[Healeys] Brake theory -100/4 Front BLeed Screws

[Michael Salter]

Yes David is correct.
The way the front wheel cylinders on a 100 are installed does indeed result
in their being almost impossible to bleed in the conventional
manner...HOWEVER there is a trick!!
Try "reverse bleeding"..
Get a length of clear plastic hose which will fit tightly on the bleed
screw.
Pump most of the fluid out of the reservoir by bleeding the rear brakes in
the normal manner.
Install one end of the hose onto the bleed screw and find a small funnel
for the other end.
Elevate and hang the funnel so that is is higher than the fluid reservoir.
Fill the funnel with brake fluid and crack open the bleed screw with the
tube on it; keep the funnel full and wait.
Eventually the fluid will work its way backwards through the system
carrying all the air with it and the level of the reservoir will start to
rise.
This process can be done even more effectively with a pressure (bladder)
bleeder using an adapter for the bleed port.
-- 
Michael Salter

                         *I have BJ8 water pump kits!!*

On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:23 PM, David Nock <healeydoc at sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> YES the bleed screws on the front wheel cylinders do go on the lower
> port of the wheel cylinder. If you install them as you would think
> they should you will not get a solid brake pedal. Don't ask me why
> but I did install them with the bleed screw once a long time ago and
> I learned the hard way. The manufacurers did something for a reason
> and some times it just doesn't pay to try and re invent the wheel.
>
> Looking at other cars with Girling front drum brakes, they all have
> the bleed screws on the upper fitting on the wheel cylinders. The
> change seems to have come when Girling went to Disc Brakes.
>
>
>
>
>
> David Nock
> British Car Specialists
> Stockton Ca 95205
> 209-948-8767
>
> www.britishcarspecialists.com
>
> Please feel free to view an interview with the Nock's in 2009
>         Enjoy
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOTTRYkbQzs
> .
> .
>
> On Oct 16, 2012, at 6:53 AM, Richard Ewald wrote:
>
> > You have two choices
> > 1. Turn the car upside down to bleed the brakes
> > 2. Swap the cylinders to the correct sides and then bleed the
> > brakes right
> > side up.
> > Don't feel bad, I have seen professional mechanics make this same
> > mistake.
> >
> > On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 11:26 PM, <fiat500f at aol.com> wrote:
> >
> >> OK, so the question brought up in the previous comments is this:
> >> Since the
> >> wheel cylinder bleeder fittings are on the BOTTOM of the
> >> cylinders, and the
> >> air is obviously at the TOP of the cylinder, how do folks get the
> >> air out?