# '67 GTO drum brake bleeding



## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

Expect to flush out the old fluid soon as the stuff in the master cylinder is brown. Lots of how to videos on youtube, and my brother will help. He's done this before on other cars. His question is what type of tool do we need to open up the bleeder valves. Regular open end wrench or something more specialized? We intend to do this on the ground. We have ramps but should we use them? Any and all hints welcome. Thanks in advance.


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## Irishmic (Sep 24, 2013)

They have a bleeder wrench for the wheel cylinders ...it's a 12 point closed end wrench..usually 2 diff sizes on one wrench...don't use an open end wrench..you will slip off the nipple and round it off...then you will be looking for the vise grips !


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## Irishmic (Sep 24, 2013)

I would spray the nipples with some PB Blaster or Wd 40 the day before.....just to help loosen them up too...ramps are good if your skinny and in shape too slide around....I would Jack it up and use Jack stands and take the wheels off .


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

If the fluid in the MC is really dirty I would clean that out first and put fresh fluid in it, don't run the dirty brake fluid through your lines and wheel cylinders.

I agree with Irishmic too.....no garage should be without a set of jack stands and a good hydraulic jack.


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## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

Thanks to all. I did suck out the brown crap from the MC with a turkey baster (sorry honey) and replaced it with fresh. Haven't driven the car since. I made a promise to my wife when I turned 60 that I would no longer go under a car unless the tires were on the ground, or up on a roof. That said, if we do the rears first on jackstands I might bend the rules. After the nearby incident in the link below, I got a little skittish. Sometime afterwards a similar thing happened to an 80+ year old Houstonian under a VW bus. I guess VW has been trying to kill us well before the latest chaos (German word for mess).
woodlands man dies after trapped under car - Montgomery County Police Reporter


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

I use a 6 point 1/4" drive deep socket to crack the bleeder loose then switch to a wrench.
Always use two supports, set the car on jack stands and leave the car on the floor jack once the weight is on the stands.
NEVER use cinder blocks, you see people do this ,it is foolish and they can fracture and drop the car on you.
If the car has sat for years you are better off pulling the master and rebuilding it and replacing/rebuilding the slaves.
Brakes are one thing you don't want to go cheap on.


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## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

Thanks, GR. Car is actively driven. MC and WC's are new within the past 4 years. Brakes are performing well. Will keep you all posted.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

X2 on six point only brake wrenches or sockets. Start at the passenger side rear, go to the driver's rear, pass front, and finish with the driver's front. Flush excess brake fluid off the drums and backing plates with plain water and you're good to go. I always gravity bleed my cars, but lots of folks like to use fancy Buck Rogers stuff. It's not needed, though.


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

geeteeohguy said:


> X2 on six point only brake wrenches or sockets. Start at the passenger side rear, go to the driver's rear, pass front, and finish with the driver's front. Flush excess brake fluid off the drums and backing plates with plain water and you're good to go. I always gravity bleed my cars, but lots of folks like to use fancy Buck Rogers stuff. It's not needed, though.


Helpful hint.

I use a piece of hose from the nipple into a clear empty water bottle and gravity bleed like you from farthest to closest, you can see when the new stuff starts coming out.
Cap and toss the bottle and clean up is a wipe with a rag.


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## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

Goat Roper said:


> Helpful hint.
> 
> I use a piece of hose from the nipple into a clear empty water bottle and gravity bleed like you from farthest to closest, you can see when the new stuff starts coming out.
> Cap and toss the bottle and clean up is a wipe with a rag.


Aha...another use for the empty bottles of Propel. Thanks.


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