Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car…

MR DERBY CITY · 03-30-2024, 11:15 AM

I am guilty of not changing my brake fluid for some time and I would like some ideas on removing my brake fluid…easiest way ? best way ? safest way ? WARNING ….I am not mechanically inclined …..Thanks. MJ.

Jeff Niceswanger · 03-30-2024, 11:52 AM

Hi MJ!
You know so dang gone many people, someone will have a pressure bleeder. Doesn't have to be a nice one, just one that works. There ain't much to them. Getting the cap to seal to the top of the master cylinder could be maybe a little bit of a challenge as there seems to be a ton of different lids but most bleeders have some type of universal. Simply put a little pressure in the tank, doesn't take much, and go to your right rear bleeder port on the car, crack it open until it bleeds clean fluid. Then go to left rear, right front, and lastly left front. That's it. It might take a couple pumps of the pedal to get all your stroke back. I used to always spray a little Kroil Penetrating solvent on all the bleeders the day before I started.
They sell "pistol" types, but for a total fluid replacement I would try to find a tank bleeder.

1320racer · 03-30-2024, 12:35 PM

just push the old fluid out with an old school brake bleed while adding new.

That said, this makes the process so easy

63corvette · 03-30-2024, 12:51 PM

I was also guilty of not changing mine a few years ago. I asked the same question and received many different suggestions. What I used was not fast but very effective.
My master cylinder is higher than any of the brake calipers so I used the gravity feed suggestion.
Pull all the wheels and trace the brake lines to see which brake cylinder is the fartherest from the master cylinder.
Drain the master cylinder using a turkey baster and fill it as full as possible with fresh brake fluid and keep it full as the fluid bleeds down during the process.
Move to the fartherest wheel brake cylinder and open the bleed and let the fluid free flow out.
It will be slow. Mine took 2 to 3 hours to bleed enough of the old fluid out until I noticed the color change.
Close the fartherest bleed off and move to the next fartherest brake cylinder and repeat the same process. Then to the next and so on until all wheel cylinder are flowing clean new brake fluid.
It took most of the day and almost two quarts of fluid however, I had other work on the car to do while letting the fluid bleed.
This worked for me and I did not need to go back and bleed the wheel cylinders any further.
I had good brakes after the change out.
Just my experience which worked for me.
Rick Cates
Canyon TX

monte385 · 03-30-2024, 01:04 PM

I've used one of these several times.

https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-...IaAj8AEALw_wcB

sst7250 · 03-30-2024, 04:08 PM

Power bleeder FTW

CMcAllister · 03-30-2024, 06:08 PM

Rather than pushing the dirty stuff in the MC through the system, I like to suck all the old fluid out of the reservoir, wipe it out as best you can, then start it with fresh fluid. When you see the clean fluid at the bleeders, you know all the trash is out.

1320racer · 03-30-2024, 07:03 PM

every time you hit the brake pedal, you're pushing dirty burnt fluid through the system especially those that rarely if ever flush their brake system which is most racers.

1347 · 03-30-2024, 10:39 PM

When I worked on the IROC race team, we flushed the brake fluid out of all the cars after every race. We had pint brake fluid bottles with holes drilled in the caps that tygon tubing fit tightly in. Putting the tygon tubing on the bleeder screw makes a very clean way to bleed brakes. After you are done at the wheel, a shot of brake clean in the bleeder screw and you are done.
We would suck the fluid out of the masters( there were 2) and fill with fresh fluid before starting. With the bleeder bottle you can also keep track how much fluid you have taken out. I flush the fluid on my car every season.

Eman · 03-30-2024, 11:30 PM

If you don't have something to do it with a turkey baster works to suck the MC dry. Cover the fender and anything else you don't want to paint, accidents happen. Suck the MC dry and wipe it out. Refill the reservoir and open 1 or 2 bleeders at a time and let the fluid run out, don't let the MC run dry. Close the bleeders and open the others and do the same. Wash it all with water or brakekleen and you're done.

03-30-2024, 11:15 AM	#1
MR DERBY CITY VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Derby City, USA Posts: 3,562 Likes: 1,057 Liked 7,574 Times in 1,460 Posts	Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… I am guilty of not changing my brake fluid for some time and I would like some ideas on removing my brake fluid…easiest way ? best way ? safest way ? WARNING ….I am not mechanically inclined …..Thanks. MJ.

03-30-2024, 11:52 AM	#2
Jeff Niceswanger Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 862 Likes: 663 Liked 951 Times in 347 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… Hi MJ! You know so dang gone many people, someone will have a pressure bleeder. Doesn't have to be a nice one, just one that works. There ain't much to them. Getting the cap to seal to the top of the master cylinder could be maybe a little bit of a challenge as there seems to be a ton of different lids but most bleeders have some type of universal. Simply put a little pressure in the tank, doesn't take much, and go to your right rear bleeder port on the car, crack it open until it bleeds clean fluid. Then go to left rear, right front, and lastly left front. That's it. It might take a couple pumps of the pedal to get all your stroke back. I used to always spray a little Kroil Penetrating solvent on all the bleeders the day before I started. They sell "pistol" types, but for a total fluid replacement I would try to find a tank bleeder. __________________ Jeff Niceswanger 3740 SS

03-30-2024, 12:35 PM	#3
1320racer VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,628 Likes: 160 Liked 758 Times in 379 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… just push the old fluid out with an old school brake bleed while adding new. That said, this makes the process so easy Last edited by 1320racer; 03-30-2024 at 12:37 PM.

03-30-2024, 12:51 PM	#4
63corvette Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canyon, Tx Posts: 551 Likes: 127 Liked 353 Times in 102 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… I was also guilty of not changing mine a few years ago. I asked the same question and received many different suggestions. What I used was not fast but very effective. My master cylinder is higher than any of the brake calipers so I used the gravity feed suggestion. Pull all the wheels and trace the brake lines to see which brake cylinder is the fartherest from the master cylinder. Drain the master cylinder using a turkey baster and fill it as full as possible with fresh brake fluid and keep it full as the fluid bleeds down during the process. Move to the fartherest wheel brake cylinder and open the bleed and let the fluid free flow out. It will be slow. Mine took 2 to 3 hours to bleed enough of the old fluid out until I noticed the color change. Close the fartherest bleed off and move to the next fartherest brake cylinder and repeat the same process. Then to the next and so on until all wheel cylinder are flowing clean new brake fluid. It took most of the day and almost two quarts of fluid however, I had other work on the car to do while letting the fluid bleed. This worked for me and I did not need to go back and bleed the wheel cylinders any further. I had good brakes after the change out. Just my experience which worked for me. Rick Cates Canyon TX

03-30-2024, 01:04 PM	#5
monte385 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 60 Likes: 44 Liked 27 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… I've used one of these several times. https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-...IaAj8AEALw_wcB

03-30-2024, 04:08 PM	#6
sst7250 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 184 Likes: 9 Liked 45 Times in 32 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… Power bleeder FTW

03-30-2024, 06:08 PM	#7
CMcAllister Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Fulton County, PA Posts: 598 Likes: 15 Liked 882 Times in 245 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… Rather than pushing the dirty stuff in the MC through the system, I like to suck all the old fluid out of the reservoir, wipe it out as best you can, then start it with fresh fluid. When you see the clean fluid at the bleeders, you know all the trash is out.

03-30-2024, 07:03 PM	#8
1320racer VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,628 Likes: 160 Liked 758 Times in 379 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… every time you hit the brake pedal, you're pushing dirty burnt fluid through the system especially those that rarely if ever flush their brake system which is most racers.

03-30-2024, 10:39 PM	#9
1347 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Monroe Twp NJ Posts: 493 Likes: 1,013 Liked 978 Times in 267 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… When I worked on the IROC race team, we flushed the brake fluid out of all the cars after every race. We had pint brake fluid bottles with holes drilled in the caps that tygon tubing fit tightly in. Putting the tygon tubing on the bleeder screw makes a very clean way to bleed brakes. After you are done at the wheel, a shot of brake clean in the bleeder screw and you are done. We would suck the fluid out of the masters( there were 2) and fill with fresh fluid before starting. With the bleeder bottle you can also keep track how much fluid you have taken out. I flush the fluid on my car every season. __________________ Duane Hoven 1342 SS/GT

03-30-2024, 11:30 PM	#10
Eman Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: E TN Posts: 463 Likes: 16 Liked 125 Times in 71 Posts	Re: Ideas on removing brake fluid from race car… If you don't have something to do it with a turkey baster works to suck the MC dry. Cover the fender and anything else you don't want to paint, accidents happen. Suck the MC dry and wipe it out. Refill the reservoir and open 1 or 2 bleeders at a time and let the fluid run out, don't let the MC run dry. Close the bleeders and open the others and do the same. Wash it all with water or brakekleen and you're done.