Hey I know this was a while ago but I just bought this exact one and was having a problem with not much suction and I found out you have to remove a little circle stopper they put on there just for the packaging. I can see you didn’t remove it aswell. I thought I’d let your viewers know this is a great brake bleeder. I can now get it to max out the suction on it after removing the stopper. You can see it at 6:48 in the video. It’s stopping it from fully pulling the slider back and forward. So if anyone is reading this. I absolutely love this cheap harbor freight tool. Just remember to take off the stopper
@@jeanponce2017 no it’s not that’s to release the pressure. Do you see the red handle? Right above the red handle, right between them is a little black circle price of plastic
@@bumbee2227 I think a better picture of the pump is at 02:21 where he is holding the pump in his hand. There, you can clearly see a horizontally positioned black plastic tube or such in between, holding the "arms" of the handles apart. So ,once removed that plunger should retract all the way into the vacuum cylinder. The pumping action should now produce a longer "throw" on that plunger, creating the vacuum needed to operate the bleeder.
@@bumbee2227 I was just guessing thinking maybe it's some breather port. But as I watch it I noticed that he couldn't pump it so I saw the block that restricted him from pumping it so the cylinder could pump long stokes with the piston giving him plenty of power. Without it he was handicapping himself. How he didn't realize he can only squeezed it a half inch which isn't doing anything.
How many of you guys remember working on the brakes of your dad's car? He was under the car the I was 9-10 years old in the car with Dad yelling : Okay pump! Okay, hold! Okay pump, okay hold! Until all the air was out of the system? I always liked the time I spent with my Dad in the garage working on anything. I learned a lot from him that way. Because of my Dad I'm able to do a lot of different things from car's to water heaters, plumbing, woodworking etc. Mom and Dad were married 64 years! I miss my Dad a lot but always think of "how would Dad do it" when I work on thing's. Hope a lot of you guys had a Dad like mine!
My dad wasnt like that. He never taught me anything! Gave attention more to my sister. My parents divorced when I was real young. When he passed i didnt have any emotion. The guy wasnt there in my life, and i dont want to be like that. I dog my son out a lot. I hate myself for that and I want to teach him man stuff you know but hes a good kid. I need to try more.
@@bludragontruck9743 you're already what you're dad wasn't, remember you aren't him, you're a newer and better version. Just like you remembered what you disliked about him your son will remember how he liked the little things, even if it's one thing a week. My Dad taught me a lot and it gave me interest in doing things on my own and with my hands, nowadays it's easier to learn without him because of YT. I am 32 now and I can say my Dad was what got me started, now everything I've done was on my own thanks to him giving me that push. It doesn't take much effort to build simple good memories. When you're old u don't want your son to think ugh it's him, I can't right now... So just do what u can. Good luck.
@@benbrown9053 Hey brother. Thank you for the advice and encouraging me not to be the person my father was. I really should take a step back at my everyday activities and let my son in on them. He always asks if I need help in the garage, the yard, or if I'm under the hood he would ask to help. But my dumb ass could let him do something small just to gain experience but he wouldn't do something right and I'd literally just yell at him. I dont know who you are but I really appreciate your time to look at my comment and respond. You gave me some skills I can put to work with my kid. Who would've known commenting on a brake bleeder would've gave me more of a life lesson.👍🏼
Dude...I bought one of these to do my Nissan 200 sx brakes after I changed rotors, pads and calipers.....This little pump works just fine, and has sufficient vacuum to pull the fluid thru - you couldn't pump because you left the handle pad in place!! Take it out, and it works great.....Don't give ppl car advice if you can't even figure out the tools for the job.......
Ďònt know what went wrong for you but I have the same pump and it works great.start with rt rear,lft rear,rt front snd left frt last.dont let master cyl.get too lowe,
your last video clip shows brake fluid in the line between the cup and the pump meaning you probable go fluid in the pump that kills pump valving every time. The 23 inch line between the pump and cup should go to the connector that does NOT have the short plastic tube on it. The cup is to keep the fluid from reaching the pump and fluid accumulation.
Imagine making a tutorial and not knowing how to properly use the device which you're attempting to teach others to use.... lol. I'm not dogging this guy.... but man, a lil embarassing.
He fixed it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4DSAM0QLix8.html but should probably edit his "don't buy" reasoning in the description of this video.
You need to remove the spacer that's on it for shipping so it has full lever movement .so this was a pilot error. tool works fine got up to 20 to bleed my brakes
I spent 45 minutes trying to get this to work, watched this video and was about to give up before watching another video.. then I saw he had removed the spacer as well... AARRGG>>> that stupid Spacer!!! worked much better after I removed that.
I didn't want to jump on you because everyone else did already, but you should take your time on everything else you do, if you would have took more time to check the tool out ,you would not have missed the little black cap between the handles its there for shipping purposes, 😉👍
I like HF, and if used correctly this tool works. But an inline check valve in the bleeder hose, which is done for motorcycles, also makes it a one man job using much simpler, more reliable and durable and less expensive components.
The tools work best when you use them correctly. Air flows up, so you always bleed brakes with your tube higher than the brake bleeder so the air goes up and away, not back into the brakes. Also your bleeder probably was clogged with rust. Pumping the brakes probably broke the rust free from the pressure build up.
Uh... you might want to read ALL the directions first. The tool is fine, it's operator error. Also, when you say "pressure" you mean to say Vacuum (negative pressure).
@@@joemc111 Agree he failed using the product. If he failed because of "dirt under the fingernails", wow you must be something! Even with gloves on while working on cars they often rips and you will get dirty finger nails. I had to double check I was not watching a cooking show or nail polishing show.
Vacuum is not a "negative pressure" Vacuum is an ABSENSE of pressure.There is atmospheric pressure (15.7 lb/sq.in. which is the pressure on the surface of earth and reads zero on a guage. There is guage pressure which begins at zero PSI (which is atmospheric pressure) and increases with pressure applied. There is absolute pressure which is the sum of atmospheric and guage pressure. Vacuum is not pressure.
@@callmenortnortin467 So in a vacuum chamber, if you pulled a vacuum equivalent to -14.7 PSI it would not equalize atmospheric pressure which is 14.7 at sea-level?
@@rstelzer2928 until you grasp that pressure is a force measured in pounds per square in or a number of bars(bars being a term derived from barometric pressure,or the pressure the atmosphere exerts on the surface of earth). on a surface,,and that a vacuum is an absence of any pressure ,you wont be able to realize and separate the two phenoms from each other. Pressure cant be a vacuum and a vacuum cant be a pressure,,and that means there is no such thing as a minus pressure .
What was happening was that the pump was pulling air from the outside of the brake caliper pistons, past the piston seal ,which only seals ON WAY, against pressure from INSIDE the caliper, not against pressure from OUTSIDE. All those bubbles you saw was air being sucked INTO the caliper, past the seal, by the suction of the pump.. But when your neighbor pumped the brakes, he was producing pressure inside the caliper piston, which caused it to seal and blew the fluid out through the bleeder fitting. I've never had success with sucking brake fluid out. I now use fitting which consists of a tube into spare brake reservoir cap, through which I pump pressure into the master cylinder. This replicates someone pumping the brakes. When getting someone to pump the brakes, you do risk scoring the piston seal or the master cylinder itself, if the person pushes the brake pedal to the floor, causing the piston to travel past where it usually stops, into the normally untouched part of the master cylinder. This end part of the cylinder often has accumulated grit and other contaminants which, if scraped along the cylinder, will prematurely cause the piston seal to leak.
I think the air was being drawn in past the loosened bleed nipple thread. 3 or 4 turns of ptfe tape on the thread would solve that. The front caliper bleed nipple was probably blocked.
If you're bleeding a motorcycle you have to use the other 3" line to the bleeder valve and it can also work for your car as well so the fluid moved directly into the container without losing some fluid in a longer line before it gets to the canister for holding the fluid when vacuum is applied to the system. I never needed the other 23" line. I think mainly for testing engines and vacuum valves for fuel systems is what the other 23" line is for maybe. Evidently he doesn't read his comment sections does He? Remove the spacer in the handle dummy. That's for shipping only, it will pump on up to 20 lbs. Anything over that is likely going to damage the Master Cylinder. As per instructions, plus you were supposed to use a nipple that fits in the 3" line and then plug in the correct adapter for your specific bleeder size. You get a better seal that way and can pump on up over 20 pounds that way. Plus this gauge is for setting vacuum on carbs for motorcycles so they will be balanced as well.
I order a the same pump on ebay I desperately waited 3 weeks to get it. I was able to pump it up to 15psi on the 2 rear tires but fluid got into the pump and fail to keep pressure. It was not the pumps fault it was mine for not watching videos or read the instructions. You never want fluid in the pump per videos I watched. I learned by my mistake...heading to harborfreight tomorrow to try it again.
A little late to party. But I just bought a set of these after watching your video and found that I could not get the pressure up to 10 Hg - until a rubberized cylindrical piece that was obviously added for packaging and shipping only (I could not put it back on) fell off the tool. After that I had full range to pump and would exceed 10 Hg in 3 or 4 pumps. You can see this "limiter"(?) @6:50 in your video - it is covering up the handle pivot point. FWIW.
I bought mine about a year go and today I’m finally using it. Mine pumps up too the fill 30 psi with no problem. Appreciate your video. Cause mine didn’t come with any instructions. So I did t mess up on the fitting where the 3” hose went. I wouldn’t have even payed attention to its proper loc until it was too late. Sorry you had a bad experience with yours. Any way thanks for the video 🙄
I usually just leave all four bleeder valves open and watch over the master cylinder to make sure it doesn't run dry. Takes a while up to an hour sometimes but it works and it's easy peasy
You have to remove the tab from the pump trigger, or it won't pump higher than 10. I accidentally figured it out by taking a look at the instructions. My instructions said to remove the tab, or you can't squeeze it all the way back. Once you do, you can easily get it to the highest level.
Hey. You need to remove the rubber stopper that wedged between the pump handle prepackaged from factory. This is why you can't pump up the pressure. It happens to me and I realized it. This tool works great in my Honda Odyssey 2010 EXL
Thanks….. I just bought one from you guys, very happy, all the pieces came with it and shipping was quick. Glad to support, and pay more, to support smaller businesses (I.e., any business except for Amazon and Walmart) ……
I agree with his review and assessment of this item. I just bought this same device from Harbor Frieght. I tried to use it on my 55 Ford that I put new wheel cylinders in. I could get this device to pressure up to 25. But, that was not enough to bleed out the brakes. I spent several hours trying. My son came by and in 10 minutes we bled the front brakes. This tool simply does not build enough vacuum pressure to bleed brakes.
I am not sure if anyone addressed this yet, but I noticed at about 9:45 in your video, you checked the brake fluid reservoir and the CAP was off while your were testing the Pittsburgh Brake Bleeder. I am not a mechanic by trade, but have done quite a few brake jobs. You are suppose to keep the reservoir full, and the CAP on. That way do yo not allow AIR to get in to brake the lines. That may have been part of your problem. However, nothing beats the old buddy system. I remember my dad asking me stand on the brake peddle and not to let go, in his old 1970 International Harvester Pick-up. I was about 10 and could barely see over the steering wheel. Those were the days! Hope this helps!
As mentioned by others, you forgot to remove the black spacer between the handles before using as noted in the instructions. My HF bleeder tool works flawlessly! I now see you posted an updated review. Thanks. 😮
Yes, that piece just above the fulcrum prevents the outer pump handle from bottoming-out on cylinder, from which the next stroke will have maximum vacuum travel.
To everyone having this issue. See the line in the body between where the gage is mounted and the rest of the body? Unpeel that pittsburg sticker. The front of the pump unscrews right there. Hold the gage and handle, and just unscrew the the front end right off. There is a rubber check valve / diaphragm inserted into the gage side (it will look like a flat piece of rubber but it has a tit on the back side (inside the body pointing toward the gage) that acts as a check valve. Gently pull that check valve diaphragm out and clean it. Be careful not to tear it, and don't get any oil on it. All it takes is a spec of dirt getting in there to hold that check valve open and it will behave just like yours. It's not Harbor Freights fault, there is no filter in these things, you probably sucked something up in there. I paused the video to write this and right there while you are calling it a piece of junk you have fluid in the suction hose (past the reservoir). Cleanit up, unhook the hose and blow it out. It should work like new after that and go to like 25" of Hg easy. You may need to do that quite often because again there is no filter and maybe you accidentally get dirty fluid or dirt in the air all the way up there. Also I find that little rubber gasket on the reservoir can leak to and cause the same problem. It happens
When you "pump" the pump, it is called vacuum....not pressure. Be sure to only slightly crack the bleeder screw so as not to pull air past the threads of the bleeder screw. You can also apply a heavy grease around the bleeder screw to help prevent air from being pulled past the threads. That may be part (or all) the reason that you are observing a lot of air entrapped in the hose.
I never had to unscrew the bleeder as much as he did. It's usually like 1/4 turn to1/2 turn to open the bleeder. Plus the hose going straight down doesn't help. It's supposed to go up for the air to travel through the hose better. I barely ever need a hose system. Usually do the 2 person and just caught the fluid in a water bottle. Old school always works fine.
I was watching Chickanic RU-vid channel recently (Highly recommend btw) on rebuilding a lawnmower carburetor. After replacing the needle and seat, she turned the bowl over and used a similar pump to create a vacuum to verify the needle was sealing properly against the seat.
JSYK, I ran into the same issue with this pump. I ended up having to put the clear hose directly on the brake bleeder valve as none of the connections fit correctly. The pump did get some of the air out, but not all. I found that the plastic bottle and oring began to leak causing it to loose vacuum. I would not recommend buying or using this pump. Had to do it the old fashioned way.
I've been wondering about using the "vacuum" approach to bleeding brake systems. But, I think I see a flaw in that method - the bleeder screw. As you apply vacuum to the bleeder screw and then loosen the screw I think that allows air to suck in past the screw threads. The more you open the bleeder screw the more air is sucked in as shown in this video. I don't think the vacuum pump was at fault - just the process. When someone is pumping the brakes the pressure forces out air and fluid through the bleeder screw AND around the threads. WE DON'T CARE. It is pumping OUT any and all air along with the fluid. That's why the brake pumping technique works better than the vacuum technique. There is a way to pump the brakes by yourself and that is to use a bottle half filled with brake fluid and a hose from the bleeder screw into the bottle and deep into the fluid. That way, air gets pumped out and not sucked back into the brake system. And don't crack the bleeder screw out too far - just enough to get a light flow. Or, take out the bleeder screw and put some teflon tape around the threads being careful not to get the tape on the machined surface of the screw. That should stop any airflow over the screw threads. Or, some "grease" or anti-seize on the threads should also stop airflow past the threads.
@@pingpong9656 - If you are going to bleed the brakes by yourself by pumping the brake pedal then after using grease or teflon tape on the bleeder screw threads you should put the other end of the plastic hose into a bottle of brake fluid. That will prevent air from being sucked back into the brake lines. There are some good videos about how to bleed brakes with one person only. They will show you how to set it up. I think Chris Fix has a good video on that.
If you look at the video the user didn't remove the black circular piece that is on the tool for shipping tool was not defective if that piece is remove you will get lots of pressure.
I use a stick, just long enough to wedge between the depressed brake pedal and the seat (Adjustable) ... a Broomstick or peice of 2x2 or shorty painters pole will work just as well, & that is how you one man brake bleed w/o any special tools...
Remove and clean the bleeder screw. Before replacing it, wrap a little plumber’s tape around the threads. This will eliminate the problem of air mixing with the fluid by way of the loosened bleeder screw.
You didn’t read the instructions properly, you need to discard that cylindrical stopper that is preventing the arm from retracting fully, that way you’ll get the vacuum pump to move through its full stoke.
I have this pump, you have to remove the black plastic holder wedge that is prohibiting a full squeeze. Then you can get a proper draw on pressure. I guess is is to keep the handle at a certain position when not in use? it has a slot so that it can go back when you are done. They need to mention this in the instruction manual as an important note.
You are so right that is one that they need to take off the market causes of poorly cheap maid pump device I've had two of them in the past and they break easy and sloppy and when you trying to bleed your brakes the pump breaks down down for some reason
LMAO pause at 11:54 that little black round thing sitting in between your pump handles is supposed to be taken out its basically just to hold the handle in place for the packaging, thats where every bit of your problem came from!!! you werent able to press the pump all the way haha. also all those air bubbles you are seeing are not coming from your brake lines its coming from air being sucked in around the bleeder valve, i just connected the hose straight to the bleeder valve without that little black attachment and also took some grease and smeared it around everywhere and it seals airtight. this is by far the easiest method of bleeding brakes for me, i hope you didnt waste your money and throw yours away because you did it wrong lol
Oh wow thanks for filling me in. I may still have if trash didn't come. I will take a look but I still think there was an issue with it holding pressure. I tested it a few different ways off camera
@@petescarport Once you break the bleeder valve it will draw air in from around those threads as well, but see my comment on the adapter you're supposed to use in the clear (23" or 3") line before the bleeder valve of the correct size.
Do you know what's the purpose of connecting the hose to the bottom of the container cap? I forgot I have to do it the last few times I used it, but didn't see a difference.
@@ronenfe That short hose stays under brake fluid in the reservoir. So if the pressure changes brake fluid goes thru the line back to the brake and not air. As that is in the top of the reservoir above the brake fluid. Hope that clears things up.
there's a cup stopper once you take that out you can get 10-20 easily. It didn't lose pressure when the bleeder was closed so it's in the system. Mine never stopped bubbling but I would pull a bout 8 fl oz through.
I was looking at mine between the two grips there is a round plastic packing piece that has to be removed before use or it will not go past nine the one on this video still has it in,it works great
lol you chuck a good tool there is 3 causes 1 the black ring in the pump handle needs to be removed then for your fail if you pump all the fluid out its a small volume system and all the lines are full of air when you do this you need to fill the master cyl with fluid and give it a few pumps then use your hf pump and it should work fine again. also the lid O-ring and fitting should be greased to help stop vacuum leaks and never get brake fluid in the pump. hope that helps iv been using one of these for over 20 years i clean with carb cleaner and regrease after every use and still going good
common standard to measure rough vacuum is inches of mercury ("Hg). One method is as "Hg gauge ("HgV), where the scale starts at 0" Hg (atmospheric pressure) and goes up to 29.92" Hg, which is perfect vacuum. It was not pressure you were getting but a vacuum that was being created, that was drawing the brake fluid be toward the bottle! It is also what you do to evacuate the lines in a air conditioning system! Just to be clear!
You could have actually just cracked the bleeder with the plastic hose attached and pumped the brake pedal yourself A couple times until fluid flowed out ,or just cracked the bleeder and let it gravity bleed awhile! I have been doing brake jobs my whole life getting someone to pump the pedal for me and no one ever seems to be available any time I need help! Lol! Well , I finally saw a guy bleed with a tiny bottle attached to a magnet and a plastic hose to the bleeder! It works great. Put some clean fluid in bottle and hang it on the frame somewhere above the height of the bleeder screw . Attach line on to the bleeder screw and open bleeder.Go pump the pedal couple times. Keep checking your master cylinder fluid level while doing this !When you see the fluid in the line starting to get solid ,no bubbles, close the fitting tight and disconnect ! It really works well. The air bubbles rise in the line and don't get sucked back into the system when you let off the pedal! No need for second person ! I ve done several vehicles this way now! The little bleed kit cost maybe 10 bucks . Tiny plastic bottle with magnet on it and line and some fittings!
Typically when you use a vacuum pump it can suck air around the bleeder screw threads. If you pull the bleeder screw and put a bit of teflon tape on the threads it will prevent the vacuum leak and you'll get better results.
Oh yeah 😎? Bought the more expensive grey plastic vacuum pump from Harbor Freight years ago and never had a problem using it on motorcycles, scooters and cars. May try it on tiny hydraulic brakes of bicycles 🚲. Maybe a plastic syringe would work better? Need to find out.
YOUR PUMP TOOL IS NOT THE PROBLEM. YOUR ARE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE AS WHAT I SEE IN THE VIDEO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO BLEED ! THAT'S IT ! BETTER FOR YOU TO HAVE SOME PRACTICE BEFORE DOING THAT.
i like this bleeder.1st make sure your catch bottle has a seal on it. Dont use the plastic adapters to put on bleeders. use only the hose and put some vasiilne around bleeder so it dont suck in air if it does. works fine.
Lol! You should of seen another video before tossing it away You where out of fluid , and bleader on shut off position . Lol! Cool video any ways! Doing it wrong the whole time🤭🤭😊😊🤣🤣🤣
Thank you Pete. I purchased the same tool from HF and got the same result. Bottom line is, HF quality control of tools is sometimes bad. I will return this and buy another one at a different Auto Parts Store. Btw I also got bad electrical multi-meters repeatedly at HF. This is disappointing. Regards, Nándo.
First off everyone like everyone already mentioned you need to take spacer out second off when you top off dot fluid you need to put cap on to build pressure makes easier.
I think you forgot to remove the shipping block in the plunger .That's why the strike was so short.It was the round thing in the video between the handle and the vacuum chamber
Part two of course that's not a bad way to go what you're doing that definitely works well I recommend doing it every time you get a chance to get down there doing the brakes or maybe every two or three years or maybe once a year bleed a little fluid out
I saw you to bearly open the vale and with the weight of the already connected hose, it closed the velve again and you never opened back, so you have to turn at least a full couple of turns, give another try and youll see, becase normally that fluid will drain out just by gravity without any vacuum.
I have one of those. However, it didn't work out of the box. The black cap fits loosely on the fluid cup. Had to wrap the top of the cup with teflon tape before I could draw a vacuum. May have been a factory defect.
I could pump mine up to 15 or even twenty if I wanted to but I didn't go over 15 pup in mind for the rear wasn't working so that's why I went and bought this two still working on them
I have one that I've been using for years and has yet to fail. The tool was not a fail right out of the box, the problem you had is you don't know how to correctly use the tool. You were trying to build vacuum with the packaging lock still on the plunger, the little black plastic piece keeping the plunger arm from fully seating. And I saw fluid on the pump side of the tool, if that fluid got into the barrel it would stop it from working too. You were too quick to condemn a useful tool that with a little knowledge of the tool and a little practice would have been a very good addition to your tool box. There nothing wrong with learning to use a tool before you make a review video, you're not the first RU-vidr to make that mistake, and you certainly won't be the last. We all have to learn. BTW, it is a good video.
The air bubbles you’re getting are not in your brake system. That is air leaking around the threads from the bleeder screw. Before you start, remove the screw and install some Teflon tape on the threads, then reinstall the bleeder screw. That will stop the extra air bubbles in the line. You’re right on that harbor freight tool. The first one I got didn’t work at all. But I took it back. The second one worked perfectly and has for 10 years. Just don’t let any brake fluid get past the little cup and get sucked into the vacuum unit, it will destroy it. Oh I know you know, but it is not pressure you’re creating, it’s vacuum.
Could have taken the plastic cap out of the upper handle. The top of the handle should have been able to go all the way flush with the cylinder. Your pump stroke is being reduced by the length of that cap. Also, those horizontal bubble lines are, 99% of the time, cause from sucking air through the bleeder screw threads.
I used a kit similar to this that I bought from an auto parts store many years ago to bleed the brakes on my Porsche. The problem was that air would get sucked in through the threads on the bleed nipple, making it useless.
Also once you know how to use the pump and you are correctly connected, air will get sucked through the bleeder threads and teflon tape on the threads will minimize the air entering through the threads. I prefer the two person method and seldom have the luxury.
not getting full travel with the handle take that black thing from between the handle and the pump, dont need all that hose, make sure you are not sucking air,fittings must be tight, use teflon tape
You don’t need a tubing wrench on the bleeder screw They are designed to pass the brake line through the opening You can slide the box end of the wrench you have and leave it on the bleeder screw while you do the work
The bleeder valve on the driver-side caliper is clogged. All you have to do is take it off and clean it out and you will get flow. Analogous to a clogged drain.
