speed bleeder in front - replace which bleeder valve? Options

[smontanaro]

I'm getting back to my car's brakes. A few years ago I bought two pairs of speed bleeders and figured I should put them on during this exercise. I pulled the front wheels today and while the pads look to be fine (yay!) I discovered two valves per caliper. I just double-checked Pelican. It says nothing about needing three pairs for a /6 Should I have bought three pairs for my /6? Given that I'm clearly not going to have a second set today, which should I replace (or does it matter)? I guess I'll see if I can get someone to pump the brakes while I bleed the other two valves... *sigh*

Skip

[McMark]

Front Uppers and rears. Leave the front lowers alone. I usually only hit the lowers after everything else has been bled at least once. Not a lot of bubbles catching up at the bottom of the caliper. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

I just double-checked Pelican. It says nothing about needing three pairs for a /6

Pelican can only know about stock brakes.
The factory /6 brakes were standard M caliper front (one bleedscrew each) and one bleeder for each back.

If you've modded the brakes, it's up to you to count the bleedscrews...

So - what have you got, exactly

S calipers have 2 bleedscrews each, both on top. (And IIRC, S calipers do not use the same SpeedBleeders as M's, so please check that before proceeding...) No way to know if any air is in the inboard or outboard caliper half, so just pick one and hope. Or wait until you have the right number of the right SpeedBleeders.

[smontanaro]

I've never modified the brakes. They are what was on the car when I got it. (I'll take some pictures tomorrow.) As it turns out the bore for the front bleeder valves was much larger as well. So, I have a pair of speed bleeders (opened, but unused) for anyone who wants them. Just cover the postage.

Skip

[ArtechnikA]

I've never modified the brakes. They are what was on the car when I got it. (I'll take some pictures tomorrow.) As it turns out the bore for the front bleeder valves was much larger as well.

Yup.
If they are aluminum, they are 'S' calipers. Sounds like it, since I've been down this path before (and yes, I bought 2 pr of SpeedBleeders for the fronts).

If they're cast iron, they are 'A' calipers. I've never seen an A caliper in person so I can't tell you if they have the crossover pipe and the two bleedscrews or not.

So you've never bought pads for this car ?

[smontanaro]

If they are aluminum, they are 'S' calipers. Sounds like it, since I've been down this path before (and yes, I bought 2 pr of SpeedBleeders for the fronts).

If they're cast iron, they are 'A' calipers. I've never seen an A caliper in person so I can't tell you if they have the crossover pipe and the two bleedscrews or not.

So you've never bought pads for this car ?

Looked like aluminum to me. The car came with a set of pads. I bought another which I recently put on the back. I'm guessing 'S' and 'A' calipers would take different pads? I pulled the pins and the retainer. The pads looked fine.

The pictures tomorrow should tell the full story.

I wonder what else might not be stock?

S

[smontanaro]

Okay, here's a picture of the left front. Vented rotor, clearly not cast iron. Not shown in this pic but also there is a through-the-body anti-roll bar. Would all three things have been standard or something added later by an previous owner?



Thx,

Skip

[ArtechnikA]

Vented rotor yes, all /6's had those. S caliper (and the 3.5" bolt-spacing strut): post-delivery mod.

Antiroll bar could be original, or an aftermarket part. Some aftermarket parts can be identified on sight, some more closely match the original.

Neither of my /6's came with antiroll bars but I can't say they couldn't be ordered that way.

[jk76.914]

I'm getting back to my car's brakes. A few years ago I bought two pairs of speed bleeders and figured I should put them on during this exercise. I pulled the front wheels today and while the pads look to be fine (yay!) I discovered two valves per caliper. I just double-checked Pelican. It says nothing about needing three pairs for a /6 Should I have bought three pairs for my /6? Given that I'm clearly not going to have a second set today, which should I replace (or does it matter)? I guess I'll see if I can get someone to pump the brakes while I bleed the other two valves... *sigh*

Skip

I always use the lower bleeder for flushing, and the upper one for bleeding. If you use the upper one for flushing, you don't flush the caliper itself- at least some of the fluid just sits down there. The air floats up, so you have to use the upper one for bleeding, after you flush.

Jim

[ArtechnikA]

I always use the lower bleeder for flushing, and the upper one for bleeding.

That's a fine observation, except that as you can see in the pictures, this is not a 914/4 caliper with bleeders top and bottom, but a 911S aluminum caliper with two bleedscrews on top - one inboard, one outboard.

[Eric_Shea]

You'll need to bleed both bores on S-Calipers so, you'll need two more bleeders and, you'll need the 10x1 "regulars" from SB not the 7x1 that go in the standard calipers.

Skip you have 1971 or early 72 S-Calipers there. If there is no "X" in that circle cast in the top, they're late 1970 models. Based upon the knurled bearing cap, I would say your Bilstein struts have been added at some time later in the cars life but... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

The rotors would have been vented on your six but, I don't know of any standard -6 cars that came with through the body bars (as odd as that may sound) so, that pretty much says someones been in there.

Nice find under any car and "all" very nice additions (even to a stock six). Bars are the "only" thing I added to my stock six when I had her. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[smontanaro]

Well, my car survived it's first brush with death, ummm... jackstands. Chris (son numero due, father of Carmine, grandson solo mio) helped me bleed the brakes. I didn't bother with speed bleeders for the front. That would have delayed the process even more. This evening I got the parking brake adjusted, got the wheels back on it, lowered it gently, torqued up the Mahles and took it out for a spin. I am happy to say all went well and the car is back in the garage, still on its wheels.

Thanks for the help.

Skip