Harbor Freight vacuum bleeder giving me trouble

I purchased this bleeder from Harbor Freight at the suggestion of a few on this board:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/92400-92499/92474.gif

If you look at the accessories here, there are a few rubber elbow nipples. The smallest one is what fits on our bleeder screws. Mine leaked after the first wheel (I'm trying to flush my brake fluid), so I went with the next higher size. This one lets air in between the bleeder screw and the rubber. Who's used one of these, and did you modify it for your use? I called this thing a few unkind names today, as it gave me fits. HELP!! :banghead:

You might try to see how it works to just slip the tube over the bleeder without any adaptor.
I have used a SMALL tapered nipple and pressed it up inside the hole in the bleeder.
I see a couple of those adaptors in the picture you posted, bottom of the picture, just to the right of the 2 short clear hoses.

What I have found to be the major cause of problem when bleeding brakes is that air leaks through / around the threads of the bleeder screw.
What I have done to correct this is to REMOVE the bleeder screw and put Teflon tape on the threads....and re-install the bleeder.
You can get teflon tape in the plumbing department at your hardware / home supply store.

The last time I bled my brakes.......I bought a cheap "1 man bleeder" at AutoZone.
Just hook it up.....and open the bleeder screw slightly......and pump the brake pedal a couple times.
However, the same applies.....gotta have a good seal with the hose/adaptor and threads of the bleeder screw.
I did that because I could not find my pumper unit......of course, I found it the next day when I was not looking for it........

Looks like you could do that with your unit.....connect the line to the bleeder hose using one of the small tapered adaptors......run the tubing to the bottle....and mount the bottle at a location that is slightly higher than the bleeder screw / caliper.
When you press the pedal......fluid will go into the line...and into the bottle....but you will have fluid in the line.....so when you release the brake pedal......you will draw some, but not much of the fluid back into the caliper (but not air), then press the pedal back down again.
You press the pedal down and release SLOWLY.
Most of the fluid that goes into the caliper when you release the pedal comes from the master cylinder, not the fluid that you pushed out through the bleeder.

As you know, don't forget to top off the master cyinder.......don't want to pump it dry.

Teflon tape is a good idea. I have to wonder, though, if the brake fluid breaks the tape down over time, since it's a corrosive. I guess removing the bleeder screw is okay as long as no one is near the pedal to be able to suck in air, and the MC never runs dry. The old mechanic in the auto craft shop I use told me that emptying the master cylinder will put air in the system as well, even though I filled with with fresh fluid. It was the first thing I did- no bleeder screws were open- so I don't see how this is possible. I was getting lots of bubbles using the vacuum bleeder, but I think that was the hose adapter letting air in around it. Air was getting in there somehow, because I was hearing the vaccum pump sucking in air as I squeezed it. This whole thing just seems like it should have been easier and more straightforward than it was. I did get a lot of old black fluid out of the rear drums, though. Still have to get the front calipers flushed, so I'm doing it again today the old fashioned way- someone in the vehicle manning the brake pedal. Messy but effective. Is this vacuum bleeder even working correctly? I'd like to think I can still use it, but not with the hose attachments they've provided. Who has one of these and has used it on their van???

well id like to comment on the teflon tape in conjunction with brake fluid, although the brake fluid is an altered version to dissapate heat off the brake better it is merely a hydraulic oil ...... as any maintenance mechanic knows, hydraulic fluid will eventually break down the teflon tape, however its life expectency will be 10 or more years under normal circumstances, however when located in an are of high heat, it is possible to have premature breakdown in approximatly 25%less time. There can be some difference due to the variation in the compositin of the fluid being used and can affect the break down period by extending or decreasing that amount of time.

I purchased this bleeder from Harbor Freight at the suggestion of a few on this board:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/92400-92499/92474.gif

If you look at the accessories here, there are a few rubber elbow nipples. The smallest one is what fits on our bleeder screws. Mine leaked after the first wheel (I'm trying to flush my brake fluid), so I went with the next higher size. This one lets air in between the bleeder screw and the rubber. Who's used one of these, and did you modify it for your use? I called this thing a few unkind names today, as it gave me fits. HELP!! :banghead:

I bought that thing a couple of years ago. What a piece of crap. I had the same problem. Mine was leaking from the seal around the cup. I just went back to using the cheap bleader kit I've been using for a long time.

http://domin.dom.edu/admin/pmiller/bleeder.jpg