Can't get brakes to bleed.

[rayboy231]

just switch to manuel vacuum brakes, pulling out of the driveway i blew a brake line, i replaced the line, ever since then the brakes have been mushy. i can tell that there is no pressure to the back drums. is it a matter of bleeding all four? could the used setup i bought have a bad diapraphm?

 

[novaderrik]

even if the booster doesn't work, you will still have functional brakes. the pedal will just push hard.
if you ran it totally outt of fluid in the rear, you might need to pull the master cylinder back off and bench bleed it again.
when you put it back on, crack the bleeder and let gravity pull fluid thru the lines for a couple of hours. just make sure you don't let the master cylinder run out.

 

[DailyDrifter]

Crack the bleeder loose and let gravity do its job. Then bleed each wheel about 2 times. Start at back right, back left, front right , front left.

 

[BuickGNMan]

Ray, let me know how you make out. Granted I just bought a new PM setup from Kirban as opposed to a vac like yours, but I too can't get the mushy-pedal to the floor symtom to go away. I bled my brakes by the book quite a few times already. I'm pretty frustrated. I hope Kirban didn't sell me a bunk unit.

 

[rayboy231]

Thanx

I didn't think it was the cylinder itself. Guess I will just have to start from the begining again. Good project for the weekend. I will let you know how it goes. I have the original pm off of my car , I think the only thing wrong with it is a leaky res tank let me know if yours doesn't work.

 

[DailyDrifter]

Did you guys bench bleed the master cylinder before you installed it?

 

[BuickGNMan]

First I want to apologize to Ray for hijacking his thread. Second, Drifter, no I didn't bench bleed first. I read that I should be able to do that on the car. I'm talking PM, Ray is talking vacuum. Although it seems the 2 processes I am using bleed only the driver side (2) chambers. I thought the passenger side bled when I cycled the accumulator a few times removing all the air bubbles. Honestly, I don't know how to bench bleed.

 

[BlackMetal]

I can't seem to get a decent bleed on my car either. Spent a buncha money to upgrade to 12" front brakes, used a vacuum bleeder on all four wheels, still felt crappy. Few days later tried again in the driveway with someone pumping the brakes while I cracked the bleeders. Still crappy. I've referred to the detailed brake bleeding thread what we have here on the forums somewhere, still can't get it.

Once it gets warmer out I'm going to make sure the rear shoes are in adjustment, maybe they're a little loose and contributing to the excessive pedal travel.

 

[insane6]

I ended up having to use a mity-vac to get mine bleed , pumping the brake with the pedal would not get it this last time. try that

 

[BlackMetal]

Yeah I used a vac bleeder on mine, left it on each wheel for a loooong time, still didn't have a good pedal.

 

[insane6]

What about brake hose condition, possible collapse insides ?

 

[BlackMetal]

Shouldn't be a hose/line problem. Brakes were pretty firm when everything was stock, then I simply installed the 12" front rotors and F-body calipers, left the bleeders open right when I installed them, got a steady flow of brake fluid and thought I'd be good. Hoses and lines were not changed. Brakes haven't felt good ever since then. I actually miss my stock brakes since I can't get these to feel solid.

 

[insane6]

Did you ever let caliber hang from hose because that will collapse inside of a old brake hose ?

 

[BlackMetal]

No I was careful with them and I've done plenty of brake jobs in my lifetime I know to always support the caliper and not stress the hose. I'm just gunna have to try again this spring.

 

[BuickGNMan]

I too used a MityVac to no avail, then I switched the front bleeder to those speed bleeders. I vac'd the rears & pumped the fronts on my ummmm 8th bleed I think. I also thought the rear drums were out of adjustment so I used the parking brake a few times. That "should have" adjusted them properly. I'm not sure about my rubber lines up front. I'll check them, but I think if my pedal is squishing all the way to the floor, I should see the rubber swell. I don't have any leaks, at least as far as fluid coming out. I'd think if air is getting in, fluid would also be coming out?

 

[charlief1]

Blackmetal, tell us exactly what you have done to the brakes as far as mods. I have an idea why your's aren't working but I need all the mods you've done.

 

[rayboy231]

BuickGNMan don't worry about stealing the thread we are both here to learn. Think i am going to take my time this weekend and make sure i do everything from back to front, i had the car out today, the fronts are stopping but thats about it. i think that i might look over the whole brake system just to make sure all my lines are in check.

 

[BlackMetal]

Blackmetal, tell us exactly what you have done to the brakes as far as mods. I have an idea why your's aren't working but I need all the mods you've done.

Brakes are 100% stock, except for the fronts. From a board member here, I ordered a kit that had pre-modified spindles to accept the 12" rotors and F-body calipers.

I never even did a regular brake job on this car up until doing the upgrade, pretty sure I was still driving around with the brake pads that came on it in 1987.

So the brakes were stock and fairly firm, I parked the car, removed front calipers, installed 12" brakes, bled the front calipers, and thought I was all set. Since then the pedal has felt like garbage, even after vacuum and pressure bleeding.

 

[FreeBoost]

Did you guys remember to have the combination valve pin pressed in while you bleed the brakes. Also did you check that you've got the brass combination valve.

 

[BlackMetal]

Did you guys remember to have the combination valve pin pressed in while you bleed the brakes. Also did you check that you've got the brass combination valve.

No and no. In some old thread on these forums people were debating whether the plunger really needs to be held in and it seemed most people said no. But I plan on making sure I have that pressed in the next time I bleed. And I also don't know if I have the replacement combo valve, I'd bet I don't.