Brakes (compensator valve)

April 27, 2020, 09:00:44 PM

The brake compensator vales is attached to the rear beam. It opens and closes based on weight in the car. So when the car is fully loaded more fluid goes to the rear to help slow the car down. When you jack up the car to bleed the brakes you take all the weight off the compensator and essentially close it which reduces fluid flow to the wheel cylinders/Caliper. When you jack up the car you need to clamp it open so the brake fluid flows through to the rear cylinders/calipers, this more accurately replicates the car fully loaded, and is required to bleed the rear brakes.

To determine the correct way to clamp it open (it's one of those items that's under the car so sometimes the orientation can confuse people) imagine what happens when the car with a load and the trailing arms compressed so the wheels are tucked up inside the car like when its fully loaded - and clamp it that way.

It might help to look at the 2 holes, one in the arm and the other on the body on the valve. You need to align these hole to start the bleeding process. unforutnely they don't align perfectly or you could put a pin/dowel in place, but you can put a cable tie through them and pull it tight.

This is then the valve open. Sorry if it's hard to see:

This is what the valve looks like, you can see the two smaller holes.