Bleeding brake help

Ok, Have a nice Loadmaster triple axle 18K trailer with surge Kodiac disc brakes on all and the marina just had to put a new coupler/surge brake assembly on it due to an idiot that works there (long story) and I dont think they have it bled right. It seems like I am using all my truck brakes and the trailer brakes arent doing anything. They worked great with the original coupler, barely had to touch the truck brakes.

What is the correct bleed procedure and how do I go about it? I dont want them touching it anymore.

Thanks

Tom

Gravity bleed or use a vacuum pump is usually the easiest. Sometimes I'll just use some clear tube as a straw and stop sucking when I see the brake fluid coming out.

Gravity bleeding with a clear tube and a small loop above the bleeder but below the master cylinder usually works pretty good. If you aren't getting any fluid, something is wrong with your plumbing.

Make sure they wired the lockout solenoid to your reverse light, and not like your running/brake lights too.

Ok, but do I need to bleed all six at once or the farthest one first working forward or what? And how do I pump the surge (no comments from the peanut gallery)? Use the truck and keep pushing it while the trailer is blocked?

I used a pry bar and was able to cycle the master cylinder on my coupler. Had son open and close bleeder screws when needed. My coupler had an adjustable "push rod" that could be made shorter or longer depending on if you needed brakes applied sooner or later. May check that also. I am assuming that you have just a surge coupler and nothing electrical actuating the system.

You can pump the actuator and crack the bleeders like when doing car brakes, but its not necessary.

If you gravity bleed each caliper one at a time, the system will purge (or should purge) itself relatively quickly. The trick is to hook a piece of clear tubing onto the bleeder, with some arch in it. That way the air will work itself out, and you can see when the fluid starts to fill the tubing, all your air is out of the caliper and line for that particular wheel. Then close the bleeder and you are done. As long as the system is plumbed correctly, this works fine and usually goes pretty quick. But if it goes for awhile and you aren't getting any fluid, then you have a broken line or it isn't working.

You said you have discs, so you shouldn't have a residual valve in your master cylinder so there should really be no restriction from the MC to the discs, once you crack a bleeder you should be getting fluid out without having to pump the actuator. Not as much as if you did pump the actuator, but some.

Here is an embarrassingly crude picture that hopefully helps explain the gravity bleeding thing. This is the way I've done many new builds, be it trailers or trucks and as long as the lines are clear and plumbed correctly haven't had any issues.

Cool, thanks for all the help. I understand now and will try that. Im sure its plumbed ok as it worked great before the coupler was changed.