Bleed brakes easily. The Brake Saga ep7 Jaguar Xk8 XkR brakes single sided caliper. To the Garage

How to bleed brakes on your car. We are bleeding the brakes on a 1996 Jaguar XK8 and will be using the pressure bleed approach with Gunsons Eezibleed system.
Correctly bleeding your brakes can significantly improve brake feel.
Details of the Bleed tool we use can be found by following this link.
Gunson's Eezibleed
amzn.to/2SqcfIP.
Parts used in this video and others in the Braka saga series are linked below.
Red Stuff brake pads.
rover.ebay.com...
EBC USR Discs
rover.ebay.com...
EBC Brake lines. part number for 96 XK8 BLA1504-4L
www.ebcbrakesh...
Caliper rebuild Kit (Mine came from British parts .co.uk BUT THIS SEEMS A GOOD DEAL)
rover.ebay.com...
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PLEASE NOTE. Do not use engine oil, or any other kind of oil to lubricate your brake parts. Use only brake safe substances supplied by your brake part supplier or brake fluid itself.
If you are in any doubt about your confidence in working on brake systems then seek the assistance of a suitably competent person.
These videos are provided to log what I have done, and for your entertainment. As always you proceed at your own risk if copying the acts depicted on this channel.

[@gsminors]

Very nicely explained. My wife used to help me bleed the brakes! The last time she helped was on a MGB convertible. She sat in the drivers seat and followed my instructions. All was good then she started to look around my workshop while she was in the car and made a comment "you have a lot of tools and stuff in the workshop! Do you need all this?" That was the last time I asked her to help me :) I have been using a vacuum system to bleed brakes maybe I will do my video with that method. I don't see Gunsons over here in Alberta :( . You will fell a difference in how firm your pedal feels with those braided lines. Looking forward to your test.

[@t.alanblain6313]

Another brilliant video. Thank you John. This is the one that I have been waiting for as I was cautious about changing my brake fluid because of the ABS pump. I understood that with some cars the ABS system has to be connected to the manufacturer's diagnostic system. Really pleased to see that that is not the case with my XK8. I have bought a compressed air actuated, vacuum bleed system (much to my wife's delight. She has nightmares about 'up, down, up, down!!), but I have yet to try it. I am really looking forward to seeing the results of fitting the EBC discs and red stuff pads.

[@jagvette1]

John as always excellent video I would like to raise a couple of points and IF I am wrong PLEASE SAY SO ,I always understood when bleeding brakes you should always start from the furthest from the reservoir and work forward, also if changing from dot 3/4 to dot 5 ALL rubber components MUST be changed as they can expand and cause brake failure, PLEAS understand I am not criticizing just trying to clarify :)

[@ToTheGarage]

jagvette1 👋 hi I would follow the same logic you describe re bleeding sequence in the absence of any other guidance. However on the xk8 jaguar give very specific advice on the bleed sequence in their technicians workshop manual. I don’t know but believe it is to pull the majority of air from the abs pump first by using the Caliper closest to it first rather than pull it all around the system.. and yes silicon seals should be fitted if you upgrade to dot 5 👍👍

[@jagvette1]

Ahh that could be true :)

[@dwp2250]

Do NOT use Dot 5 silicon fluid in an ABS equipped system. Dot 4 or Dot 5.1 it is confusing that is why Halfords for example removed Dot 5 from the shelves. I use Dot 5 in my classic car as it sits for months over winter as it’s not hygroscopic. Dot 5 does give a softer pedal feel.

[@normanb33]

Well done John, another good video.👍👍

[@ToTheGarage]

Thanks Norman

[@projectsinthebarn]

Hi John, I hope you are well buddy. I have been revisiting your brake upgrade saga over these last few days and have really enjoyed it. This is definitely something I would like to do to my old girl over the coming months. All this time on since you first done them are your initial thoughts still the same and are they still as good as when you first installed them? Cheers buddy, Simon.

[@ToTheGarage]

Hi Simon. Glad you liked the video's. I still love my new brake setup. Consider the Greenstuff pads if you don't mind a bit more brake dust as they will probably give you even more bite. But the set up I have has not deteriorated at all.

[@projectsinthebarn]

@@ToTheGarage hi John, that sounds great, I will deffo look into that. Love the look of your elgrando too, don't see many of those around the UK 👍

[@garyvanremortel5218]

Hygroscopic, and I hope Lincolnshire is precisely so, otherwise I hope you have kayaks. Presumably the brake kit manufacturer has a well documented bedding-in process prior to the empirical testing.

[@ToTheGarage]

Gary VanRemortel the county has indeed absorbed all of the water now and is currently being ‘bled’ by an enormous pumping station at the other side of the village. Powered by a septic engine it pushes alll the water out to sea. ( we are 1 ft below sea level!) The standard work for bedding in has been trained out and will be deployed prior to assessment of the new system. Full empirical testing will include measurement of stopping distances using a marker twig and brake feel using the same shoes and socks benchmarked previously😁👍

[@garyvanremortel5218]

@@ToTheGarage I trust you will be using a calibrated twig of consistent mass and will compensate for elevation variance..

[@warrenwarburtonesq.6884]

John, when you pressure bleed the brakes, as in this video, does the fluid in the ABS pump also get bled out or is there a separate procedure to activate the ABS pump? In the past, I have bled out the ABS pump on an E90 BMW by finding a gravel road and going crazy on it, aggressively pumping the brakes and activating the ABS pump to force the air back into the brake lines. After that, I just re-bled the brakes in a normal fashion and the entire brake system was free of air. Do you know if the gravel road system works on the XK8?

[@ToTheGarage]

The Jag system bleeds past the ABS pump just fine. But i would recommend activating the ABS occasionally anyway so that nothing sticks

[@bruceboucher2134]

Another great video, just as an aside John what watch are you wearing? jusr another hobby of mine

[@ToTheGarage]

Sorry Bruce This one slipped by me for a whole week. Thanks for asking. Its a Casio G shock stainless edition. I wear that most of the time because tough as nails and looks good. I wear my Apple Watch in the week because its so useful as a timer, calendar reminder and remote camera release. And I have a very nice Baume that I only wear for special occasions. What are your regular wears?

[@bruceboucher2134]

@@ToTheGarage John I have some rather different watches started with the Bulova accutron 1970's the one that went to the Moon. I have about 100 in total OMEGA my nice ones, I brought a Rolex in Aden in the 1960's when stationed at Steamer Point. Also what they call converted early 1900 pocket watch movements converted to wristwatches, Hamilton, Christopher Ward, so many more makes, Divers, two Jaguar watches, some Russian, Seagull, very lovely and made in China, don't have a Baume M, . Got a bloke coming over Wednesday to fit a new one piece roof liner, he can do the whole re-fit including travel from Lincoln in the day he says he does about 8 a week. Waiting for some dry time so I can paint my calipers!

[@dennisover8123]

HELLO JOHN 2004 XK8 MY BRAKE PADS ARE GOOD FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED BRAKE LINE HAS BEEN BLEED .MY BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR WHILE STOPPING. GOOD MECHANICS TELLING ME THIS IS NOMAL HAVING A PEDAL THAT LOW. WITH ENGINE OFF PEDAL FEEL IS MUCH HIGHER HOW MUCH TRAVEL DO U HAVE UNTIL U FEEL THE BRALES APPLY.

[@ToTheGarage]

Hi Dennis. Is certainly not down on the floor. To be fair there is a significant difference between the hard pedal with engine on and off. I will see if I can measure something for you. 3 biggest reasons for a soft or long travel pedal will be. 1) Flexible hoses are weak or poor quality 2) Airlock in brake lines due to insufficent or incorrect bleeding. (Sequence is important) 3) Warped disks or word wheel bearings. (pushing calliper back further than necessary between brake applications. Beyond those, its usually a faulty brake servo or vacuums line to the servo.

[@ToTheGarage]

OK Dennis. I have been upside down in the footwell for you. I recon thats one shandy if we meet in the future🤣 Engine off the pedal travel to the solid point is 4cm Engine on there is another 3.5cm of travel.

[@jagvette1]

OK you bugger I have just watched this video again and now I have had to buy a brake fluid tester it has cost me $4.71 I trust you will send me a cheque to cover the cost:))

[@ToTheGarage]

Wait till you see my Blue tooth solution!😉 Im brilliant at spending other peoples money🤣

[@jagvette1]

dammit wish I'd never found your channel :), as always keep it up your such a happy chappy

[@henrikhornsved6674]

Does the bleeding sequence change left/right with LHD cars?

[@ToTheGarage]

Good question Henrick. I don't think so as the ABS motor is in the same place on both hands of car but am not sure. Any help anyone?

[@bixkauldhar1566]

How would you bleed the ABS pump?

[@anthonyclarke2393]

hi John i have tried to bleed the brakes on my 04 xk8 using the traditional method with my wife on the brake pedal the fronts bled fine but could not seem to get much out of the rear wheels and the pedal was solid would the engine running help many thanks and keep up the great videos

[@ToTheGarage]

engine running will help apply more pressure to the pedal. But I would replace or clear out the bleed nipples on the rear.

[@ticky4627]

great video very informative.I have an s type r could i use the vacuum pump method to bleed brakes?

[@ToTheGarage]

Absolutely. Same kit would do the job. Just be careful when using either vacuum or as I did positive pressure, that you don't allow the brake fluid reservoir run low, as you will introduce air very efficiently that way😁

[@ticky4627]

@@ToTheGarage thanks john

[@philk4241]

Did you ever do the brake test and review video? Can't find it for some reason.

[@ToTheGarage]

just started putting the footage together. not been driving much to bed the brakes in due to Covid

[@mistermikeanson]

Have you eaten those Hobnobs yet?

[@ToTheGarage]

Yup😋 They are all Gone. Can't explain it😉

[@jagvette1]

And you didn't share with us, such a meany