How to Bench Bleed a Master Cylinder in a Toyota Tundra

The Toyota Tundra made its first appearance in 2000. When replacing the master cylinder in a Tundra, it's best to bench bleed it before installing it. This ensures you won't have spongy brakes because air from the system was pushed into your brake lines. You can bench bleed your new master cylinder and prime it for installation in about 10 minutes. These steps apply to any model year.

Instructions

1

Remove your old brake master cylinder from your Toyota Tundra. The cylinder is located near the firewall of the driver's side of the engine compartment.

2

Set the new Toyota Tundra master cylinder in a vise on your work bench. Clamp it firmly into place, ensuring that it's level. Remove all the supplies that came in the kit and lay them out so you can assess what you have.

3

Take the brake fluid reservoir from your old cylinder and clean it out with warm water and a clean cloth to remove any dirt and debris that may have accumulated. Dry it thoroughly as brake fluid absorbs water and may damage your brake system. Install it into the new master cylinder.

4

Locate the two fittings that came with your kit. Thread these onto the outlets located on the side of the cylinder. There are two lengths of hose that came with your kit; insert these into the fittings and bend the hoses up, so they're aimed into the fluid reservoir.

5

Cut the hoses so they end up sticking halfway down into the reservoir. Use a clip to secure the two tubes to the Toyota Tundra's reservoir to keep them in place, so you don't end up spraying brake fluid all over the place or allowing air back into the system.

6

Fill the reservoir with fresh brake fluid. Pour enough fluid into the Toyota Tundra's reservoir to fill it just short of the maximum fill line. The hoses will extend down into the fluid, creating a temporary hydraulic system.

7

Pump the piston on the brake master cylinder to move the brake fluid through the unit and into the hoses. You can use a Phillips screwdriver to do this since it's thin, strong and will give you enough leverage to move the piston. Just insert it into the cylinder and push it firmly against the piston to start pumping.

8

Watch for air bubbles coming out of the hoses and into the fluid in the reservoir. You'll need to keep pumping until all the air is out of the cylinder and no more bubbles appear.

9

Keep the hoses in the reservoir and carefully remove the cylinder from the vise. Now you're ready to install the master cylinder into your Toyota Tundra.