# Is something wrong with my new brake bleeder?



## Juggernaut (Jul 29, 2013)

I ordered a Pittsburgh air bleeder from Harbor freight. When I plug up the hose I can't get it to pump up past 18 inches. It holds a vacuum, but doesn't pump up past 18. Do I need to send this thing back?


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 30, 2013)

Juggernaut said:


> I ordered a Pittsburgh air bleeder from Harbor freight. When I plug up the hose I can't get it to pump up past 18 inches. It holds a vacuum, but doesn't pump up past 18. Do I need to send this thing back?



I did not see any specs advertised on their site - I did notice a 2.7 rating out of 5.0 for this product.I would assume that it might be defective


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## WI_Wino (Jul 30, 2013)

I bought this Pittsburgh brake bleeder from Harbor Freight:





I have no issues with it pulling 20+. I would return yours.


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## Boatboy24 (Jul 30, 2013)

I have the same one and can get 20+ - but not until I've removed a lot of the CO2. 18 should get you pretty well degassed. You may be able to pull over 20 after you let it degass at 18 for a bit.


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## derunner (Jul 30, 2013)

It sounds like you are testing it with only a short plugged hose or just plugged with a stopper and no hose. Perhaps the small volume of air the tubing makes it hard to reach an accurate measure of its capabilities.

I have one I got at Autozone and it will get to 25, but any pumping above that will not raise it.

ETA, I am not sure if a wine bottle can withstand this much vacuum, maybe others will know. If it can, perhaps you could test with an empty one.


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 30, 2013)

Yes a wine bottle can defintley handle that vacuum.


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## bkisel (Jul 30, 2013)

Had the same model for about a week but returned it to Harbor Freight. When I was looking at them at the store I noticed that half of the ones that were hanging there did not have their needle resting on the zero peg. Noticed also that their appearance of quality was not at the same level of the more expensive Mityvacs that were alongside. Anyway, being as frugal as I am I went with the "Pittsburgh" model. Turned out that my cheap plastic wine bottle pump out performed the Pittsburgh bleeder pump. I'd get the bleeder up to ~25 on the gauge (it wouldn't go higher) and it just barely pulled up bubbles. The wine bottle vacuum pump pulled up way more bubbles after just 7-8 strokes. Probably should have paid the extra bucks and sprung for the Mityvac.


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## WI_Wino (Jul 30, 2013)

bkisel said:


> Had the same model for about a week but returned it to Harbor Freight. When I was looking at them at the store I noticed that half of the ones that were hanging there did not have their needle resting on the zero peg. Noticed also that their appearance of quality was not at the same level of the more expensive Mityvacs that were alongside. Anyway, being as frugal as I am I went with the "Pittsburgh" model. Turned out that at my cheap plastic wine bottle pump out performed the Pittsburgh bleeder pump. I'd get the bleeder up to ~25 on the gauge (it wouldn't go higher) and it just barely pulled up bubbles. The wine bottle vacuum pump pulled up way more bubbles after just 7-8 strokes. Probably should have paid the extra bucks and sprung for the Mityvac.



On the flip side, I've had tremendous luck with my bleeder from Harbor Freight. Pulls all sorts of CO2 out. Does require pumping for for an extended time (20 minutes maybe?) to start to hold pressure. What I've found is the lees on the bottom appear to hold a TON of CO2. I had one wine that I pumped over the course of 3 days and still appeared to be pulling CO2. After racking off the lees, it degassed almost immediately.

Since then my process is after fermentation is complete, I rack from the carboy to another, add k-meta, adn fining agents. Let sit for 1+ weeks. When clear rack again if lots of lees and then degass.


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## bkisel (Jul 30, 2013)

WI_Wino said:


> On the flip side, I've had tremendous luck with my bleeder from Harbor Freight. Pulls all sorts of CO2 out. Does require pumping for for an extended time (20 minutes maybe?) to start to hold pressure. What I've found is the lees on the bottom appear to hold a TON of CO2. I had one wine that I pumped over the course of 3 days and still appeared to be pulling CO2. After racking off the lees, it degassed almost immediately.
> 
> Since then my process is after fermentation is complete, I rack from the carboy to another, add k-meta, adn fining agents. Let sit for 1+ weeks. When clear rack again if lots of lees and then degass.



Is your bleeder the Pittsburgh or the Mityvac brand? Both were available at the Harbor Freight store that I shopped. Maybe getting a good bleeder could be more of a hit or miss with the Pittsburgh vs. the Mityvac?

At any rate, if I stick with this hobby I'll want to be able to degas more efficiently and quickly than I'm able to do with hand pumps.


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## WI_Wino (Jul 30, 2013)

Pittsburgh, there's a big ole picture of it a couple posts above.


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## Juggernaut (Jul 30, 2013)

I checked it again this morning and for some reason it will go up to 23 and stop now. I guess that is good enough. I was using a wine bottle vacuum pump, but I wore it out, and without a gauge I was never sure if I degassed it enough.


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## bkisel (Jul 30, 2013)

WI_Wino said:


> Pittsburgh, there's a big ole picture of it a couple posts above.



That is embarrassing. How could I possibly have missed that?


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