The easiest way to bleed brakes is with a power bleeder.  You don't have to
get a pedal pumper (girlfriend?) to push and release one million times.  I had
trouble with air in the clutch circuit, and found bubbles when we used the
bleeder machine.  The Bentley book says to bleed only with a power bleeder.
   In any event, if you have opened the system to that extent, you will need
to bleed a few times, pumping the pedal vigorously.

Aaron Robinson wrote:

> Sorry...I knew that I forgot that all important year info as soon as I
> sent my mail.
>
> It's a 1991 Vanagon GL. What happened was I was changing the pads and
> accidentally pumped the caliper piston out, letting a bit of fluid out of
> the system. I fixed that, but the brakes are really spongy...no
> pressure on the first pump, but with 2 more quick ones, it will pump up
> and stop fairly quickly.
>
> Before I changed the pads the brakes were a bit spongy and that wasn't due
> to the pads being worn (what I have no clue). But now that I changed them
> and lost some of the fluid (and maybe got some air in there?) they are
> *really* spongy. Changing the pads shouldn't affect this...it just gets
> rid
>  of that nasty metal on metal sound.
>
> Now what I was going to try to do was bleed the brakes and see if that
> improved them back to their state before I "fixed" them. I've never bled
> brakes. I will have another person around, but I need to know the process
> first.
>
> I hope that helps to fill you in on the info
>
> Thanks for the help!
> Aaron