ActronCP7835 Vacuum Pump and One Person Brake Bleeding Combo Kit

Bought it seal canning jars.Works perfectly

I'm a real DIYer and really enjoy maintaining my vehicles. One item that most people overlook is flushing out the brake fluid every year or two. On a new vehicle the brake fluid looks clear like water but after a couple of years it starts to look like ice tea which means that it has attracted moisture which is normal for Dot 3 brake fluid. If you let it go the wheel cylinders and brake calipers are prone to corrosion and after so long they will start to leak which is not good. I purchased this Actron Vacuum pump/Brake Bleed Kit so I could flush out my brake lines when the brake fluid starts getting dark in color. If you have someone to help you they can keep the master cylinder topped off while you apply a vacuum to each bleeder screw. If you don't have anyone to help you, you can go to a hardware store and purchase a length of plastic hose the same diameter as the hose supplied in a length long enough to reach from the farthest bleeder screw to the master cylinder under the hood. That way you can monitor the brake fluid level in the master cylinder so you don't inadvertently empty it. The extended life span of the wheel cylinders and calipers will more than pay for the cost of this tool.

This is a great product and does exactly what I hoped it would. I have been using it to stabilize turning blanks for my lathe. Although it doesn't achieve a super strong vacuum like a motorized pump, it still does a pretty good job. Strong metal design. Built and feels very sturdy, should last a very very long time. For the price, you really can't beat it.

The petcock has to have vacuum on it to release the flow of fuel, come to find out. This was a surprise to me. I saw this tool and it worked just fine, it has a bunch of adapters with it. Made it real handy.

This is much easier to use than good old fashioned 2 person brake bleeding/fluid replacement without a doubt. The premise is that a single person with a manual hand-held vacuum pump can pull brake fluid and bubbles out of the system instead of forcing it out with someone pumping the pedal in the car. It accomplishes this, but there are some other frustrations to deal with. First, the system relies on an airtight seal around the bleeder screw threads, between the bleeder screw nozzle and the bleeder adapter in the kit, between the bleeder adapter to the hose, from the hose to the canister, the canister lid to the canister, the canister lid to the pump hose, the pump hose to the pump, and of course the pump itself can't leak. The problem that I read about before I bought this kit is definitely a warranted complaint. The two main vacuum leaks are around the bleeder screw threads, inside the bleeder screw adapter, and the canister lid seal. The first problem could be solved with a grease/sealant that doesn't dilute with brake fluid and become useless. But the sealant provided in this kit is quickly and easily washed off with brake fluid, and it won't stick to any surface already wet with brake fluid. This plus they give you such a tiny tube of it, you're only going to get one brake bleeding job done with it. The second problem is the bleeder screw adapters are not a consistent size inside and out. The opening looks like the right size, but that's just a lip. Once you snap it on there, the inside is much wider than the bleeder screw, so make sure you lube that puppy up good with the grease and use a smaller size adapter than you think you'll need. Trust me, you'll thank me for that. The biggest problem with the kit itself is that the canister lid and canister seal is just hard plastic. You have to fill the groove full of grease to even think of getting a seal, and that grease becomes useless after a couple canisters full because it washes off when you pour out the old fluid. A rubber (or similar squishy material) seal and better sealant would make the canister hold a vacuum better and get the job done much faster. Maybe the Mityvac kit has these problems resolved, I don't know. I was able to do a complete brake fluid flush done on all 4 wheels of a Subaru using this Actron kit, but it took a long time and most of the time it was just sucking bubbles through the hose because of the bleeder screw air leak or wouldn't develop enough vacuum for more than a trickle of fluid flow because the canister lid seal was leaking. It was a little frustrating to use, but it did do the job with just one person as advertised and the brakes work perfectly after use. It just takes a little tinkering and ingenuity. Good luck!

This is a great product! I was able to change the brake fluid in my harley in no time (the last time i tried this I finally gave up and let my local harley mechanic finish). There was a little bit of a learning curve with the rear (getting everything sealed to form a vacuum), but the front was a piece of cake. I only have one hint - make sure to have some petroleum jelly (or grease) on hand before you begin. I had to really "goop" up the outside of the cup rim for a good seal - otherwise no problems.

Works as expected.

After opening it and using it a few times, it broke (the metal pieces securing the handle to the pump shaft popped off). For such a sturdy and solid design as a whole there shouldn't be this weakness, very bad/fragile design. It's a shame, I chose this product due to its perceived quality so this exact scenario would not happen (the plastic one I owned before did the same thing).If you expect to get some real, solid use out of this pump you might look elsewhere to one of the other metal pumps (mityvac seem to be a good alternative that don't have this design flaw)