Front brake blleding

paulwitchard · Post by **paulwitchard** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:38 pm

Had to replace the front flexibles for the CT.
Bit baffled by the method of bleeding the front brakes, Haynes says to do both at the same time using much more 'bleeding' tube than I have in my possession! Can it be done one side at a time, like a conventional system.
All I can find on the forum is a reference by 'Doc' that its one of the easiest cars to do!!

Kevin B · Post by **Kevin B** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:30 pm

All I can find on the forum is a reference by 'Doc' that its one of the easiest cars to do!!

Indeed it is. With the engine running and with a suitable size of wood jammed between the seat and brake pedal (so the brakes are fully applied), proceed to loosen the brake nipple until the air is removed, if you want to save the LHM just attach a short length of plastic hose and drain it into a suitable container.

Note!: Before trying this make sure you can easily undo and retighten the nipple before starting (imagine if you sheared off the brake nipple with the brakes applied). As the hydraulic pressure in the braking system is significant, so be careful to just crack the bleed nipple, and keep the spanner on it, so you can nip it back up in an instant.

This is one of the few cars that you can quickly and easily bleed the braking system on your own.

To bleed the back brakes is a little bit more involved, but the same principle applies.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:01 pm

or have an assistant press and hold the brake pedel down with engine running,

whilst you with clear bleed pipe into a container open the kniple,

this works as on hydralic citroens the presure is allready there and pressing the pedel just opens a valve to let it through,

regards malcolm

Linegeist · Post by **Linegeist** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:34 pm

The brake circuits are, hydraulically speaking, 'dead-ends'. Any LHM in the brake lines sits there, inert. From an engineering viewpoint, this is not a good thing as fluids can deteriorate, pick up contaminants and absorb H20 without ever getting flushed out. Until you bleed your brakes.

On a Hydraulic Citroen you can take full advantage of this never-ending supply of pressurised hydraulic fluid by simply using a longer than normal length of bleed pipe ............. and placing the open end into the LHM reservoir. This way, any fluid you drain out goes back into the tank with its built-in filter, and you can flush several litres of LHM through each brake line in a matter of minutes.

I might be old fashioned (having served my apprenticeship on chariots) but i do this every year - it takes half an hour, and I've never had a seized caliper piston.

paulwitchard · Post by **paulwitchard** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:37 pm

Thanks for all the responses, we did it yesterday pm, and it passed the controle this morning - the 2 months was up tomorrow - talk about cutting it fine!

Linegeist · Post by **Linegeist** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:45 pm

I don't know if i was lucky, but the CT centre near where I lived just outside Versailles would go out of their way to get your car through the test.

The last one I had with my Mk1, they adjusted the handbrake cables and the headlights for me to get it through first time, and refused a tip when they made out my ticket. (They didn't refuse a 12 pack of ice-cold lager from the mad Bosche, that I dropped off half an hour later though )

Are many French test centres helpful, or is it pot luck like in the UK?

paulwitchard · Post by **paulwitchard** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:01 pm

I use 2 different ones, both very helpful. One gave me a discount for taking several cars in there.

Don't think they are allowed to do work, or even recommend someone to do it though.