Hi!

I've bought a PowerBleeder and would like to know from you all the precautions or tips before bleeding with the PowerBleeder.

Is it as simple as just hooking the PowerBleeder up to the MC reservoir and pressurizing the PowerBleeder up(of course after setting the car on jack stands and removing the wheels)?

Thanks,
Yen
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1990 244 DL

Thanks for all the excellent tips!

Yen
--
1990 244 DL

I'm not so good at following directions. If I had filled it with 2 instead of my miserly one liter, its resting spot on the battery would have been more stable. Result: pushed air through and needed to repeat, so in effect used the other liter anyway.

OK, so what I want to know is:

How did you manage to edit the image of the Motive Power Bleeder over top of a SHOWROOM ENGINE COMPARTMENT picture?

--
David Armstrong - '86 240(350k km?), '93 940T(270k km), '89 240(parts source for others) near Toronto

Hi David,

Thank you for the nice compliment.

The upper picture does involve some misrepresentation. The overturned bottle depicted is actually showing how to end the bleed sequence. The intake tube is out of the fluid so a small amount is bled from a wheel to clear the plastic line and some headroom in the reservoir.

But the attitude of the bottle looks no different from when it fell over, just the reservoir was empty after that.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

If you have the same bleeder I have, (I foget the brand) it has two gaskets that fit the cap that fits the Volvo reservoir. You need to use BOTH those gaskets under the cap! The cap is deeper than the threads on the reservoir are tall. If you only use one gasket, the cap hits the top of the reservoir before the gasket seats. I had a pint of brake fluid on my garage floor in just a few seconds.

As always, watch it closely and don't let your reservoir run dry.

Don't exceed 20 psi on a brick (15 psi on newer cars with stability control)

Stroke the brake pedal with your hand a few times while it is working to flush all the debris from the master cylinder.

What breaks if you exceed 20 psi? Blown seals in the master cylinder? I know I exceeded 20 psi when I hooked up the pressure bleeder to a spare tire...

Zack
1980 245DL M46 274k
1985 744TD M46 251k
1988 745T+ M46 202k

I think that the only concern is what pressure it might take to make the plastic reservoir fail or pop off the master cylinder.

My "automatic stability control" reference may have been inaccurate. I think that my BMW manual says not to exceed 15 psi on ASC-equipped models, but that limit may be brand-and-model-specific.

No pressure specified in Volvo 240 Brake service manual -- but the 700/900 manual says use pressure from 29 to 44psi.

700/900 is a different MC, but same make (Ate) and the plastic reservoir fits on like the 240 does.

But I still like Art's tie-wrap idea.
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.

I've been pressure bleeding with a garden sprayer for years before getting that petite and handy Motive tool. If 15 lbs won't do it there's a blockage somewhere, most likely right at the bleeder. The proportioning valves are not problems.

Considering the hydraulic pressures needed to actuate the wheel's calipers enough to stop the car, it surely isn't anything beyond the master seals. The path past them is open anyway.

However, the reservoir gets to bulging a bit at 20 lbs; I've thrown a tie wrap around it as precaution, whether truly needed I never found out.


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

The volvo manual says to use a higher pressure than 20 PSI (with whatever machine volvo uses). I'd have to look in the manual but I know it was higher than 20psi. 20 PSI is put on the instructions so some other make of car's pressure is not exceeded.
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Paul NW Indiana '89 740 Turbo 110,000

Before you start bleeding, go around and make sure you can open each bleeder. A frozen or broken bleeder half-way thru the job takes a lot of the fun out of it.

While doing this bleeder check, you can also expell much of the old fluid in the caliper by depressing the pistons with bleeder open and piped to your drain container.

Since the pre-ABS) 240 has two separate hydraulic systems, the recommended sequence (below) bleeds each system separately.

On the front calipers, the upper two cylinders form an inverted "U", with a single bleeder at the highest point. The lower two cylinders form an upright "U", with bleeders at the two high points. The upper and lower cylinders are each in a separate hydraulic system.
(See illustrations in Bentley, p 500-1 and Haynes, p 9-13)

Either A or B can be done first:

System A:
1) Left rear
2) Left front - Upper piston chambers (single bleeder, top)
3) Right front - Upper piston chambers (single bleeder, top)

System B:
4) Right rear
5) Right front - Lower piston chambers (inner and outer bleeders, either first)
6) Left front - Lower piston chambers (inner and outer bleeders, either first)
--
Bruce Young
'93 940-NA (current) — 240s (one V8) — 140s — 122s — since '63.