Speedbleeders vs. mighty-vac

[matkal]

Speedbleeders win. M-V is a PITA.(although it works great on the cage)
After sucking the master cylinder dry twice and going through a quart of DOT 5.1
while trying to keep form spilling fluid and trying to maintain a good hose/bleeder screw
seal, i decided to try speedbleeders. It took me 15min to remove old bleeders, install
speedbleeders, AND get the brakes bled better than they have ever been!
Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

[ksann]

..what timing, my trusty old MV went in the trash yesterday, got broken.


Hmm, maybe I will have to give these a try.




ken

[matkal]

Do it! You'll NEVER go back.
I got them for $8 each, so $16 to try them on the front brakes.

[sprint_st]

I use both.  Speed bleeders don't work with a completely empty brake system or even if there is a significant amount of brake fluid that needs to be added.  Speed bleeder will tell you that in the instructions and I can testify to it on my bikes.  I use MV to pull a lot of fluid through; BUT the Speed bleeder beats the MV hands down at getting the line air free.  Putting the MV and Speed bleeders on at the final bleed always sucks air around the hose/nipple connection, at least for me.  Speed bleeder and pumping the lever gets a clean stream in no time.

[r2t2]

I use both.  Speed bleeders don't work with a completely empty brake system or even if there is a significant amount of brake fluid that needs to be added.  Speed bleeder will tell you that in the instructions and I can testify to it on my bikes.  I use MV to pull a lot of fluid through; BUT the Speed bleeder beats the MV hands down at getting the line air free.  Putting the MV and Speed bleeders on at the final bleed always sucks air around the hose/nipple connection, at least for me.  Speed bleeder and pumping the lever gets a clean stream in no time.

+1 Working together they are an unbeatable combination.

[jschmidt]

Speedbleeders need the thread sealer renewed every few times they are used. That's the only thing that doesn't make them superior.

[Mr Sunshine]

Speedbleeders need the thread sealer renewed every few times they are used. That's the only thing that doesn't make them superior.

huh? I've used them well over 10 times this year and they still work fine.

[jschmidt]

huh? I've used them well over 10 times this year and they still work fine.

Congratulations. That wasn't my experience and it isn't consistent with the company instructions. I have them on a couple of my cars.

When they need sealer, they suck air around the threads while you are bleeding.

Still, I'm happy for you.  

[Mydlyfkryzis]

The sealer is needed for the mighty vac too. The air sucked into the MV is from around the threads. If the threads of the bleeders are sealed, the MV can bleed without pumping, a one man job. The speed bleeders require the pumping. Either way, both make ife much easier.

[jschmidt]

The sealer is needed for the mighty vac too. The air sucked into the MV is from around the threads. If the threads of the bleeders are sealed, the MV can bleed without pumping, a one man job. The speed bleeders require the pumping. Either way, both make ife much easier.

I used to think this too. I found my MityVac very hard to learn to use, but very easy to use when I'd learned it. The trick is to set the vacuum and open the bleeder very slightly. If slightly opened, the vacuum will hold the bleeder outside-air tight. Then maintain some vacuum with slow steady pulls. When done precisely, you can watch the fluid level lower in the MC.

That said, I nearly gave up on the thing before I stumbled upon Nirvana.

[matkal]

I used to think this too. I found my MityVac very hard to learn to use, but very easy to use when I'd learned it. The trick is to set the vacuum and open the bleeder very slightly. If slightly opened, the vacuum will hold the bleeder outside-air tight. Then maintain some vacuum with slow steady pulls. When done precisely, you can watch the fluid level lower in the MC.

That said, I nearly gave up on the thing before I stumbled upon Nirvana.

Good tip. Thanks.

[ksann]

I've used a MV for close to 20 years (or so it seems) and learned that as long as I don't go overboard on the level of Vacuum, they work well.



ken

[matkal]

Even though the M-V can work well, it just seems to be more of a PITA for me.
The Speedbleeders are so simple and quick. You don't have to go back and forth, checking the fluid level
and finding a way to set the M-V down without spilling the reservoir.

[jschmidt]

Even though the M-V can work well, it just seems to be more of a PITA for me.
The Speedbleeders are so simple and quick. You don't have to go back and forth, checking the fluid level
and finding a way to set the M-V down without spilling the reservoir.

Another tip, the squeeze handle hangs on the brake disk quite nicely. No fuss.

That said, this is simply not a one good/one bad situation. Either option makes things easier.

[sprint_st]

this is simply not a one good/one bad situation. Either option makes things easier.

+1 Like I said previously, the MV seems to work best at moving a lot of fluid where the Speed Bleeder check valve just doesn't work because of too much air in the line..  Speed bleeders are superb in getting that final touch without the need for any learning curve.  The MV does have a kit where you can put a full can of brake fluid upside down in the MC and you don't have to worry about running the MC dry.  This is really good at doing a fluid swap. Buy two cans of whatever you want to use (not DOT 5), use MV to pull a complete can of fluid through and it flushes the old stuff out.  Then top off using the second can.  Ask any Sprint driver about bleeding brakes, most are experts because of real and perceived issues with brakes.

[bsd43]

On the ABS VFR, with so many !@#%!#@$!% bleed points, the MityVac is a savior...

[Bjorn Toulouse]

On the ABS VFR, with so many !@#%!#@$!% bleed points, the MityVac is a savior...

The non-ABS version is no picnic, either. Mine will be de-linked this winter.


Rex

[Busy Little Whiner]

So far at the Busy Little Shop I've never used Speed Bleeders or a Mighty Vac on a customers bike...

[matkal]

The non-ABS version is no picnic, either. Mine will be de-linked this winter.


Rex

De-linked, is that possible? I've kept bikes with linked brakes off of my "next bike" list, BMWs for instance.
How is this done? Is it mostly a matter of different and/or eliminating brake lines?

[mack82097]

De-linked, is that possible? I've kept bikes with linked brakes off of my "next bike" list, BMWs for instance.
How is this done? Is it mostly a matter of different and/or eliminating brake lines?

Sure, de-linking is possible.  I've done it on my Blackbird as well as my VFR800.  The kits were purchased from http://www.321ignition.co.uk/ .

Basically, on the non-ABS VFR, all the brake lines are replaced with two to the front and one to the rear.  There's a machined aluminum piece that fits to the pivoting extra master cylinder mounted to the left front brake caliper to prevent it from rotating under braking forces.

Both kits work well, but you have to  take off the plastics to remove the old lines.

[sprint_st]

De-linked, is that possible? I've kept bikes with linked brakes off of my "next bike" list, BMWs for instance.
How is this done? Is it mostly a matter of different and/or eliminating brake lines?

My current 06 FJR is linked ABS.  It is the first bike in 40+ years of riding that had either.  If I had my way prior to this bike, I would NOT have either.  A friend on a BMW lamented having to get linked ABS when his R1200RT got totaled and was replaced by a newer model.  Heard lots of bad stories about it too.  Don't know about the latest BMW's or VFR's but Yamaha has got this brake stuff nailed on the FJR.  I may have a pain with either speedbleeders or MV's but it sure will be worth it.  

[def38]

I use neither.

I use an old gallon plastic milk jug. Drink the milk first then rinse the jug. Poke a hole at the neck of the jug that will securely hold a piece of rubber tubing. Insert the tubing into the jug to near the bottom of the jug. Insert your shop vac into the neck. Place the tubing onto the bleeder and turn on the vac. The jug will collapse but don't worry.

Crack the bleeder while you observe the fluid level in the reservoir. Keep topping up the fluid level so as not to run dry. Once the fluid comes out clean, snug the bleeder. You’re done. Discard the jug and contents responsibly.