How to Bleed Brakes on a 77 Corvette

The 1977 Chevrolet Corvette continued the tradition of being America's only true sports car. According to Roger's Corvette Center in Maitland, Florida, the 1977 Corvette saw the removal of the "Stingray" lettering from the body and was the last year of the notch-back roof line. The 500,000th Corvette was a white, 1977 coupe produced in St. Louis, Mo., at 2:01 p.m., on March 15, 1977. Like all Corvettes since 1965, the 1977 Corvette features four-wheel, four-piston disc brakes. Brake bleeding requires a specific procedure.

Clean the top of the brake master cylinder with a shop rag. Open the brake master cylinder and top it off. During the bleeding process, you must monitor the level of the brake fluid and keep the master cylinder full, because every time you bleed a caliper, the level will go down. Do not let the master cylinder get empty.

Loosen the lug nuts on the passenger-side rear wheel about one turn. Raise the Corvette with the jack and support with a jack stand. Finish removing the lug nuts and wheel.

Loosen the bleeder screw on the inside of the right-rear caliper. Do not open it yet. Make sure you have safety goggles on. Attach the bleeder hose. Your bleeder hose kit has a small plastic bottle to which the hose is attached. Fill the bottle with brake fluid so that the end of the hose is submerged in the brake fluid about 1 inch.

Instruct your assistant to depress the brake pedal a few times and hold pressure on the pedal until you tell him to let up on the pedal. Open the bleeder screw and allow fluid to flow into the bottle. Your assistant needs to maintain pressure on the pedal until you close the bleeder screw. You may notice air bubbles coming into the bottle. This is air in the system. After you close the bleeder screw, tell your assistant to let up on the pedal.

Check the master cylinder and refill with fresh brake fluid if necessary. Do not reuse old brake fluid. Repeat the above procedure until no air bubbles are seen exiting the bleeder hose. Close the bleeder screw and move to the outer bleeder screw. Repeat the process until no air bubbles are seen. Close the bleeder screw. Remove the bleeder hose. Replace the wheel. Lower the Corvette and tighten the lug nuts.

Repeat this process in the following order: Driver's-side rear caliper, inner bleeder, outer bleeder. Passenger's-side front, inner and outer bleeder. Driver's-side front, inner and outer bleeder.