Vacuum Tester

[triumphrider-1]

So I went to Harbor Freight the other weekend and was looking around (my first time in there) and noticed a vacuum tester. Would this be something to pick up, or are they not worth it? See link below to the item (I think that was the one).

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93547

On a side note, I picked up an mechanics stethoscope while I was there and it is awesome; no more guessing which pulleys are bad now!

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

thats a good deal.
couldnt use the fuel pressure side of it on anything thats injected thou.......only goes to 10 pounds.
you would spend close to that on the brass fittings alone.

 

[97ranger4x4]

yeh I picked up a mechanics stethoscope from their a while back. I buy a lot of my little tools that I will never really use a lot their. However their wobble sockets have paid off 10x over. I use those things all the time.

Great place for cheap shit.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

for just a few more dollers you can get a much more useful vacuum pump and bleeder kit:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92474

 

[MAKG]

For a "bleeder kit," I've had awful results with hand vacuum pumps.

I just recently picked up a Lisle kit that looks promising; haven't used it yet. It's a tube with a check valve in it that goes over the bleeder screw. The idea is to crack the screw open with this thing attached and then go pump the pedal a bunch of times.

Hand vacuum pumps are VERY useful for checking components (like check valves and vacuum modulators and fuel pressure regulators and vacuum switches and so on) for leaks, and for evaluating general engine condition (see the Haynes book). For these reasons, it's very much worth it.

And that stethoscope is useful, too.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

Hand vacuum pumps are VERY useful for checking components (like check valves and vacuum modulators and fuel pressure regulators and vacuum switches and so on) for leaks, and for evaluating general engine condition (see the Haynes book). For these reasons, it's very much worth it.

those are the uses i had in mind when i suggested it. and it can also be used as a plain vacuum guage too, of coarse.

the problem with vacuum bleeding is the vacuum usually bleeds by the loose threads of the cracked bleeder screw.

 

[Mark_88]

So I went to Harbor Freight the other weekend and was looking around (my first time in there) and noticed a vacuum tester. Would this be something to pick up, or are they not worth it? See link below to the item (I think that was the one).

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93547

On a side note, I picked up an mechanics stethoscope while I was there and it is awesome; no more guessing which pulleys are bad now!

That one only goes to 10 PSI...would be OK for testing vacuum, but I thought the fuel pressure was higher on FI engines...I just picked one up that is similar to that and it worked great for testing both my vac and fuel pressure, but I have a carb setup that is rated for 7.5 PSI...

As for bleeding brakes, I just bled my Ranger brakes with a one-man system that worked great...as far as I know...haven't tested it on the road yet so I may need to bleed them again...but the pedal feels much better than it did when I was driving it every day...

 

[Ozwynn]

I just used a hand vacuum pump to bleed my clutch and breaks, Literally took longer to learn how to use it than it did to bleed the clutch and the brakes. I had several of those small self bleeders and I keep losing them........... but with the hand pump I didn't have to keep getting out from under the cruiser to pump the pedal.

 

[triumphrider-1]

I wasn't looking to use it as a fuel pump tester, just for vacuum testing (theres a leak somewhere...blasted defrost).

Haven't really bled the brakes on this Ranger yet, been kinda nervous to do that (they are really rusty). My luck I would snap it off at the caliper/drum surface have to take it all apart drill out the old one etc. I've just been sucking the old fluid out of the resivoir and refilling that. Doesn't get all of the fluid but eventually it will.

 

[Mark_88]

I just used a hand vacuum pump to bleed my clutch and breaks, Literally took longer to learn how to use it than it did to bleed the clutch and the brakes. I had several of those small self bleeders and I keep losing them........... but with the hand pump I didn't have to keep getting out from under the cruiser to pump the pedal.

I was surprised because I only had to pump the brakes a few times and let it run...did all four in less than an hour...

I wasn't looking to use it as a fuel pump tester, just for vacuum testing (theres a leak somewhere...blasted defrost).

Haven't really bled the brakes on this Ranger yet, been kinda nervous to do that (they are really rusty). My luck I would snap it off at the caliper/drum surface have to take it all apart drill out the old one etc. I've just been sucking the old fluid out of the resivoir and refilling that. Doesn't get all of the fluid but eventually it will.

1999 and rusty already? That is scary, but mine were rusted to the point where there was no brakes on the Ranger...the Zuki surprised me though...it has four lines and they were all coated...plus I had the truck sprayed with oil when I first got it so hopefully it won't need lines for a few years...now, if I could just patch that exhaust...

 

[Ozwynn]

I bled the clutch and brakes in 5 min with the hand pump. I did cheat though, I bench bled the clutch master before installing it, but not only did I bleed everything in 5 min, that also included flushing all the nasty brake fluid out and replacing with synthetic fluid.

 

[triumphrider-1]

1999 and rusty already? That is scary, but mine were rusted to the point where there was no brakes on the Ranger...the Zuki surprised me though...it has four lines and they were all coated...plus I had the truck sprayed with oil when I first got it so hopefully it won't need lines for a few years...now, if I could just patch that exhaust...

Yeah, they look like their from the '80s.