I have used this kit successfully to bleed the old dot3 from my 2005 Sienna. I was a little hesitant to buy it due to some bad reviews, and I can give some notes about what happened in my brake fluid change.
One of the main complains is that the pump is unable to suck the old fluid. The pump creates a 10-15 vacuum pressure with 10-15 squeeze. So if it cannot generate this vacuum in the first place, then check the connectors. The worse part will be the connection between the car bleeder and the hose. If yours is rusted, cleaned it first, and if possible use a small clamp to seal the air. If you see a lot of bubbles, this may be the main reason for it.
I also used some silicone grease to put around the bleeders, so no air goes through the thread. This may not be necessary, but I did it anyway.
Make sure that the little hose that goes inside the container is connected to the caliper side. If you have this little hose in the pump’s side, then you will suck the fluid right into your pump (!). Yeah, I made this mistake, but stopped the bleeding when I saw the fluid coming into the pump’s line.
If you have a 10-15 vacuum pressure, yet the fluid is not coming out, then you may have a bleeder that is clogged. In this case, you may need to either clean the bleeder (taking out from the caliper) and use a wire brush to clean the possible clog (some pressured air will help too) or replace it. Just be aware that if you take out the bleeder, you are letting in some air in your system, so be careful, and you must bleed the fluid. When you are taking out the bleeder, you may clamp the hose that goes into to the caliper with a protected (with a plastic hose) locking plier.
Finally, there are several good how to YouTube videos about this. You may watch before buying it. By the way, this is my first time doing this, and I am not a professional mechanic. I give 4 instead of 5 because it needed some adjustments to bleed successfully.
I like it. Great price and comes in a plastic case. Works just as I expected. Useful for my annual ritual of flushing old DOT 3 brake fluid and replacing with new fluid. I needed to smear wheel bearing grease around the caliper bleed nipples to prevent air from leaking by the threads when opening the valve with the vacuum applied. The catch cup that the fluid drains into has an o-ring seal with the lid and you need to make sure it is in the groove before sealing the lid to the cup. You also need to keep the cup upright to prevent fluid from being pulled into the vacuum pump. Keep an eye on the reservoir and keep it topped off while pulling old fluid through the system. Although this worked great for flushing old fluid, I don't know how effective the vacuum pump would be at removing air from the system if you replaced a line or caliper and needed to bleed out air. The vacuum pump does not move fluid as forcefully as using the two-man method of bleeding. I would probably still rely on the two-man method if I replaced a line or caliper and needed to get the air out. Don't get brake cleaner on the plastic lens of the gauge, it will etch the lens making it hard to read the gauge.
This is a great little pump system. It has all the needed parts and it is easy to work the pump and the pump is brass not plastic. The slip-over boots are a bit stiff on metric bleed fittings but the smallest one worked for me. The only reason I didn't give it 5-stars is because I could "just barely" get it to do the bleeding. I think, but am not for sure, that this is a function of where I live. I am at ~8000 feet (~1700 meters?) and I was only able to pull 20 in/hg with it blocked off right at the pump. This translated into 18-19 in/hg in actual use and that was only enough to get a feeble flow of brake fluid in my truck w/o ABS. In my 4Runner with ABS it would not pull the fluid at all. So be aware that:
1) vacuum bleeding may not work with all vehicles
2) if you are at high altitude where there is less air pressing down on you it may be a slow process
Otherwise a good little tool. Recommended with the one caveat.
I love this break bleeder. I use it for vacuum sealing Mason jars. I dehydrate a lot of food and this works better for the jars than my Food Saver. I use the Food Saver adapter for jars and the nozzle of the break bleeder fits perfectly in the top and pulls the tightest vacuum ever on the lid. I have never had it to fail and it's a really tight seal. It even works better than an oxygen absorber.
It works great!!!!!
It performed just like it said it did and it has a very powerful vacuum. It Exceeded my expectations!
The handles are made of what appears to cast aluminum and has a solid feel in your hand! It has a Brass vacuum tube with brass fittings. The pressure gauge is accurate and the only parts that are plastic are the accessories and the tip of the pressure release button. All in all a amazing product with zero complaints!!!!
Thank you for actually making a product that performs like you say it does!
Many other products here claim to perform better than they actually do! This is not one of them! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Feature Product
- BLEED BRAKES OR CAN FOOD: Use the ABN Universal 2 in 1 Vacuum Pump and Brake Bleeding Tester Kit to service the brakes and test vacuum systems on your vehicle or even use as a canner to can food with an airtight seal
- EASY TO USE: Speed bleeder; Attach the tubing to the bleeder valve on a disc brake caliper, pump the vacuum, crank the bleeder valve, and watch the brake fluid flow through the tubing; Can also use the tubing and catch jar attached to the bleeder valves and force the brake fluid out by pumping the brake pedal; Universal fit for all makes and models of vehicles
- BUILT TO LAST: Solid brass cylinder, cylinder head, and piston with anodized steel handle frame; 90-degree tapered adapters; Cushioned pistol grip handle on vacuum pump for comfort and decreased user fatigue; Tapered barbed hose fitting for vacuum pump; Gauge reads 0-30 inches Hg, 0-760 mm Hg
- EASY STORAGE: Heavy-duty 2.5" x 14.2" x 9" inch (6.4cm x 36.1cm x 22.9cm) plastic blow-molded carrying case with handle for easy transportation, safe storage, and quick organization
- PACKAGE CONTENTS: Package includes a pump with precision gauge, two 2-foot tubes, multi-use adapters, and a brake fluid reservoir packed inside a plastic blow-molded carrying case for your convenience
Description
Skip the auto shop and do your own brake services with the ABN Universal 2 in 1 Vacuum Pump & Brake Bleeding Tester Kit. It is universal for all vehicles and is constructed with a solid brass cylinder, cylinder head, and piston with anodized steel handle frame. The kit features 90-degree tapered adapters that fit wheel cylinder/caliper and master cylinders, cushioned pistol grip handle on the vacuum pump, and tapered barbed hose fitting for the vacuum pump. This kit can even be used to can food with an airtight seal since the tube and catch jar hold the seal with no loss of pressure. Included in this package is a pump with precision gauge for testing and servicing pressurized systems, two 2-foot tubes, multi-use adapters, and brake fluid reservoir all packed inside a carrying case. WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals which is [are] known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
I used it to replace the brake fluid on vstar 950. It sucks some air around the adapter for the bleed screw. I probably could have sealed that with some light grease or petroleum jelly, but was too lazy to go looking for it. I just used a helper to keep the resovoir topped off while I kept applying the vacuum. It took about 10 minutes to flush the front and back lines. It's a decent little system, but a sturdier container/cap combo would have gotten 5 stars. I can't really gripe too much for the price I paid. Good tool for small bleeding jobs or vacuum testing. The container seems like it would be a pain for big jobs.
Summary...good tool for small system flushing, bleeding, and testing. Needs bigger container or options to buy one if used on anything substantial. I would recommend this for bikes, atv, or other items with small brake systems. I love the carrying case.
Good kit but doesn't have a reducer to go from the 1/4 ID tubing supplied with the kit to 3/16. It has a 1/4 to 1/4 ID coupling but would have liked to see a few reducers packaged in there for different tube sizes. There was so much play in my front caliper bleeder valves I had to wrap them with teflon tape and then add grease around all bleeder valves and tubing to get an air tight seal but that's normal for most kits.
It comes with three boot sizes all of which will need grease to make an air tight seal. The collection cup hold 4.5 ounces of fluid and has a very thin O-ring but it holds pressure well. All in all, it a sturdy pump made of brass, time will tell how the seal holds up should brake fluid accidentally enter the vacuum chamber
got my order quick. it works for bleeding brakes or any other lower vacuum uses. Makes quick work on brake jobs and only need one person thats a plus!
Only problem is the shaft rubs the top of the hole the plunger goes in and out of when you are pumping. the end with the small nut isnt quite fit right in the handle part that moves, so its allowing the shaft to ride high and rub. i greased it up so its not scraping metal. I'd repair it but its not something i use daily so i think it'll be fine. works way better than any plastic ones Ive used. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a decent hand pump.
At first the tool didn't work at all. I bought a new 9V battery and it worked fine. In the process of throwing away the "dead" battery that cam in the box, I discovered that the original was wrapped in an almost imperceptible layer of saran wrap. After removing the "invisible" wrap, the tool worked just fine with either battery.
Decent product but bigger container option be nice, vacuum doesn't seem like what gauge says, hands got tired pumping, and bleeder adaptor was sucking air (into container though). Was hard to get solid streem of liquid in line. Will continue to use to do a quick bleed when brakes are replaced, tires rotated etc...