Brake bleeding ...again

[phat46]

The brakes on my daughters car still are not right. It apears the one diagonal system is not working. The rt. rear and lt front won't bleed. This is not the system that had the original preoblem that i fixed with a new line. That wheel bled just fine. Some diagrams and text I have found say that this car has a proportioning valve on the left front strut tower; this car doesn't. One of the original brake lines from the original master cyl. goes right back to the firewall and over to the right front caliper. The other three lines run in a group down the left strut tower, I can see them almost all the way to the bottom of the car, there is no prop. valve there. The left front line splits from the group of three and goes directly to the left front caliper. I assume the prop. valve is built into the master cyl.? At any rate I cannot get the one diag system to bleed. I'm ready to take it to a friends shop, but I'm trying to save my kid some money as she lost her job on Tuesday!

[kb426]

Can you hook a mityvac up to them? Since I'm without help most of the time, that's what I'm using to bleed brakes with. Is there a chance that the master went dry and you need to bleed the master before trying the wheels?

[enjenjo]

I suspect the forward piston is stuck in the master cylinder.

[wayne petty]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92474

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92924

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37201

a few options.... to help bleed brakes...

and also there are spring loaded brake bleeder screws... these allow fluid out but no air back in... usually 12 bucks a set...

when i bleed brakes.. if i am alone... a loosen the one i am working on just  little.. and pump the pedal with my hand... just a 1/2 inch... just enough to pressurize the master .. but no enough to completely cover the compenstaion ports... so there is no suction formed in the system.. just a fast pulse of pressure...


and again...   tapered rubber stoppers are available at many hardware stores... wedge these into the fill hole and place the nozzle of the one or two quart plastic hand pump garden sprayer into the opening and with just one bleeder screw loose let it rip...

brake fluid is alcohol and glycern... water base.. so it will wash off if it gets on stuff .. melts paint..   and stains concrete.. if the floor is not wet first... and still it does just a little...

[phat46]

I suspect the forward piston is stuck in the master cylinder.

That's what I'm thinking too Frank. Any ideas how to free it up?
I forgot my nephew is a Ford dealler tech  :oops:  I called him and he said these systems are often troublesome to bleed, he also reccomened the vacuum bleeding or just to open the bleeders and let it gravity bleed. I will get a vac bleeder tomorrow and try it. I might try Waynes idea of the pressure bleeding too.

[enjenjo]

That's what I'm thinking too Frank. Any ideas how to free it up?

You might get lucky, and pushing in the front caliper piston will push it back. Otherwise Rebuild or replace.

[phat46]

That's what I'm thinking too Frank. Any ideas how to free it up?

You might get lucky, and pushing in the front caliper piston will push it back. Otherwise Rebuild or replace.

Thanks Frank, I'm lettting them gravity bleed at the moment, if that doesn't work I'll do either the pressure or vacuum bleed, then finally replace the master. Funny how the "simple" fixes usually turn out to be the difficult/head scratchers..... :?