Hello everyone, I had an experience yesterday that I thought I should share, maybe prevent a costly accident and /or an unhappy customer.

A couple of months ago I bought the Mityvac brake pressure bleeder, works well and has a nice selection of adapters, I had a couple minor leaks to sort out with it but until yesterday no big deal. Yesterday I was using it on an Mazda 6, I was in the rf wheelwell bleeding the caliper and all of a sudden I hear a sound like a water fountain, I looked up and there was a 3/8 inch stream of brake fluid shooting 8 ft into the air and spraying the front of the mazda and my tool cart. I got the flow stopped and hosed everything down with the water hose quickly and luckily no real damage done but it could have been a disaster.

If any of you have this model bleeder please check the hose particularly where the quick connect plugs into the top of the pump, I am not sure whether mine should have been clamped and wasn't or if the manufacturer expected the tight coils on the anti kink spring to be a sufficient  clamp but it wasn't. I only had the pressure pumped to 10 psi when I was bleeding the mazda.

I attached some pics of the bleeder with the failed hose and the other of the hose with a fuel line clamp on it, I was able to slide the spring down to the clamp and it still functions to prevent the hose from kinking like it was intended.

Hope this saves someone else a mess like I had. :)

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Thanks for the heads up Dan!

I like my old gravity feed supply of fluid type, that vacuum pulls the fluid through the caliper bleeders myself.
Glad you got the fluid off quick ;)

Spence wrote on Jan 25^th, 2017 at 7:58pm:

Thanks for the heads up Dan!

Glad to, hate to see anyone else go through that sickening feeling that comes with seeing brake fluid on a customer's paint job.


Mick wrote on Jan 26^th, 2017 at 7:33am:

I like my old gravity feed supply of fluid type, that vacuum pulls the fluid through the caliper bleeders myself. Glad you got the fluid off quick

I got spoiled using the wynn's brake flush machine when I worked at the GM dealer, after that I bought a vacuum unit and wasn't as happy with it, especially on those vehicles that get all the lines ran new.  This unit will be fine once I get to trust it again, for now I am going to throw a trash bag over it until it proves reliable. :)

Dan W. wrote on Jan 26^th, 2017 at 9:31am:

Spence wrote on Jan 25th, 2017 at 7:58pm: Thanks for the heads up Dan! Glad to, hate to see anyone else go through that sickening feeling that comes with seeing brake fluid on a customer's paint job. Mick wrote on Jan 26th, 2017 at 7:33am: I like my old gravity feed supply of fluid type, that vacuum pulls the fluid through the caliper bleeders myself. Glad you got the fluid off quick I got spoiled using the wynn's brake flush machine when I worked at the GM dealer, after that I bought a vacuum unit and wasn't as happy with it, especially on those vehicles that get all the lines ran new.  This unit will be fine once I get to trust it again, for now I am going to throw a trash bag over it until it proves reliable. :)

Good move ;D

Hello Dan,

Is that the model that use shop air?

Thanks

daveyK wrote on Jan 26^th, 2017 at 4:18pm:

Hello Dan, Is that the model that use shop air? Thanks

I believe it is a hand pump to pressure the unit. I have one for putting trans fluid in the automatics with the para scope style oil pan and no dipstick.

Spence wrote on Jan 26^th, 2017 at 4:26pm:

Re: Mityvac brake bleeder caution Reply #6 - Today at 4:26pm  Alert Board Moderator about this Post!  Mark & Quote  Quote  daveyK wrote Today at 4:18pm: Hello Dan, Is that the model that use shop air? Thanks I believe it is a hand pump to pressure the unit. I have one for putting trans fluid in the automatics with the para scope style oil pan and no dipstick.

Hi davey, Yes Spence is correct it is the hand pump  style, like a garden sprayer with a pressure gauge and a valve to relieve the pressure before removing the hose from the reservoir. (very important to remember to do that  :))

Thanks Dan and you too Spence  ;)

I have the same one and have had both external fluid leaks as well as internal air leaks causing it to pump air bubbles into the reservoir.

Other than that, its a great unit when the adapters fit.  Was absolutely essential on Audi Q7 with Brembos. Pumping and holding was useless

JohnN wrote on Jan 28^th, 2017 at 7:30pm:

internal air leaks causing it to pump air bubbles into the reservoir.

Hi John, do you mean it was aerating the fluid or are you referring to the air that is in the hose after it has been sitting a bit. I will have to watch for that. The air pockets in the hose don't seem cause any trouble but I haven't had any issues with mine aerating the fluid itself it's always clear in the hose after the initial rush of fluid to the vehicles reservoir.  I will have to keep an eye out for that, I have only used mine half a dozen times or so as of yet.

Just that air bubbles were travelling up the hose. I was worried that if more air than fluid went in to the reservoir, and I wasn't pay attention that I would drain out the master and really waste some time.

Turning the container on its side to cover the feed tube inside with fluid was a quick solution