Question about bleeding the brakes on an '03 Cobra

[James Snover]

Can the brakes on the '03 Cobra be bled with a hand-held vacuum pump, like any other car? Or is there anything unique about them that prevents that?

The reason I have to bleed the brakes is I just replaced the ABS module, and now there's all kinds of air in the lines.

 

[01yellercobra]

I've used the hand vaccum pump and the Motive Bleeder. Both worked fine for me. Though now I have one of those containers that uses the air compressor to pull out oil and such. I flushed the system on my daughter's car in about 10 minutes with that thing. Her car doesn't have the ABS pump though.

 

[Fastback]

Motive pressure bleeder here.

 

[GodStang]

I did it by hand when I upgraded to ATS caliper. Remember the bleeder on the side of the master cylinder…. I forgot and added 2 hrs to my bleeding.

 

[Dave.O]

I did it by hand when I upgraded to ATS caliper. Remember the bleeder on the side of the master cylinder…. I forgot and added 2 hrs to my bleeding.

I second bleeding screw on master cylinder first

Regarding the remainder of bleeders, just invest in a set of russel speed bleeders, no need for special equipment
I have these on several vehicles, never an issue.
I can even flush the entire brake system on my excursion in about 20 min with these


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

I second bleeding screw on master cylinder first

Regarding the remainder of bleeders, just invest in a set of russel speed bleeders, no need for special equipment
I have these on several vehicles, never an issue.
I can even flush the entire brake system on my excursion in about 20 min with these


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

I was a speed bleeder fan until I got a bleeder bottle like Nick posted about a while back. For $30 you’ve basically got a speed bleeder for everything vs per car

 

[HudsonFalcon]

I used speed bleeders and the old foot pump method when I did mine. Didn’t have great results with the vacuum pump.

 

[Relaxed Chaos]

I used the motive pressure bleeder. Do it. It works.

 

[James Snover]

Everyone, many thanks for your replies. What was bothering me was the master cylinder bleeder. I remember something about it, i.e., it being there, and being a factor, but I couldn't remember what or why!

Everyone's replies are much appreciated. Got a pneaumatic bleeder kit on the way.

HAH! Now, at last, I can justify to Mrs. Snover, why I had to have that 60-gallon air-compressor taking up space in the garage! "Don't have to get the car towed to bleed the brakes, now, honey! NOW who's saving money, huh? HUH? Oh, how you laughed when I bought that compressor!"

 

[01yellercobra]

FWIW this is the tool I used for my daughter's car. I originally bought it to change the oil in my boat. Then I figured out it works pretty well on the wife's Audi. Since the filter is up top on that one I don't even have to raise the car. It's one of those tools that after you buy it you wonder what you did without it.

 

[Bdubbs]

Motive bleeder ftw. Makes it super easy.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk

 

[efnfast]

bleeding brakes by yourself is easy; you don't need speedbleeders or 2 people yelling 'pump pump hold pump pump hold'

get an empty plastic water bottle; poke hole in bottle cap

fill bottle up 1/5 of the way with brake fluid;

run clear hose from caliper bleed nipple to bottom of bottle through the hole in the cap (make sure hose end is fully submerged in the brake fluid so it can't suck air up the line)

open caliper bleed nipple

take top off master cylinder

pump brakes 10-20 times; check master cylinder; re-fill as it gets lower

after a bunch of pumps close the bleed nipple and move to next caliper

e-z ... takes like 10 minutes to do the car ... i was in awe the first time I did it as I thought you always needed to do the 2 person method or have tools if you were by yourself.