I usually bleed master cylinders in a vice with bleeder tubes running from the outlet ports back into the reservoir. I just push the piston several times until all the air is out. However the shop manual says to use the bleeders on the master cylinder and pump fluid into a jar partly filled with brake fluid. That seems easy enough although I'll need to figure out how to hold the jar in place while I pump the pedal.
Is there a reason to use the bleeders as opposed to the usual bleeding in a vice?
Also the shop manual says when bleeding the brakes to depress the plunger on the back of the proportioning valve for disc brake cars. It says to use a special tool which of course I don't have. Can the same thing be accomplished using a wood shim or paint stick? Thanks, Doug
For what it’s worth, the last couple of master cylinders I did I didnt bleed them. I just hooked up the lines and bled the whole system. It took a while to get fluid flowing but once it did everything was fine. I don’t think the service manual mentions bleeding the master cylinder
If you already have the MC out I would bench bleed it then once it's in use the bleeders to finish the job. If the MC is in the car you can still use the tubes as you would on the bench but push with the pedal then finish with the bleeders.
One thing I did to greatly assist in bleeding my brakes was to fabricate a power bleeder. It basically consists of a Mason jar, some tubing and an air operated vacuum pump from Harbor Freight (Venturi pump). It cost me less than $20 and I can pull 20-25 inHg. No more hand pumps pumping the pedal, etc. works great.
