So I am bleeding the brakes on a 1986 camaro, rear drum brakes, and it is an 8MM bleeder just above the brake line. Question is how to get a hose on the bleeder and a wrench to loosen it without getting brake fluid all over everything?

 

I’m about to attempt this on my bird after replacing the wheel cylinders. I’ve heard an offset wrench works and that’s what I’ll be trying.

 

Gravity bleed (messy) but will get most of the air out of the new cylinder. Since the wheel is off, put a catch pan under the drum plate, open the bleed screw and let gravity drool the brake fluid out. Obviously make sure the top of the master cylinder too. Once done, tighten the bleed screw, carefully spray the drum plate backing with brake cleaner, and done. I have a beer or two as I wait. Or I use a box end wrench over the bleed screw with a piece of clear hose, have someone pump, and hold, then you crack the bleed screw open.

 

Will gravity bleeding get enough of the air out? I wasn’t sure it would

 

I just used both methods recently on the family 2008 SmartCar. The original wheel cylinder started seeping and coated the shoes. I had to replace the shoes obviously. I installed the new cylinder and let it drip into the pan as prepped the front of the drum plate (cleaned it up), then installed the new shoes and whatnot. There was a steady stream of brake fluid by that time from the cylinder, so I closed the bleed screw off. I buttoned everything up (put the drum on, adjusted the rear adjuster for the parking brake). My neighbor came over for another beer and I had him pump the brakes maybe three times. The first time I got a few bubbles, the second and third time, nothing but fluid. Long story short, gravity bleed works for the most part.

 

I think I’ll have to end up gravity bleeding either way

I’m not sure I could get an offset wrench on here. Maybe the new one sticks out further? I doubt it though

 

1/4" drive deep socket and a breaker bar, plenty of rags and brakekleen. Genius engineers between the retainer clip and the recessed bleeder screw. Now we're dealing with their kids as engineers and they are worse.

 

Nice oen

 

yes that is my situation, thanks for the photo. my problem is i just painted it all up and dont want to drool brake fluid all over it. oh well i guess i live and learn. thanks for all the replys.

 

Time to fabricate, get a 5/16 or 8mm 1/4 drive socket and cut it and weld a handle on it. Then you can put it on the bleeder and then put your tubing on the bleeder.

 

Its a stupid design... all i did was loosen with a socket, bleed normally, with one of those one persn bottle set ups, remove the hse, allow fluid to drip out / flow then tighten as its flowing then retighten and wash down with water and brake cleaner.

 

I ended up going what chrisfix did in his video. Have the “one man bleeder setup” with a rubber elbow on the caliper leading to the hose in a bottle (make sure the end of the hose is submerged in brake fluid in the bottle) and pump the brakes until all the air is out. I had a friend watching the air. If you loop it over the drum, all the air will stay at the top of the hose and not flow back into the bleeder valve. I’m sure there’s a reason why it’s an inferior setup or whatever, but it worked really well for me.

If you are still seeing tiny air bubbles work their way in (sometimes even when you’re not pumping), have a friend push the elbow on as hard as he can and see if the air stops. Most of the time it’s just air getting in from around the bleeder.