How to bleed brake fluid properly when replacing the master cylinder?

I'm about to replace the master cylinder on my 2003 Ford F-150 Sport. I know the basics of taking the old master cylinder out and putting the new one in, but it's been a while since I've had to do this, so my memory on bleeding the brakes is a bit fuzzy. I've learned how to "bench bleed" the master cylinder from friends and through tutorials, and it seems pretty simple. Questions: If I bench bleed the master cylinder, will I still need to pump the brakes to bleed the fluid after the cylinder is installed and will I need to bleed every brake if that's the case? Also if you could give me some detailed instructions on the bleeding procedure I would appreciate it because I don't want to screw it up.

If you are only replacing the master cylinder, you can "cheat" slightly.

Do the replacement then push back the brake cylinder pistons in one front and one rear wheel, as you would when fitting new pads or shoes.

That will force a fair amount of fluid back through the master cylinder to the reservoir, taking any air in the master cylinder with it.

Then pump the pedal to reset the brake pistons and check the feel of the brakes.

If they are at all spongy, bleed them through properly & keep topping up with fresh fluid.

The simplest way of bleeding is to use a bleed tube with a valve end - the simplest ones are just a length of rubber tube with a bunged end and a knife slit half an inch in.

Put the "valve" end of the tube in a jar or bottle with just enough fluid to cover the valve and the other on a bleed nipple. (Clean the nipple first).

Loosen the nipple slightly so fluid can come out when you press the brake pedal.

Get a helper to pump the pedal. Keep the reservoir topped up and after you have pumped a reasonable amount of fluid through, get them to hold the pedal down on the last press and tighten the nipple while the pedal is down.

Do that on each wheel / brake.

YES! You will need to bleed every brake line, starting at the wheel furthest from the master cylinder, and working your way forward. Unless you have a power bleed system, this is a two-person job.

1. Raise your vehicle and remove the wheels.

2. Clean the area around the master cylinder and wrap the towel around the cap area before removal of the cap.

3. Hang your bleed bottle near one of the front and the rear calipers. Make sure that the bottle is higher than the bleed screw.

4. Place your wrench (11 mm is the common size) on the bleed screws to allow to turns with the opening screw without any obstruction.

5. Take the tubing and attach it to the screw nipples, then open the bleed screws on the front and rear caliper.

6. Watch the fluid rise without depressing the brake pedal and make sure that the tubing rises higher than the bleed screw. As you do this, you might start to see air bubbles.

7. Start to slowly depress and release the brake pedal (repeat for about 5 cycles). As you do this, watch for air or dirty fluids coming from the calipers.

8. Afterward, check the fluid level of the master cylinder. Once you have removed about 12oz of fluid, you can move to the other side of the car.

9. Simply repeat these steps to bleed the other brake calipers.

10. Once you have closed all of the brake screws (be careful not to over-torque), depress the brake pedal a few times to check operation.