I was just wondering how you flush the brake system is it easier just to let someplace do it or can I do it myself?

 

i would some other place do it, if they screw it up, its their fault. the brake system is something i wouldnt risk tinkering with, personally

 

Thats what I was thinking.

 

I had it done at 45,000 miles, it cost $80

 

I just did mine this past weekend, it's quite easy. If you open one of your bleeders and pump the pedal until the reservoiris almost empty, keep adding new fluid and continue pumping untill you have the new fluid coming out of the bleeder, the first one will take a few minutes, but the other 3 will be much quicker. I think it took me about 20 minutes to do the compleat flush, with the help of a friend to pump the pedal. I installed new stainless braided brake lines before flushing out all the old fluid, between the new lines and the valvaline synthetic brake fluid, the pedal feels much firmer and seems much better. The only reason I flushed the old fluid out was because I didn't want to mix the new stuff with what was in there.

 

Got an old post here... you might have already done your brake bleed.

After my experience last weekend, I have to throw in my advice. Hit the bleed valves with penetrating oil a few times before you attempt to bleed your brakes. I used oil, but not until a couple of hours before I started. No problems with the first three bleed screws, but on the fourth I rounded the bleed valve. And I was using a 6-point socket, 10mm. Then I went at it with ViseGrips. The only thing I succeeded in doing was removing brass filings from the bleed screw.

I stopped there, with the decision to get a replacement screw before I got the original out. Ford does not have a service part number for the bleed screw (the only way to get a screw from Ford is to buy the whole caliper with the screw attached to it). Four auto parts stores and rockauto.com did not have the screw either. The best they could offer is to match it against a screw from their "assorted" box.

Until I get the screw out and hopefully match it against a "generic" replacement, I'm stuck with a shredded bleed screw that I can't take out.


EDIT: Rockauto.com does not have a bleed screw listed for any Ranger in your year. They do if you go back to 2001, but there's no assurance that it will fit.

 

It's easy with a few people Andy.. we can do it at the next mod day. You really need 3 people and then it goes super quick..

 

i did mine took me 5 min :D .... pedal is alot better.... plus with bigger tires it takes longer to stop, which causes your brakes to heat up more/faster causing the fluid to get dirty/breakdown some. with new fluid its like brand new!

 

On the newer truck, I'd have someone else do it. Les Schwab does them and they hook the bleeder screws up to an air sucker type of deal which sucks the fluid through the system.

On the '71 chev, it's just a no brainer for me to do it.

 

the sucker things are nice and clean, but it is very easy to do yourself, as long as you have another person to pump the pedal for you and don't mind the mess of the fluid. I guess that I'm just cheap and will not pay someone for something that I can do myself in like 15-20 minutes.

 

to mike k you could have taken the bolt where the brake line hooks to the calipers to bleed them, i have had to do that on a couple of old subarus a few times until i could buy a rdebuilt caliper