[kenzoil]

Have a 67 GTO, power drum brakes all around. According to the Pontiac service manual you are to start bleeding brakes with front driver, then front passenger, then rear driver, and finally rear passenger wheel. Is this correct, and not the old standby of starting with wheel farthest away from master cylinder? Thanks for any help.

[ZeGermanHam]

Originally Posted by kenzoil

Have a 67 GTO, power drum brakes all around. According to the Pontiac service manual you are to start bleeding brakes with front driver, then front passenger, then rear driver, and finally rear passenger wheel. Is this correct, and not the old standby of starting with wheel farthest away from master cylinder? Thanks for any help.

I've always done it starting from the farthest wheel. Right rear, left rear, right front, left front.

[Sirrotica]

The truth is it doesn't make any difference what order you bleed brakes, after over 50 years doing it as a profession I bleed wherever I'm working at first.

I also bleed them with gravity, sometimes opening all the bleeders at once if I need to bleed the whole system. As they start to flow I look to see if the flow is all fluid, then close that bleeder.

Since 1967 when GM went to a 2 part system if I only work on one half (front or rear) I only bleed the half that was opened up, the other half didn't get any air in it if it wasn't opened, no need to mess with the half that is still sealed from atmosphere.

Most people that have done it as a profession, use gravity bleeding, because they don't always have a second person to to pump a brake pedal. I have never owned any vacuum, or pressure bleeders in the past 50 years, just used physics, and gravity, to remove the air. The system can be bleeding as I'm picking my tools up, and cleaning up the job.

By the time someone gets their bleeding assist tools out, hooks them up, and starts bleeding, I'm already done, and the system is clear of air. If you're working flat rate, minutes count towards your paycheck, efficiency is key.

That's the way I do it for over 5 decades, taught to me from my father that also worked as a mechanic for over 50 years, YMMV. There will be differing opinions, there always is, when the brake bleeding subject is mentioned.

[Old Goat 67]

WELL, NO S#!7 !!!
Page 5-10, 67 Pontiac Shop manual;


"2. Starting at left front wheel, attach bleeder tube,
allowing tube to hang submerged in brake fluid in a
clean quart glass jar using brake bleeder wrench
J 21472 or equivalent. Unscrew bleeder valve three
quarters of a turn, depress pedal full stroke and
allow it to return slowly making sure end of bleeder
tube is under surface of liquid in container. Con-
tinue operating pedal, refilling reservoir after each
five strokes (unless an automatic filling device is
used), until liquid containing no air bubbles emerges
from bleeder tube.
CAUTION: Bleeder tube should always be used
when bleeding brakes, and end of tube must be
below level of brake fluid in glass jar when bleed-
ing other than by pressure.
3. Close bleeder valve assembly. Remove bleeder
tube, and proceed one brake at a time to right front,
left rear and right rear in order given."

Physics class says "Wrong"

[Sirrotica]

Blocked years ago, not listening..........