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Thread: Bleeding Brakes on a Kitfox

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Ky
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    4

    Default Bleeding Brakes on a Kitfox

    Hello All,
    Does anyone have a simple, easy to explain, method of bleeding the air out of the brake system on a Kitfox with duel brakes?
    Thanks,
    Kyle

  2. #2
    Administrator RandyL's Avatar
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    Mar 2008
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    Woodinville, WA
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    207

    Default Fill from the bottom up

    Kyle,

    Not sure what brakes you have but if they are either Cleveland or Grove then you want to force fluid in from the nipple on the bottom of the caliper which should be the bottom of the system. Most builders use a simple oil pump can with a piece of rubber or PVC tubing from the tip of the oil can nozzle to the brake bleed nipple.

    If you want to keep things clean then put an AN fitting into the top of the reservoir with a tube going over into a catch jar. Open the caliper nipple, pump slowly but surely. The fluid will fill the caliper and move up the lines to the master cylinders on the brake pedals, then up the low pressure lines to the reservoir. If you can have a helper looking into the reservoir then you don't need the overflow system. Repeat for the other side.

    I can't explain why you don't work from the reservoir down like on a car but many builders have tried it and it just doesn't work. Hope it goes without saying that you want to use aviation brake fluid which is petroleum based rather than auto brake fluid.

    YMMV,
    Randy Lervold
    TeamKitfox.com Admin Emeritus
    Day job: www.dynonavionics.com

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Ky
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    Default

    Thanks Randy & MnFlyer,

    My Kitfox IV has duel brakes. The right brake pedal on the pilot's side is softer than the right brake pedal on the co-pilot's side. I can see air in the line between the pedal and the reservoir perhaps below also and I just can't see it. Do I have to depress either of the brake pedals while I'm injecting the brake fluid from below to clear the air from either of the respective pedals? Or will injecting the fluid from below clear all of the air from both sets of lines?
    This next week I plan to get back to the airport to try to solve my brake problem.

    Thanks,
    Kyle

  4. #4
    Administrator RandyL's Avatar
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    Mar 2008
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    Woodinville, WA
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    Default

    Kyle,

    Don't do any pumping when filling from the bottom. In fact make sure the pedals are all the way aft so that the master cylinders are fully extended. If you have softness on the right side then you need to push more fluid into that side. Bubbles above the master cylinders don't matter. If there are bubbles in the line that connects the left and right master cylinders (dual pedal installation) then those are most likely what's causing the softness.

    BTW, if you want to make this really easy get one of these. They are kind of expensive for one use, but a buddy and I split the cost of one and have loaned it to friends. Works REALLY well.
    Randy Lervold
    TeamKitfox.com Admin Emeritus
    Day job: www.dynonavionics.com

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Ky
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    Smile

    Randy,

    I made it to the airport yeaterday afternoon.
    What a simple fix. Everything went well bleeding the brakes and filling the reservoir. The soft pedal is gone as well as all of the air.

    Thanks again,
    Kyle

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Iceland
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    26

    Default Re: Bleeding Brakes on a Kitfox

    I have a KF III with single brakes (Matco I think?!)

    The right side does not brake very well and I assume there is air in the line. However there is no reservoir on the brake system

    How do I get rid of the air? Do I pump fluid from below and open up the RH master cylinder on the pedal to let the air bubbles out or is there some other neat trick I could try.

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