Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

So I am finishing up assembling car, got all brake components on, bench bled master cylinder, gravity bled the whole system, held lf caliper above master cylinder bled it all out, cant get any air bubbles out of anything now, but I cant get a hard pedal without pumping it up and even then there still isn't much clamping force on calipers I can turn LF front hub by hand. Any ideas what might be going on? Master cylinder is only about 2 yrs old and was working fine before tearing car apart. Thanks in advance! Dave

Hi dave did you grt your brakes sorted.

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Brakes sorted? Not sure what you mean by that.

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

I think he means did you get it figured out yet...
If his screen name "Jordyboy" means the same as it does in Mark Knopfler's "Sailing to Philadephia" lyrics, he's from around Newcastle in England, so we're separated by a common language :6:

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Dave

usually on these things the bleeder port is not located on the very top of the caliper when installed on the car. If they are not you will leave a lot of air in there with regular bleeding . To make it easier we usually take the caliper off of the car, find a piece of wood to stick in the caliper between the pistons to keep from blowing the pistons all the way out. Hold the bleeder screw straight up and down, have someone to pump the brakes and loosen the bleeder to bleed out the air. Keep master cylinder full at all times. Do front brake first. Gravity will not work if bleeders are in the wrong place.

Some drivers like a little faster brake if you do go buy the next larger master cylinder
(piston size), that will speed things up.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

I've had the exact same problem. Take the LF caliper off and stick it back on the rotor so the bleeders point straight up. Then bleed as normal. That should fix your problem.

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Being an OLD mechanic, I still remember the old Chrysler products cars, and their unusual set up on wheel cylinders, they had two, one at the top, and one at the bottom, each working only one shoe. The only way to bleed those, was to bleed them backwards, hook your bleeder to the top one, and loosen the screw, and then force the fluid back to the master cylinder, I've used everything from a turkey baster, to a plastic bottle, upside down, to let it gravity feed back to the master. The master cyl size is useful in controlling how much pressure you apply to the wheels, and give you better feel of how much brake you are applying, too small a master, lots of pedal travel, and locking up the brakes, too big a master, too much pressure needed, but also better feel, and a lot less pedal travel. I like the bigger master myself, it almost feels like you don't have much brake, but you do, just need to apply more foot! Bob

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

The Motive bleeder tank is almost like cheating it works so well, but you have to have a screw cap on the reservoir. I had on for years but just recently started using it.

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

I also prefer the LF caliper mount, that mounts the caliper in front of the spindle, with the bleeders up, instead of horizontal, that lets me bleed front and rear just by opening the bleeder screws, and waiting, my reservoir is just above the steering box, so it doesn't take long. Bob

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Use a steel fitting on the left front caliper. Them big old rocks will break them trick aluminum ones right off.

Bob should we be letting all these secrets out of the box? It is so much more fun learning all this stuff on ones own.

I use the Honest Dad's quick bleeder adapter. I open the bleeder screw 1/2 turn place my index finger over the hole in the bleeder and have helper pump away, the finger acts like a check valve and we don't spend so much time opening and closing the bleeder.;);)

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

that explains the hickey on your fingertip...

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Jim

I think the infusion of glycerin and ethanol into my blood stream has also had an some detrimental effects on my spelling ability also, but what the heck the EPA and OSHA hasn't said anything yet. Can't wait for my own class action law suit.:D

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

I'm sure we've all ingested and/or absorbed way over the RDA of many toxic chemicals and controlled substances during our years in shops, garages and pit areas.
Dad, I'm impressed that you can spell glycerin and ethanol...

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Spell check!

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Bob, Jim

As a very young kid I used to sit down on the side walk beside our house and eat the paint chips that fell off the house, I thought those chips were very tasty, I really liked the green ones. As I got older I would seek out all the old thermostats in the neighborhood that people had thrown away, break them and put the Mercury in an old bluing bottle to make my dimes shine more or we would spread the stuff out on the dirt and play marbles with the beads of Mercury. Had the EPA been around then I am sure I would already be dead.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

If you have bleed it with the bleeders facing up and you don't have much pedal....very likely a master cylinder. Often a bad master cylinder won't have any pedal, but not always. Could be a loose line, or worn brake piston bore sucking air or fitting sucking air. Sometimes when people bleed the system and they are using the pedal, the pedal doesn't have enough throw and it doesn't move enough fluid to bleed the system properly.

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

Well once again you guys nailed my problem, turned LF caliper so bleeder screw was all the way at highest point above master cylinder, dad hit pedal I broke bleeder loose it let out a big fart of air and pedal turned into a rock. Thanks a bunch! I really appreciate the help. Dave

Re: Bleeding lf and rear brakes ?
 

No problem!