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I've bled brakes probably a dozen times. Always did the 2 person way of having one person press brake pedal and hold to floor - then open bleed valve - close valve, then tell them to release brake pedal. Repeat. But after watching a video, it said the easiest/quickest way was the 1 person way with a collection bottle filled with enough fluid so that the hose coming off bleed valve was completely submerged. I tried that method for a while - then talked to a buddy with more experience and he'd never heard of such. I think the big issue with this approach is that the video already had fluid in the system that was being flushed. I digress.
So I went back to the classic 2 person job. Topped off master cyl with new Dot 3. After about 20 sessions of pressing pedal, opening valve/closing valve, releasing pedal ....absolutely nothing came out. Did see an occasional air bubble. Then tried pressing the brake pedal 5 or 6 times, and then holding it to floor, and then opening valve. Still nothing. Then friend suggested loosening the rear line connection coming out of the master cylinder and pressing brake. I heard/saw some air bubbles and fluid, not a big spray of fluid as I expected.
What am I missing? Bad new master? No leaks any where. Again, other than power booster, all new gear. After bench bleeding I left the tubes submerged back up/in the reservoir and didn't let any air into tubes....... I'm stumped.
Been there, seems when the master cylinder is bench bled then installed and system try to bleed, air is pulled from empty line and enters master cylinder. This will require the master to be bench bled again and it keeps happening over and over again. A pressure bleeder will probably work. For me I fed brake fluid thru each bleeder bacK to loosened line on the master. Once fluid is there, the brakes can be bled.
Pressure bleeding is the best method but most of us don't have a pressure bleeder. The last time I had to bleed brakes was on the 54 Olds I had. I used a pump that hooded to the wheel cylinder and pumped fluid back to the master cylinder. They are commonly used in the small aircraft industry. It worked great but I never see anybody else using them. I bought it on ebay and it cost less than $20.00.
[QUOTE=4speed455;1499317]If the calipers are installed on the wrong side you will never get them bled, ask me how I know. The bleeders should be on the top.[/QUOTE
Yea, I don't know if I knew what I was doing or got 50/50 lucky, but calipers are installed properly.
I wondered if it could be a faulty power booster.... but the brakes worked before I did all the work (crappily, but they did work a little - all rusted and worn pads/shoes). I don't think the booster is bad - especially when I was pressing it to the floor and felt the resistance.
Been there, seems when the master cylinder is bench bled then installed and system try to bleed, air is pulled from empty line and enters master cylinder. This will require the master to be bench bled again and it keeps happening over and over again. A pressure bleeder will probably work. For me I fed brake fluid thru each bleeder bacK to loosened line on the master. Once fluid is there, the brakes can be bled.
Oooo. Interesting - as others have said too. It's pouring rain today and I ain't got a garage so waiting for tomorrow.
Not sure if 98 has the same type of distribution block as the A body but if it does perhaps you need one of these. Screws in where the warning light switch is located. This is from Summit part number SUM-760158.
Not sure if 98 has the same type of distribution block as the A body but if it does perhaps you need one of these. Screws in where the warning light switch is located. This is from Summit part number SUM-760158.
Thanks. I did buy one while rebuilding everything. After centering the proportion valve, I screwed that device in - it's in there now. Waiting to fully bled to remove and put switch back in.
I got that suction device, which helped. It showed me where I didn't do a good job flaring the ends of the lines or tightening the connection(s). But, I've bled all 4 brakes and they're all working. Pedal is too soft, and I found on the front passenger, that I kept getting air bubbles.
You most likely don't need to bench bleed again. Pedal too soft is most likely air remaining in the system. Drive it around for a week, then bleed the brakes one or two more times to evacuate air in the system.
I installed all new lines and hoses on my car so I had no residual brake fluid in the lines. I made a pressure bleeder out of an old sport bottle, some clear tubing, and petcock and inner tube Shrader valve. After bench bleeding the master cylinder, I filled the sport bottle about 1/2 full and the master cylinder up to the rim the with brake fluid; added some air to the bottle (about 15-20 psi of air, not too much or you'll blow-up the sport bottle); opened the pet **** and watched the brake fluid flow. At the wheel cylinders/calipers, put a short section of tubing over the bleeder and submerge it into a small container of brake fluid so it can't back suck air into the lines. I did the front calipers first starting with the RH (farthest) wheel followed by the LH caliper; then did the rears starting with the RH rear followed by the LH rear last. It took a few iterations to completely bleed the system, but the pressure bleeder made the 2-man job extremely simple for one person.
Here's some pics:
Rodney
I clamped the aluminum plate to the top of the master cylinder with a big C-clamp.
Close-up pic of the sport bottle; the pet **** has a short section of tubing inside the bottle that must remain submerged in brake fluid or else you'll push air into the master cylinder. Fill the bottle about 1/2 full leaving 1/2 the bottle to fill with pressurized air. The bottle cap must be tightly sealed to prevent the pressurized air from escaping.
You most likely don't need to bench bleed again. Pedal too soft is most likely air remaining in the system. Drive it around for a week, then bleed the brakes one or two more times to evacuate air in the system.
I installed all new lines and hoses on my car so I had no residual brake fluid in the lines. I made a pressure bleeder out of an old sport bottle, some clear tubing, and petcock and inner tube Shrader valve. After bench bleeding the master cylinder, I filled the sport bottle about 1/2 full and the master cylinder up to the rim the with brake fluid; added some air to the bottle (about 15-20 psi of air, not too much or you'll blow-up the sport bottle); opened the pet **** and watched the brake fluid flow. At the wheel cylinders/calipers, put a short section of tubing over the bleeder and submerge it into a small container of brake fluid so it can't back suck air into the lines. I did the front calipers first starting with the RH (farthest) wheel followed by the LH caliper; then did the rears starting with the RH rear followed by the LH rear last. It took a few iterations to completely bleed the system, but the pressure bleeder made the 2-man job extremely simple for one person.
Here's some pics:
Rodney
I clamped the aluminum plate to the top of the master cylinder with a big C-clamp.
Close-up pic of the sport bottle; the pet **** has a short section of tubing inside the bottle that must remain submerged in brake fluid or else you'll push air into the master cylinder. Fill the bottle about 1/2 full leaving 1/2 the bottle to fill with pressurized air. The bottle cap must be tightly sealed to prevent the pressurized air from escaping.
Very cool!!! Not sure I'm ready for that - maybe next time. Thank you.
