Porsche 914s For Newbies Ep 05 - Brake Bleeding (with Motive Power Bleeder)

[@IanKarr]

Thanks so much for watching. If you like these videos, please give a 👍, subscribe and hit the 🔔 . I make these videos alone in my garage and your subcriptions motivate me to keep making them. I try to answer all comments quickly. Be safe and enjoy the addiction!

[@reidjensen569]

Thanks for the videos, Ian! They are easy to follow, straight forward and if a viewer post a question you reply in a reasonable time.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks, Reid. Sorry it took 2 days to respond :)

[@leesrisuriyo2196]

I'm always enjoying watching Ian did the work on 914 ... Keep Up The Good Work

[@IanKarr]

Thanks Lee!

[@davebuser]

Something worth noting that I learned the hard way today after getting my (SMOTIVE) power bleeder. My '72 914 has an overflow tube at the top of the reservoir that apparently the later cars do not have. This does not allow for pressurization without modification. The fun part about mine was that before I realized this, it was clogged enough to hold almost 5lbs pressure... until it didn't. The clog blew out and so did all of the fluid in the bleeder before I figured out what happened. Expecting the worst, based on this video (slipped on, non-clamped) lines blowing off the MC feed tubes, I dropped the lower panel and inspected everything. All of that including re-installing the panel and cleaning up the mess was a PITA. I ended up pulling the drain line off and installing a couple feet of vacuum line with a small enough hose clamp to seal it at the reservoir, then drove a long bolt into the other end. It held and I managed to finish the job. The pressure bleeder as has worked where nothing else has after installing all new calipers a couple years ago. I suspect trapped air in the proportioning valve. You have to pump the pedal in addition to pressure bleeding to help purge that air.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks for sharing the experience. Hope you got it all sorted without any peeling paint…

[@russmoffat363]

Love your videos Ian! Just bled my brakes for the first time since I’ve owned it. Easy!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks. So great that you did it yourself. Be safe and enjoy!

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

Love the power bleeder! Great write up!! I typically do a brake pedal bleed as well to make sure the master cylinder has worked its air/fluid out.

[@IanKarr]

Can’t hurt to do that. Thanks for watching / subscribing!

[@johnnydeutschemark3620]

I have alternatively used the Motive to pressurize the system w/o putting fluid in the Motive itself, just make sure there is enough fluid in the brake cylinder at all times while bleeding at the rotor. It worked well on my '83 SC. BTW : your 914 in Raveena Grun is THE BEST color , love it. L65 K ! Occasionally I miss my '71 Metallic Gold, which was also a nice hue.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks! I love this color as well. Yep, just using the motive to pressurize works. And way less of a mess. Good tip to consider!

[@brianfox830]

Really appreciate these videos... (Will be installing a new brake master cylinder on my 914 in the coming weeks)... Keep up the good work!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks Brian. Good luck with the work!

[@Rocco101]

I got one of those from ecs tuning. It's a swaben comes with a couple adapters and it works flawlessly

[@IanKarr]

A rose by any other name... 😊

[@leonardcoloccia7535]

Ian, doesn't the air compress and not the fluid? Loved the video, as usual.

[@IanKarr]

You are correct. Thanks for pointing that out. Technically, air is compressible and fluid is not, which is what creates the sponginess. I could’ve been clearer about that.

[@tgottwalt]

I just got my calipers back from Eric at PMB, and replaced the master cylinder with the 19 mm from 914 Rubber. What are the “other things” you refer to when basically reloading the entire system?

[@IanKarr]

With new calipers it takes a lot more work to get the air out. Sometimes pressure bleeding alone isn't enough. You may need to pump the brakes in addition. Also tap the calipers with a hammer to get the bubbles to rise up. You may also need to crack the line by the pressure regulator to get air out of that. Figure on running a couple quarts through the system to get it bled. Also, with new seals, PMB says you need to drive the car for a few hundred miles before the brakes reach their full firmness.

[@Josh-oz6us]

Hey Ian, thanks for the videos!! I'm a new 914 owner and there's a lot I'm figuring out! I just found mine that has been sitting covered in a garage for 39 years! There's a bit of rust, but nothing major (phew!). My question is the brake fluid has dried up, do you suggest anything special for this car? Pull all the lines and clean them, or replace them, or just dump in new fluid and go to town (after pulling the calipers and cleaning etc..). Thanks in advance! Josh

[@IanKarr]

Hi Josh. Glad you're finding the videos helpful. With a car that's been sitting for 39 years, there are (obviously) lots of unknowns. Maybe the brake system was drained before storage. If it were my car, I'd have a pro mechanic who's familiar with 914s give it a full inspection / assessment. In answer to your specific brake question...without seeing any pics or inspecting the car, I'd probably opt for replacing everything in the brake system...from the MC through the calipers. You could take one of the rear hard lines and cut it open to see if there's rust in there. But I'd want the peace of mind knowing that the braking system is fresh and clean. At the very least, all four soft lines will need to be replaced and the calipers will need to be rebuilt. Unlikely that the MC is still operable. But keep us posted!

[@Josh-oz6us]

@@IanKarr Hey Ian, Thanks for the reply! I highly doubt it was drained before "storage", but that's good info. I'll definitely tear it all open, look for a new MC and check the lines for rust while I rebuild the calipers. Ill keep you posted on the car over the next few weeks! Josh

[@terryrae6113]

So if you have 2 bleeders per caliper I assume you start with the bottom one first ?

[@IanKarr]

Only use the top bleeder. Bubbles rise. If you have a really hard time getting a firm pedal you can also try shooting some fluid through the bottom bleeder with a syringe, but that’s not common.

[@terryrae6113]

@@IanKarr Thanks

[@stevenhenry8743]

Can you do a video on bleeding the MC while it's installed?

[@IanKarr]

Already done! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYC2lqVtbJmBp68

[@stevenhenry8743]

@@IanKarr Thank you!

[@SJJ1776]

What "other stuff" for replacing the calipers?

[@IanKarr]

Bunch of things like setting the rear venting clearance, shooting fluid up through the lower bleed screw, tapping with a hammer, combining power bleeding with stomp and hold. I’m gonna shoot a video about all of that when I put new calipers in the bumblebee, but this video is more about regular maintenance, so I wanted to keep it simple