brake cylinder bleeder

[funky technician]

Does anyone know what size wrench I need for the bleeder screw on the rear brake cylinder of a 93 festiva? It's pretty rusty and I can't get any wrench on it securely. :?

[mechanicaldj]

can't say for sure,

it might have been replaced at one time with a different brand and different bleeder valve

if it is that rusty, replace it, should cost around $25 and do both sides at the same time

[skeeters_keeper]

it *should* be 8mm... most are. if its real rusty chances are you'll twist it off and you'll have to replace the cylender, but i think thats only like $10 a side... might be worth doing it anyway! make sure you replace both sides...

[mattswabb]

agree, 8mm and use a 6 point box wrench

[wrestler3025]

I just bled all of my brakes and it was 8mm as stated above. On my girlfriend's festiva, her brakes were really rusty, but I sprayed some PB Blaster on there and let it sit for 10 minutes. I took the 1/4 ratchet with a 6 point 8mm socket and broke the bleeders loose. Once I broke them loose I switched over to the wrench, as matt suggested.

[WmWatt]

Don't use much pressure or you'll break it off. I broke one on the front with a ratchet before I read here to use a blow torch on them. I have a propane torch for plumbing repairs which I used. Hold the flame on the bleeder screw and count slowly to 60 (ignore the vapour coming out of the screw), then spray with whatever solvent you are using and gently twist with vice grips (locking pliers). If you break off the screw you'll probably need the torch to loosen the bolts holding the cylinder on when you replace that.

[funky technician]

Thanks guys, I got them bled, but its odd, the rear drums still don't seem to have very much stoping power, as in i can still turn the wheel by hand when its up on jacks with someone on the brake peddle. The cylinders are pushing on the shoes, its just not enough to really stop me from turning the wheel, and I've replaced the drum, shoes, and last year i replaced both wheel cylinders, and neither of them are leaking fluid now, so I don't know whats going on, I also bleed quite a bit of fluid out of the back to makes sure i got all the air. Do you guys think the shoes just need to seat maybe? Oh ya and the adjusters are not seized, I checked.

[funky technician]

I think I'm going to bleed the entire system, front and rear and see if that fixes it, there could be air in the front.

[mechanicaldj]

you have to make sure the parking brake works

or the rear shoes will never stay adjusted close to the drum

thus decreased stopping power by the rear drums

[WmWatt]

If the brake pedal does not feel spongy then there should be no air in the brake lines. I recall something about the automatic rear drum brake adjustment working every time the car backs up. Rotating the back wheels in reverse while off the ground should get them to adjust?

[funky technician]

Ya the E brake works fine, and the adjuster is ratcheting out to seat the shoes, and ya the peddle is spongy, so I think the front has a bubble some were, I'm going to bleed it this week so we'll see :roll:

[Dizzy D]

bleeding #%&*brakes

the problem I found was that I had to free up the e-brake self adjuster .Soon as I did that what a diffeerence.
hope it helps
Dean

[funky technician]

ya, there was plenty of air in both the front and back actually, I ended up running a whole bottle of brake fluid through it until I was finally satisfied, now it feels the way it should :wink: