Installing New Rear Brake Cylinders

[HRTKD]

I went to bleed the brakes and I didn't get any further than breaking off the bleeder screw of the passenger rear. I'm now getting ready to replace both cylinders.

Should I bleed out the old fluid with the brake line disconnected from the cylinder? Or just go ahead and hook it up and then bleed it?

 

[srteach]

Clamp the brake lines, install new cylinders, release the lines and bleed the wheel cyl. THEN move on to the other wheel.

 

[JamesC]

Don't clamp the brake lines just let them drip out. put a drain pan underneath and do one at a time and don't let the master cyl run dry.

Clamping the lines is bad you can kink the inside of the flex hose so that the fluid doesn't return after the pedal is released. brake fluid is better when it is new so the more that drips out while changing the wheel cylinders the more new fluid and the less old fluid.

 

[HRTKD]

I finished installing the new cylinders (I despise working on drum brakes) and bled the rears. That old fluid was nasty. I'm pretty sure it had been in there for 8 years. I ran out of time so I'll finish tomorrow by bleeding the fronts. Hopefully I don't break off the bleeder screws on the front.

 

[Jspafford]

The fronts are FAR more forgiving than the rears.

 

[HRTKD]

I got 'er done. I evacuated a good 20 oz of old, nasty, particle-filled brake fluid. The rear anti-lock brakes seem to be working now.

While I was at it I removed and replaced the power steering fluid. That was some ugly fluid. It was green!

I used a large 60ml/2oz syringe to extract all the old fluid from the brake and power steering reservoirs. I was on a roll so I did the same things to my wife's '02 Dodge Grand Caravan. Next up is my '07 Nissan Titan.