Has anyone ever heard of this (brake caliper change over) ?

[FLX109]

I was told by a mechanic if you decide to change your calipers over to another set (say you buy powdercoated ones/exchanged) you can minimize bleeding the brakes if you fill the new calipers with brakefluid to the top through the line hole, disconnect the caliper brake line keeping it high so you do not drain fluid and connect to the new caliper then mount and all you might have to do is add to your reservoir under the hood, has anyone ever heard of this?

FLX109

 

[ViperGeorge]

I suspect it would minimize bleeding but I would go ahead and bleed them anyway. I had a old school mechanic change a master cylinder on a Mustang and after bench bleeding the master he reconnected things and did not bleed the brakes. He had the lines to the master bent up so they wouldn't lose fluid. Brakes seemed fine afterwards. Guess its the same basic principle on the calipers.

 

[PhoenixGTS]

You are going to be changing your fluid at the same time anyway so it is not even a concern.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

I was told by a mechanic if you decide to change your calipers over to another set (say you buy powdercoated ones/exchanged) you can minimize bleeding the brakes if you fill the new calipers with brakefluid to the top through the line hole, disconnect the caliper brake line keeping it high so you do not drain fluid and connect to the new caliper then mount and all you might have to do is add to your reservoir under the hood, has anyone ever heard of this?

FLX109

I think it's harder to fill a caliper that you just powdercoated (you have to be so careful because the brake fluid will soften and dull the finish) through the inlet (with a really tiny funnel?) than to bleed the brake caliper. Brake fluid is $5/quart and you would be better off replacing more rather than less. Either way you are filling the caliper up with fluid. Get some speed bleeders and you'll be done in no time.

 

[PhoenixGTS]

I think it's harder to fill a caliper that you just powdercoated (you have to be so careful because the brake fluid will soften and dull the finish) through the inlet (with a really tiny funnel?) than to bleed the brake caliper. Brake fluid is $5/quart and you would be better off replacing more rather than less. Either way you are filling the caliper up with fluid. Get some speed bleeders and you'll be done in no time.

I bought a vacuum pump style bleeder (thank you fellow board member Jim Wilson for suggesting it) and what I learned most from it was that attaching a tube to the bleeder sure does save a lot of mess - and in turn as Tom suggests saves a lot of fluid touching the caliper. Just run a hose from the outlet end of the bleeder screw into a drip pan. Only concern is it flopping around and out of the drip pan when you turn the bleeder screw.