Why does nobody talk about how long bleeding air out of a hydroboost system takes

I swapped my brake booster on a 1998 Ram 2500 last month and figured it would be a quick afternoon job. Took me three full days to get all the air out of the hydroboost unit, not the brakes themselves. I followed every procedure I could find online, jacked the front end up, cycled the steering, even tried a vacuum bleeder. Has anyone else dealt with that crazy stubborn air pocket between the pump and the booster?

2 comments

2 Comments

walker.andrew10d ago

Three full days seems like a lot. I've done a few hydroboost swaps on old Dodges and never had it take more than a few hours at most. You sure you didn't have a bad seal or something else going on in the system? Usually that stubborn air bubble will work out in an hour or two of cycling the wheel and pumping the pedal a bunch. Sounds like maybe you were chasing a leak or a weak pump the whole time instead of just air.

ward.fiona10d ago

Drove myself nuts for two days on a Ford van doing the exact same swap. Turned out the pressure hose was routed wrong and kinked under the reservoir. Felt like a total idiot when I finally spotted it. That air bubble excuse is just the easiest thing to blame first.