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I am looking for help on solving a problem with the bleeding the brakes on my 1968. I am using a Motive power bleeder, calipers have been rebuilt with SS liner's and VPB piston with "O" rings, replaced the master cylinder, however with 10lbs. pressure the fluid just barely comes out of the bleeders. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Barely out of both front and rear calipers ? If so take the bleeder back off and away from the car and put it over a bucket and make sure its not the bleeder itself.
It is this way on all of the bleeder's. All of the bleeder's were cleaned last summer when I installed the new piston's. I also forgot to mention that the car has manual brakes.
I'm not sure of the proper method to test it. But I'd think that if you took one line off the output and steped on the break it outta pee fluid easily.
How old are your flexible hoses to the calipers? Those can look ok but be swelled almost closed on the inside. You could try removing the hose from one of the hard lines and see what flow you get.
'68s do not have a proportioning valve, it's a distribution manifold with an integral electrical switch to warn of pressure loss in either of the two circuits. Big difference!
How old are your flexible hoses to the calipers? Those can look ok but be swelled almost closed on the inside. You could try removing the hose from one of the hard lines and see what flow you get.
I have no idea how old they are. I will try your suggestion on the front. I am having the same issue on all four wheel,s.
If your using silicone fluid just crack one of the lines at the master cylinder to see if its coming through at that point then move to the next fitting towards the wheels.
'68s do not have a proportioning valve, it's a distribution manifold with an integral electrical switch to warn of pressure loss in either of the two circuits. Big difference!
I was reading about this in a Chilton's manual and it states that a brake warning light on the instrument panel should come on. Is this the same light as the emergency brake light, because that is the only brake light that I have?
Hi Mike!
I just went and checked my car and there's no way to be sure exactly "what" it is by looking at it.
It's there, and it has a wire attached to it for the light. Ecklers however, lists it as a "Proportioning Valve" at part number 48514. A different one is listed for 1969 (48515) and then 3 more for 70-73 , 74-77, and 78-82. They also have a chrome "replacement" for 74-82 at ony $79.
Are you sure it's not a true proportioning valve? Is the '69 one "real"? If not when did they get "real"? And lastly if you had a '68 would upgrading this critter to a real proportioning valve make a notable difference in brake performance. Do they all have the light switch built in?
I was reading about this in a Chilton's manual and it states that a brake warning light on the instrument panel should come on. Is this the same light as the emergency brake light, because that is the only brake light that I have?
Yes, it shares the same light. It's easy enough to know if the light works, but difficult to know if the switch inside the valve works or not. I have heard of cases where the valve has been activated but that the switch is not working.
This may be contributing to your bleeding problems but check out all the normal culprits first.
Are you sure it's not a true proportioning valve? Is the '69 one "real"? If not when did they get "real"? And lastly if you had a '68 would upgrading this critter to a real proportioning valve make a notable difference in brake performance. Do they all have the light switch built in?
-W
Only Corvettes with J56 brakes came with a proportioning valve prior to (I think) '78. Adding one to your car would not be an upgrade- much the opposite. The only proportioning action they perform is to reduce the pressure to the rear brakes.
Yes... I read the break sticky thread in the C3 tech forum and now feel I have a good education on what that foolish thingie does and does not do.
My LR caliper is currenty bad - so I can assure you that mine works, and the light comes on, and then the light goes back off... so I know that the pistons are at least trying to re-center.
I'll note that by the time you push the pedal down far enough for the idiot light to come on - you should already have gotten clues that something is wrong with the brakes.