compressor. I wasn't inclined to buy one since I have to move soon; I wanted a setup that would be basically disposable, if it were necessary. So I built the "homemade bleeder" seen on so many enthusiast sites, supposedly a $20 alternative to the $50 Motive bleeder. This is not a new or original idea. I show my method in case you're interested, but if you don't need help making the thing, skip to the end for some general notes and impressions. Bear in mind that this is just how I did it, not necessarily "the best" way - cn90's hardware to build the cap is cleaner, and others have done it less cleanly. You can mix and match elements of these setups as you please.
I used the following items:
- 1x ATE old-car brake reservoir cap - http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-m ... ap-1272107
- 1x Home Depot "HDX" 1-gal garden sprayer - http://www.homedepot.com/p/203809533
- 3x 1/4" NPT to hose barb fittings (this sprayer uses 1/4" ID hose)
- 1x hose splice, 1/4" ID hose
- 1x 1/4" NPT brass female pipe tee
- 1x 15psi gauge with 1/4" NPT threads - http://www.mcmaster.com/#4089K61
- JB Weld
- A C-clamp
Using a hacksaw, cut the threads off of one of those 1/4" NPT-to-hose-barb fittings. Clean and rinse the fitting thoroughly so there are no chips remaining. This just keeps the cap from dipping into the brake fluid when you install it in the reservoir, to reduce mess. If you don't have a hacksaw, then don't worry about it.
Drill a hole through the reservoir cap big enough to accommodate your hose barb. Not too much bigger, but it doesn't have to be perfect.
- What you need to build the cap
JB Weld, as you may know, is a high-performance engineering adhesive, used exclusively in extremely scientific applications such as this one. Using a precision-engineered mixer/applicator device, such as a disposable plastic fork, seal the vent hole in the reservoir cap.
- I'd recommend removing the rubber gasket before this step, actually
- Hose barb ready to glue
- IMAG1221.jpg (153.93 KiB) Viewed 2036 times
- this is what the final reservoir cap looks like
Let the Advanced Science Glue cure for at least 24 hours.
Wrap the remaining barbed fittings and the gauge with some teflon tape, and tighten them 1-1.5 full turns past finger tight. (You need a 9/16" wrench for 1/4" NPT fittings.)
- i am not a pipefitter
Put it all together as shown below, and you're done !
- this is the setup
The cap screws onto your reservoir. Bleed as you would with any power bleeder.
- installed and operating.
1. Some fill their power bleeders with brake fluid so they don't have to keep refilling the reservoir. I didn't for a couple of reasons:
-- a : Brake fluid is nasty stuff. It's toxic, it eats up paint, it feels slimy and gross, yadda yadda. I don't want it anywhere besides in the brake system. If the sprayer, hoses, gauge, fittings, &c stay clean, I can use them again for whatever I want. If they get brake fluid in them, they'll be useless for anything besides brake fluid, and they'll spread it wherever they go.
-- b : If there's anything (debris, grease, water....) in the bleeder system, it will contaminate any brake fluid it contacts. Pressurized air won't carry anything with it.
-- c : Loose connection? If the sprayer is filled with air, it'll go ptthththth and you can tighten it. If it's filled with brake fluid, it will silently deposit brake fluid all over everything in your house.
-- d : Brake fluid is somewhat corrosive to JB Weld. If the sprayer is filled with air, the JB never touches brake fluid. If the sprayer is filled with brake fluid......seems like it's more of a long-term effect, but why put even trace amounts in when you can avoid it?
So I unscrewed the cap when the level started getting low and added fluid to the reservoir.
2. This being a low-pressure system, you can get away with murder. I lost the rubber gasket that went under the cap, my teflon taping was poor, I didn't tighten the pipe fittings that hard, I sorta kludged some of the hose fittings....generally a lot of goofups. 10psi is not a lot. None of it leaked.
3. To bleed the clutch on a 99+ P80, you need higher pressures (20+ psi, from what I read on the intertubes. I don't know if this applies to earlier cars). I don't know if the sprayer has a limit. I didn't touch the clutch.
4. Total cost: $10 for the sprayer, $5 for the cap, ~$15 for the fittings, $10 for the gauge.....we're butting up against the cost of the Motive setup now. The biggest cost is in the gauge and tee fittings. The fella at this page uses a clever idea, though I don't quite understand how he seals the Schrader valve against the bottle. That will save decent bux and make this a truly budget alternative.
