Product Review by Alan Trimble, BATauto.com Associate Editor
Hi-Lo Distributors / Speedi-Bleed
Email: service@speedibleed.com
Phone: 1(866)864-8628
Flushing and bleeding brakes used to be a thankless, time consuming chore, which has been made even more important with the advent of ABS brake systems, which are very sensitive to contaminated brake fluid. The folks at Speedi-Bleed aim to change that with their K01A Speedi-Bleed Brake Flushing Tool. We'll put it to the test and compare/contrast it with traditional brake flushing/bleeding methods.
Flushing brake fluid is both a safety and a preventative maintenance issue and should be done every two years on ALL vehicles. For more information about brake flushing, see Alcan's article BRAKE FLUID FLUSHING - WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?
The kit comes in a convenient carrying / storage case. It's about the size of a large fishing tackle box.
Included in the kit are the following:
1. Brake fluid bottle.
2. Air regulator / hose assembly
3. Five adapters to fit most cars and light trucks.
4. Easy to follow instruction sheet/adapter application chart.
The Speedi-Bleed is very simple to use. We tested it on a 2002 Ford Mustang. The Mustang required adapter C500, which is included in the kit.
.
With the adapter installed, we filled the brake fluid bottle and attached the quick-connect brake fluid hose to the C500 master cylinder adapter. Choosing which adapter to use was a snap with their easy to read adapter chart, conveniently located on the back of the instruction sheet. The five adapters all appear very sturdy and easy to use.
We then secured the air supply hose to the valve stem on the left front tire.
Yes, the tire! Speedi-Bleed uses the tire as a convenient low pressure air source. Low pressure air prevents fluid aeration, eliminating the need for a bulky diaphragm type pressure tank and no need for an air compressor to charge the unit. It also serves as a fail-safe method of protecting the ABS brake unit from damage caused by high pressures. (Over 30 PSI)
We then raised the car and attached a hose to the bleeder screw. The hose was routed into an old brake fluid container to catch the fluid expelled from the bleeder. This is not required, but it does help keep the shop clean.
Speedi-Bleed also notified us that they are introducing the new K01C model in 2003, which includes a very handy used-brake-fluid collector bottle. This collector bottle comes with a clear hose that enables you to see the air/water/rust and old black brake fluid as it leaves the bleed screw.
We then turned the air regulator adjuster until the gauge read 10 PSI. Speedi-Bleed recommends 8-15 PSI in the instructions. We found 10 PSI to work just fine in this application.
We opened the bleeder screw and let Speedi-Bleed do the work. It took less than 1 minute to fill the waste brake fluid container.
We repeated the process for the remaining three wheels. Starting with the wheel farthest away from the Master Cylinder and working forward.
Flushing the entire system took less than 1/2 hour, including setup time and photography. We found the tool to work as advertised. It is much faster than manual bleeding, gravity flushing/bleeding and vacuum bleeding with a hand pump.
The Speedi-Bleed is more convenient than the old diaphragm style pressure bleeders. It has a translucent brake fluid bottle, so you know when it's time to refill. There's no need to stop what you're doing, open the bottle and check the fluid level. You know in a glance if the bottle needs to be refilled.
We found the Speedi-Bleed to work as advertised. It is a huge time saver when compared to other flushing and bleeding methods, and it requires only one person, unlike manual bleeding. This tool would be a valuable addition to any technician's tool box. It would also be a big time saver for the DIYer who wishes to maintain his brake system properly but doesn't have all day to flush and bleed the brake system.
The Speedi-Bleed brake fluid flushing and bleeding tool is available directly from the manufacturer. More information about the Speedi-bleed system can be found at http://www.speedibleed.com.
Recently, Speedi-Bleed informed us that DIY kits will be available soon that will retail for $59-$99.
This is an excellent investment for any DIY'er or professional mechanic.
Hi-Lo Distributors / Speedi-Bleed
Email: service@speedibleed.com
Phone: 1(866)864-8628
Flushing and bleeding brakes used to be a thankless, time consuming chore, which has been made even more important with the advent of ABS brake systems, which are very sensitive to contaminated brake fluid. The folks at Speedi-Bleed aim to change that with their K01A Speedi-Bleed Brake Flushing Tool. We'll put it to the test and compare/contrast it with traditional brake flushing/bleeding methods.
Flushing brake fluid is both a safety and a preventative maintenance issue and should be done every two years on ALL vehicles. For more information about brake flushing, see Alcan's article BRAKE FLUID FLUSHING - WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?
The kit comes in a convenient carrying / storage case. It's about the size of a large fishing tackle box.
Included in the kit are the following:
1. Brake fluid bottle.
2. Air regulator / hose assembly
3. Five adapters to fit most cars and light trucks.
4. Easy to follow instruction sheet/adapter application chart.
The Speedi-Bleed is very simple to use. We tested it on a 2002 Ford Mustang. The Mustang required adapter C500, which is included in the kit.
.
With the adapter installed, we filled the brake fluid bottle and attached the quick-connect brake fluid hose to the C500 master cylinder adapter. Choosing which adapter to use was a snap with their easy to read adapter chart, conveniently located on the back of the instruction sheet. The five adapters all appear very sturdy and easy to use.
We then secured the air supply hose to the valve stem on the left front tire.
Yes, the tire! Speedi-Bleed uses the tire as a convenient low pressure air source. Low pressure air prevents fluid aeration, eliminating the need for a bulky diaphragm type pressure tank and no need for an air compressor to charge the unit. It also serves as a fail-safe method of protecting the ABS brake unit from damage caused by high pressures. (Over 30 PSI)
We then raised the car and attached a hose to the bleeder screw. The hose was routed into an old brake fluid container to catch the fluid expelled from the bleeder. This is not required, but it does help keep the shop clean.
Speedi-Bleed also notified us that they are introducing the new K01C model in 2003, which includes a very handy used-brake-fluid collector bottle. This collector bottle comes with a clear hose that enables you to see the air/water/rust and old black brake fluid as it leaves the bleed screw.
We then turned the air regulator adjuster until the gauge read 10 PSI. Speedi-Bleed recommends 8-15 PSI in the instructions. We found 10 PSI to work just fine in this application.
We opened the bleeder screw and let Speedi-Bleed do the work. It took less than 1 minute to fill the waste brake fluid container.
We repeated the process for the remaining three wheels. Starting with the wheel farthest away from the Master Cylinder and working forward.
Flushing the entire system took less than 1/2 hour, including setup time and photography. We found the tool to work as advertised. It is much faster than manual bleeding, gravity flushing/bleeding and vacuum bleeding with a hand pump.
The Speedi-Bleed is more convenient than the old diaphragm style pressure bleeders. It has a translucent brake fluid bottle, so you know when it's time to refill. There's no need to stop what you're doing, open the bottle and check the fluid level. You know in a glance if the bottle needs to be refilled.
We found the Speedi-Bleed to work as advertised. It is a huge time saver when compared to other flushing and bleeding methods, and it requires only one person, unlike manual bleeding. This tool would be a valuable addition to any technician's tool box. It would also be a big time saver for the DIYer who wishes to maintain his brake system properly but doesn't have all day to flush and bleed the brake system.
The Speedi-Bleed brake fluid flushing and bleeding tool is available directly from the manufacturer. More information about the Speedi-bleed system can be found at http://www.speedibleed.com.
Recently, Speedi-Bleed informed us that DIY kits will be available soon that will retail for $59-$99.
This is an excellent investment for any DIY'er or professional mechanic.