Motive power bleeder - air pressure only

[tim]

Quick share of my experience the Motive Power bleeder: like many other users of this product for the 11+ mustang, i had to order the aluminum cap from Motive and like many others, still had problems with leaking fluid at the cap. After thinking i'd just wasted $80, I tried using the bleeder with just air pressure (12psi) and no brake fluid in the Motive - worked fine!

Using this air pressure only technique, there's no chance of brake fluid leaks at the cap. In between each corner, release the pressure, add fluid to the master cylinder, put the cap back on and go.

I've not tracked it yet after trying it this way, but for impromptu late night brake fluid changes, it worked really well.

One thing i really don't know, is whether there's a technical reason they don't recommend using the tool this way. ymmv

 

[Boaisy]

I had no issue with mine, but I know they usually provide two different washer/gaskets for the cap. Each person it varies on which one to use even if you are on the same model Mustang.

 

[808muscle]

Thats how I use it on my 06. No fluid in the motive container at all, just air. Works perfect and no clean up required.

 

[tim]

I had no issue with mine, but I know they usually provide two different washer/gaskets for the cap. Each person it varies on which one to use even if you are on the same model Mustang.

I tried the thin one first, but in following the instructions onthe bottle, air pressure didn't hold at 10psi, so i switched to the thicker one. The thicker one worked fine for air, but for fluid it popped a leak after a minute or two. quite a lot of cleanup required because i was already bleeding the first corner.

sticking with the air method pending results at the track on Monday

 

[DUFUS]

I've only used the Motive for air from day one. Pretty sure I've used the thicker gasket, and have even crimped down the tabs ever so slightly on occasion for a perfect seal.

 

[2013kAB]

interesting. i just ended up ordering one of these. so the air-only option you pump up to same pressure i think 10-14psi?

 

[DocB]

I use air only. !5 lbs. Works great. Easy one man job now.

Have not tried the fluid method, and don't plan to.

You have confirmed my reckoning - messy.

 

[DPE]

Agreed; use air only, about 10psi. Long ago when I first got the thing (15 years ago maybe?) we would put fluid in it, but about half the time it ended in a brake fluid mess. Been quite happy with air only for a number of years now. Just works and no mess.

 

[o2sys]

If only air is used is there a better one man brake bleeder?

Ie. Found the mitivac hand pump... Anyone try that?

 

[dontlifttoshift]

If only air is used is there a better one man brake bleeder?

No.

I have a mityvac, vacula, and a phoenix reverse flow injection thing. Out of all of them, the vacula works the best. We do a lot of cars from scratch and start with totally dry systems and sucking it through works does a good job of getting you close and saves you the misery of bench bleeding the master. We follow that with the two man pump and bleed (if that's not a dirty movie title, what is?).

I bought a Motive for the S197 and loved it. The first time I used it I filled the bottle with fluid, checked 10 times for leaks around the cap and flushed the whole system. I liked that I could work on other things while bleeding brakes, came back to a huge puddle of fluid under the car. Since then I have used air only and got great results and zero mess.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Thanks for the 'dry' tip. I've been looking to make brake bleeding at least before each event a 1-man operation but wasn't seeing any nondestructive way to do it the way I saw somebody bleeding brakes between sessions on a different make car (fluid tube immersed in the reservoir fluid). Wasn't going to buy anything until I could get past the likely matter of leakage,

That makes today a good day.


Norm

 

[stepqhen]

I must be one of the lucky ones,
I haven't had any leak issues with Motive, I have used it a few times already, I always pressure test the system before beginning, and go back and just do a quick check as I go through each caliper. I have had mine less than a year, so perhaps there is a redesign in the cap, or the thicker rubber gasket is better than it use to be, or like I said I am one of the lucky ones. I don't run a lot of pressure with the system, 10-15 lbs I believe, I would have to look at the dial to refresh my memory.

 

[2013kAB]

I have had mine less than a year, so perhaps there is a redesign in the cap

from what i found, but this was a year or two, was that there was a plastic cap that came with the kit that didn't work as well as people wanted. so they started including a metal cap with the black label unit - 0118.

 

[Boaisy]

yeah, the cap I have is metal.

 

[JeremyH]

If you have an air compressor, this guy works well and comes with everything, including a vac pump as well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html