That overheard tip about brake fluid changed my entire approach

I was at NAPA yesterday grabbing a fuel filter and I overheard this older mechanic telling a kid that brake fluid should be flushed every 2 years no matter what. I always just topped it off when it got low, you know, never really thought about it. But he said moisture builds up over time and lowers the boiling point, which can make your pedal go soft on a long downhill. I got home and checked my own truck's fluid with a cheap tester I had sitting in my tool box and sure enough it was borderline bad. So I flushed the whole system (took me about 90 minutes on my F-150) and the pedal feels way firmer now. Has anyone else had luck with those multi-quart pressure bleeders, or do you stick with the two-person method?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_jones29d ago

Oh man, that moisture thing really sneaks up on you. I learned that the hard way on a old Caprice I had back in the day. Did a brake job and thought I got all the air out, but the pedal still felt spongy. Turns out the fluid was so old it looked like weak tea. I ended up just using a cheap vacuum bleeder from Harbor Freight, took forever but it worked. I've never tried the pressure ones, but I bet they save some cussing.

the_mason9d ago

A pressure bleeder woulda saved you a whole afternoon, lol.