What's best way to bleed brakes with no help?

[WH23G3G]

Ok once again it appears I'm going to have to do something else to my 73 Charger before I can get it out on the road. We've got it running well enough and the alignment good enough to take to the shop but the brakes need to be bled as well as some other misc. annoyances. My lousy friend who says he'll help all the time of course still hasn't come through on this simple task of bleeding the brakes. So is there a sure shot way for me to bleed all the air out of the brakes myself? I replaced everything on the brake system with new components except the proportioning valve. I did bench bleed the master cylinder and have bled the brakes once myself with one of those self-bleeder bottles but I guess it didn't work or maybe I did it wrong. What's going to be the easiest way for me to bleed all 4 wheels by myself? No matter how many times I do something on a car I tend to always follow instructions.

[General_01]

There are only two ways that i know off.

1. You can buy bleeders that have a spring load ball in them. You loosen them 1/4 turn and then when you push down on the brake pedal they will bleed. When the pressure subsides, the ball will close off the line so air can't be sucked up into them.

or

2. Get a pressure brake bleeder. This would be a device that hooks up to the master cylinder in place of the lid. You pump up the pressure and then go and turn the bleeders yourself. This is usually how they do it at a garage.

[WH23G3G]

I don't have shop air so I couldn't do the pressure bleeding. Do they make the speed bleeders small enough for the rear? I think I've seen ones for the front, but the rears are small.

[Nacho-RT74]

gravity has allways worked for me. Remove MC lid and open one bleeder at a time for a couple of minutes

[FLG]

gravity has allways worked for me. Remove MC lid and open one bleeder at a time for a couple of minutes

Agreed!

Takes some time but you can just sit back, open a beer, and relax 

[bull]

I don't have shop air so I couldn't do the pressure bleeding. Do they make the speed bleeders small enough for the rear? I think I've seen ones for the front, but the rears are small.

Not sure if that deal requires house air in all cases but it's worth looking into. Although the sitting back with the beer idea sounds pretty good.

You can also use one of those hand pump vaccuum bleeders although I've never gotten my Harbor Fright POS to work right. If you get one of those get a nicer one than I did.

[gtx6970]

gravity has allways worked for me. Remove MC lid and open one bleeder at a time for a couple of minutes

ditto

[Charger-Bodie]

you can aslo slip a hose on the bleeder (with it in the open position) run that hose onto a jar about half full of brake fluid. Push the pedal nice and slow both ways. the will buble out and fresh fluid sucks back in.

[Nacho-RT74]

forgot to say, Gravity didn't work for me on the repro combination valves

[ACUDANUT]

  All true...But can't you get a neighbor, friend or the mailman to push on the brake peddle for you.  You might call 911. I hear all kinds of crazy people calling in for crazy stuff.

[John_Kunkel]

you can aslo slip a hose on the bleeder (with it in the open position) run that hose onto a jar about half full of brake fluid. Push the pedal nice and slow both ways. the will buble out and fresh fluid sucks back in.

The simplest, most basic one-man bleeding method. Been working for me for 50 years.

[nvrbdn]

you can aslo slip a hose on the bleeder (with it in the open position) run that hose onto a jar about half full of brake fluid. Push the pedal nice and slow both ways. the will buble out and fresh fluid sucks back in.

The simplest, most basic one-man bleeding method. Been working for me for 50 years.

what they both said. works for me. 

[Troy]

I used speed bleeders in the past but recently bought a Mity Vac and it's way better.

Troy

[WH23G3G]

I bought a vacuum pump bleeder because this is the only one I haven't tried. I wanted to ask some questions to make sure I cover myself before I bleed this way. Again I'm going to try it myself, neighbors don't help neighbors in my neighborhood and none of my friends ever show up when I ask them to help. So I can't wait any longer. This car has been done 6 months and I still haven't even driven it.

Do I need to have the master cylinder cover off or on the whole time or does it matter?
Do I follow the same sequence from the passenger rear first?
At any time during or before this procedure do I need to pump the brake pedal?
Will I know when all the air is out of one cylinder?
Do I need to fill the container halfway or full?

[Troy]

Umm, I'm going from memory here...

I left the MC cover off since you need to keep a close eye on the fluid level.
I started in the passenger rear then driver rear, passenger front, with driver front last.
Do not pump the pedal (you should have bench bled the MC first but, if you didn't then you can bleed it with the vacuum pump too).
The pump should have clear lines on it. You can see the air bubbles. Keep bleeding until it's a solid stream of fluid.
With the vacuum pump it should have a one-way valve so filling the cup shouldn't be necessary (and will only make you have to empty it more often).

Troy

[The70RT]

Umm, I'm going from memory here...

I left the MC cover off since you need to keep a close eye on the fluid level.
I started in the passenger rear then driver rear, passenger front, with driver front last.
Do not pump the pedal (you should have bench bled the MC first but, if you didn't then you can bleed it with the vacuum pump too).
The pump should have clear lines on it. You can see the air bubbles. Keep bleeding until it's a solid stream of fluid.
With the vacuum pump it should have a one-way valve so filling the cup shouldn't be necessary (and will only make you have to empty it more often).

Troy

Yep 

[68 RT]

you can aslo slip a hose on the bleeder (with it in the open position) run that hose onto a jar about half full of brake fluid. Push the pedal nice and slow both ways. the will buble out and fresh fluid sucks back in.

The simplest, most basic one-man bleeding method. Been working for me for 50 years.

what they both said. works for me. 

Me too! 

[Nacho-RT74]

preffer to drink the cold beer for a while fluid comes out by itself LOL

[1969chargerrtse]

you can aslo slip a hose on the bleeder (with it in the open position) run that hose onto a jar about half full of brake fluid. Push the pedal nice and slow both ways. the will buble out and fresh fluid sucks back in.

Yes I have a one man bleeder kit that is just like that and works great.  I did many cars with it.  Check at a Pep boys etc...