Phoenix Systems RFI brake bleeder

[shorod]

I found it a bit surprising that apparently no one has mentioned the Phoenix Systems brake bleeding systems on Automotive Forums (or I didn't search for the correct keywords).

I've been struggling to get what I consider a good brake pedal on my 2004 Lincoln Aviator. I bought it used last May and have no idea of the past maintenance. The brakes felt a bit spongy and since the pads were all in good shape, but the brake fluid was dark, I decided to flush the system and install fresh brake fluid.

My first attempt was using a Mity Vac to get the reservoir empty, then filled with fresh fluid. I started at the right rear wheel and used the Mity Vac to get the old fluid out of the line and bleed the line. Next I moved to the left rear, followed by right front, and finally the left front, doing the same thing - run the old fluid out until I got clear fluid with no obvious bubbles. I took it for a drive and it seemed to have a decent pedal. I found a gravel road to activate the ABS pump a few times to get fresh fluid in to the pump. A few weeks later I noticed the pedal seems to be getting spongy again, and if I pumped the pedal one time as I was coming to a stop, the pedal felt good for the stop. Thinking I may have gotten some air out of the ABS pump, I bled the brakes again using the Mity Vac. Same scenario, decent for a few weeks, then soon it got spongy again and a single pump would firm up the pedal.

I next tried a pneumatic brake fluid bleeder from Harbor Freight (this is a surprisingly nice kit and does seem to work very well). But sadly I had similar results - spongy after a few weeks and a single pump of the pedal seemed to get the feel back.

Following that, I had my daughter help with an old-fashioned 2-person bleed. For only being 7, she did a great job and again the pedal felt decent for several weeks, but now it's back to somewhat soft.

Each of these bleeding exercises did seem to yield some air, but with these methods it was a bit difficult to truly determine if I was getting air out of the lines or if it was just due to flow of the lines.

So, this time I decided to pick up a Phoenix Systems V-12 (Kit #2003) and see what kind of luck I have. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera or person watching my master cylinder to see if I was getting air pushed up from the lines.

I must say the pedal seems much better, and just moving the truck around in the driveway I found myself making some pretty abrupt stops, so I think the brakes are engaging better than what I was used to. We'll see if this time the brake pedal remains nice for the long term. I like the concept of the Phoenix Systems bleeder, but I'm curious if they work as well as they are advertised to. Does anyone have experiences with this system that they can share? Any lessons learned?

-Rod