So our 2002 4x4 4.0l ranger came home. We loaned it out.... Any how I went to move it and no brakes.
Found front passenger side piston was blowing out brake fluid. So I decided to replace both front calipers, shoes, rotors.
Got that done and time to flush brake fluid throughout.
Unbelievable both rear brake drum bleeder screws had no bleeder hole..... They were like fake bleeder screws.
Seems totally strange so i replaced both of them from autoparts.
I was able to use a cheap harbor freight brake vacuum pump on the rears.
When I went to the front I could not get any brake fluid out of either passenger front calipers using this vacuum pump.
The pressure gauge on the hand operated pump would get up 2 10psi and when i stopped pumping it would drop down to 0psi

I tightened up the valves and gave it a drive.... There are brakes but they seem a little weak. I can tell the fronts are working because
i see the hood drop while braking to a stop. I'm thinking maybe to take it to a shop to bleed the brakes. I have to think there is still air in the front lines at least.
Your thoughts appreciated. Todd Littleton, CO

 

Just get another person in the truck to help bleed the brakes.

 

When brake pedal is up there are no obstructions between master reservoir and calipers or slaves
So open a bleeder and brake fluid should drip/flow out from gravity, master is higher than calipers or brakes, Water/"fluid" runs downhill, always, lol

Vacuum bleeders are not good with some ABS systems, they were for older brake systems, i.e. no ABS
Brake systems have 0psi with foot off the pedal
When pedal is pressed down POSITIVE pressure pushes fluid out of master and thru the ABS Valves and to the calipers or slaves, causing them to expand

ABS valves are made to have positive psi pushing on them, if needed they close that one brake line's out to wheel a bit to reduce braking power at that wheel to prevent lockup
If you put a vacuum, negative pressure, at a bleeder it can suck the abs valve closed so no fluid is pulled from master

Unless you are doing a full flush of fluid just gravity bleeding works fine when replacing a caliper or slave

Or you can use positive pressure on the reservoir to push fluid out when brake pedal is up

Or as said, have a helper pump the brake pedal to transfer fluid out faster than gravity bleeding

MAKE SURE reservoir never runs dry for all methods of bleeding brakes OR Clutches