DIY brake pressure tester

[ChrisT]

Need to make a brake pressure tester, is there any reason why putting the following together won't work.....
2000Psi gauge (1/4"bsp) - This one
M10 T-piece with 1/4"bsp adaptor in one side for the gauge, M10 bleed screw in the top and a copper brake line in the bottom to attach to the brake system.

Seems simple enough and can't see any obvious problems, with the gauge out the side, or to the bottom, of the T piece I should be able to bleed any air out to give an accurate reading.

[ChrisT]

In answer to to my own question, yes it will work, just needs a 3/16" compression to 1/4" BSP female stud coupling to join the gauge to the pipe.....

[dryden]

That's a cool device! Thanks for sharing the picture.

What do you use it for?

[delica16]

BRAKE PRESSURE TESTING MAYBE !!!!!!!!!!

[alolympic]

Jan 17, 2012 8:43:43 GMT dryden said:

That's a cool device! Thanks for sharing the picture.

What do you use it for?

It'll be used to check the pressure that is being seen at the brake calipers. As part of diagnosing problems with your brakes, it's a good place to check.
If I remember correctly they say you need to be seeing at least 1100psi at the caliper when the brake pedal is under pressure.

[alolympic]

Jan 17, 2012 9:01:18 GMT delica16 said:

BRAKE PRESSURE TESTING MAYBE !!!!!!!!!!

RR has no place for sarcasm when somebody asks a perfectly reasonable question - be nice

[usedabused]

That would be cool to have four of these mounted on the dash.


OK I'll get me coat........................

[bortaf]

Jan 17, 2012 9:48:38 GMT alolympic said:

Jan 17, 2012 9:01:18 GMT delica16 said:

BRAKE PRESSURE TESTING MAYBE !!!!!!!!!!

RR has no place for sarcasm when somebody asks a perfectly reasonable question - be nice

really ? it's usually the norm
ok sorry couldn't resist, still the question holds why?
nevber needed one in 25 years spannering, or even thought about needing one TBH mind you i don't really work on cars with ABS so maybe it's handy on those but TBH by the time you've taken the caliper off or the pipe then replumbed that in surely you could have made a diagnosis in other ways (clamping off flexys or spun the wheel while somone stamps on the stop pedel ect ? )

[ChrisT]

I like having tools
I know there are other methods I could use but for the sake of a few quid I thought I'd make one and give me an accurate picture of how well the system works - bearing in mind I've completely rebuilt the brake system with various componants.

[dryden]

BRAKE PRESSURE TESTING MAYBE !!!!!!!!!!

Yawn... Are you fourteen? Do you own a car?

Thanks for the answer alolympic. I'm an engineer and I like tools and gadgets and all that sort of stuff, this is a cool device. If one circuit is reading a lower pressure than the other, that might indicate there's air in that circuit, for example.

Thanks for sharing, again.

[chairchild]

but... wouldn't you have to bleed the system, once you've fitted it anyway?

Would be good for testing brake bias valves though. My old car had one go dodgy - supplied naff-all pressure to ONE of the rear wheels, MOT station had no idea why, so was just using the tried+tested method of "replace everything bit-by-bit"

I do like the fact you've made it possible to bleed it from the pressure tester - means it can be directly fitted to a bias valve/master cylinder

[usedabused]

I think (yes I do some times ) that if this was adapted to fit the bleed port and have a bleed nipple itself it would be more practical.

[chairchild]

good call that man!

[ChrisT]

Jan 18, 2012 2:20:11 GMT usedabused said:

I think (yes I do some times ) that if this was adapted to fit the bleed port and have a bleed nipple itself it would be more practical.

I figured making it M10 fitting it would be useable on my mastercylinder, the brake lines to the calipers and drums as the bleed nipples are all different sizes (being a mixture of componants).
And it does have a bleed nipple, the other side of the T piece.

[chairchild]

But if you made another inline adaptor (or as you've pointed out you'd need.. a multitude) then you wouldn't need to disturb the brakes anywhere near as much to test the pressures, if you could just use the bleed nipple port.

But like you... I like having tools/adaptors.. for the sake of having them ;D