Ive got some work to do,please help
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 1
From: Savannah Ga
Ive got some work to do,please help
First the head lights.I have to pull them up by hand,This can't be good.The right has quite a lot of restence.The left come's up easer and and wants to go up the rest of the way.Any suggestions.The other thing I have to do is replace a rear calilper and want to know how you keep the tubes closed?While you remove the caliper.What is the process for the job.I;ve never did a brake job before.so it a good time to learn.Man it's early.I got up at 4:14 am.better get some coffee goining even though I'm not a coffe drinker.Ill check back later.I need to get started to day.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Okay. We'll do this in steps. Really this should have been two threads because of the two different subjects. First up, headlights.
Vacuum is usually the problem. IF both vacuum actuators are working, the headlights would have the same hard or easy time going up and coming down. The vacuum may be fine, and an actuator is failing. Also your springs may be failing. Do a vac test, 15 is the lowest it should be from what I understand. If it's below that you have a leak and that may be contributing to the sluggish headlights.
The brake job is very easy, but you'r going to lose fluid and you will need to bleed several times with a new caliper. The easiest thing I can suggest is doing a search. Use words like brake caliper bleed. Once you read over some of the threads that sound like your situation...of which there will be many titled almost teh same thing...you will have a better understanding of what needs to be done. We literaly get a brake thread a day.
Vacuum is usually the problem. IF both vacuum actuators are working, the headlights would have the same hard or easy time going up and coming down. The vacuum may be fine, and an actuator is failing. Also your springs may be failing. Do a vac test, 15 is the lowest it should be from what I understand. If it's below that you have a leak and that may be contributing to the sluggish headlights.
The brake job is very easy, but you'r going to lose fluid and you will need to bleed several times with a new caliper. The easiest thing I can suggest is doing a search. Use words like brake caliper bleed. Once you read over some of the threads that sound like your situation...of which there will be many titled almost teh same thing...you will have a better understanding of what needs to be done. We literaly get a brake thread a day.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: This vette goes to 11 Milford MA
St. Jude Donor '03-'05
Right behind the carb is a vacuum port on the manifold with a rubber line running to it that feeds the headlights. With the motor running, pinch it off and listen. If the engine has a noticeable change, you have a leak somewhere and need to trace it back.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by copter
Thanks to the both of you.I'll do the Vac check first.And I'll do a search on the brakes.How would you rate the caplier install on a scale of 1-10.
So long as you have the right tools and some time to do it right it's an easy 2. You'll learn everything you need from a few searched threads.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
So long as you have the right tools and some time to do it right it's an easy 2. You'll learn everything you need from a few searched threads.
Consider it a 3 if you do all four wheels...which I suggest when doing brakes.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
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From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by copter
First the head lights.I have to pull them up by hand,This can't be good.The right has quite a lot of restence.The left come's up easer and and wants to go up the rest of the way.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 136
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word to the wise never replace one caplier if one is bad the others are soon the go, if not good at rebuilding them several of the vendors have replacement kitts for the enitire set all four you can never be to carful when it comes to brakes the are one of the most important things on your car!!
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Also, changing the actuators is very tricky and can be a lot of not fun with the hood installed. There are a few ways to do it, that can be argued, if you end up having to replace an actuator.
Instructor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 220
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From: Hilton Va
To keep the brake fluid from running out all over the place, you can get a small piece of vacuume hose (an inch or two)and run a screw or a bolt in one end when you take the brake line loose, just slip the hose over the end of the line. Keeps from running the master cylinder dry too. 
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by carhound
To keep the brake fluid from running out all over the place, you can get a small piece of vacuume hose (an inch or two)and run a screw or a bolt in one end when you take the brake line loose, just slip the hose over the end of the line. Keeps from running the master cylinder dry too.
That sounds cofusing. Do you mean to slip a plugged vac hose over the brake line that threads into the master? Generally if all the bleeder screws are tight, no fluid will drain. For the master, fluid will drian, I don't see how a vac jhose with a bolt in it will help that. Can you maybe go over that again for me? Thanks.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
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From: Surrey
Once you've diconneted the hard line from the calliper you can prevent all the fluid draining out by ramming a golf tee up the end of it (wood is best), or slide a plugged, tight fitting, vac hose over the end of it as suggested.
The job won't be a 2 if you've got problems in getting the nut undone. For some reason the nuts on the hard lines on mine are made of some sort of special metal. It's special in that it deforms as soon as any pressure is put on it, even when using the correct brake line wrench. Before fitting the new calliper, remove the bleed nipples from it & coat the threads in a small amount of silicon grease (di-electric grease?). This will help when bleeding as air can get pulled down the threads otherwise when the nipple is loose.
Good luck with the nut (one of mine came out easily, the other just deforms, so I'm going to cut the line off with some cutters, use a brutal method to get the nut out of the calliper & then use a large hammer to beat it into a plain washer!!!
Vengeance is best served cold, preferably with a large hammer 
).
The job won't be a 2 if you've got problems in getting the nut undone. For some reason the nuts on the hard lines on mine are made of some sort of special metal. It's special in that it deforms as soon as any pressure is put on it, even when using the correct brake line wrench. Before fitting the new calliper, remove the bleed nipples from it & coat the threads in a small amount of silicon grease (di-electric grease?). This will help when bleeding as air can get pulled down the threads otherwise when the nipple is loose.
Good luck with the nut (one of mine came out easily, the other just deforms, so I'm going to cut the line off with some cutters, use a brutal method to get the nut out of the calliper & then use a large hammer to beat it into a plain washer!!!
Vengeance is best served cold, preferably with a large hammer ).
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,084
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From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Originally Posted by copter
...I'll do the Vac check first...
I've done it, works great.
JMHO
Instructor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 220
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From: Hilton Va
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
That sounds cofusing. Do you mean to slip a plugged vac hose over the brake line that threads into the master? Generally if all the bleeder screws are tight, no fluid will drain. For the master, fluid will drian, I don't see how a vac jhose with a bolt in it will help that. Can you maybe go over that again for me? Thanks.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by carhound
Not the master. The line to the caliper. I thought he was going to change a rear caliper. It's a whole lot better than trying to jam something in the line to keep the fluid from leaking out. Sorry for the confusion. :o
No prob. Something I found is that letting it drip is a good way to make sure no air is getting in. Too much of a gap and air will slip by, so it's a toss...but I like the tube idea.
I just purchased a full set of check valve bleeders, and bled all four in twenty minutes all by myself. I have to get two more as I have a pair of bleeders on the master.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by clintwilson
park car uphill;make sure resivor is full dissconect brake line and cap with rubber plug. replace caliper;reconnect line;open bleeder valve;and it will bleed itself.
Ahh, grav method. I found this didn't work so well on my front brakes. I left teh bleeded open for a week and not a single. I bought check valve screws, and pumped away. I probably put that pedal to the floor twenty times before fluid started squirting out. Any ideas what kept the fluid from ever making it's way down?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by bickel
...word to the wise never replace one caplier if one is bad the others are soon the go...
If one is leaking/bad, you have to figure the other is equally as old and in the same condition. My advice would be to replace both rears. I would also advise not attempting any Corvette brake work without a good set of flare nut wrenches. Using a regular wrench on bleeders is pretty much asking for rounded shoulders or even a broken bleeder.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
Originally Posted by Durango_boy
Ahh, grav method. I found this didn't work so well on my front brakes. I left teh bleeded open for a week and not a single. I bought check valve screws, and pumped away. I probably put that pedal to the floor twenty times before fluid started squirting out. Any ideas what kept the fluid from ever making it's way down?
Not sure if you replaced MC - but air trapped in the MC can prevent gravity bleed.
I've always had good luck gravity bleeding ... even without jacking the rear end up.
For brake line nuts, I ALWAYS use a good pair of visegrips to break the nut free.
This has never failed me and usually no deformation ... reuse the line/nut.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Originally Posted by NHvette
Not sure if you replaced MC - but air trapped in the MC can prevent gravity bleed.
I've always had good luck gravity bleeding ... even without jacking the rear end up.
For brake line nuts, I ALWAYS use a good pair of visegrips to break the nut free.
This has never failed me and usually no deformation ... reuse the line/nut.
I've always had good luck gravity bleeding ... even without jacking the rear end up.
For brake line nuts, I ALWAYS use a good pair of visegrips to break the nut free.
This has never failed me and usually no deformation ... reuse the line/nut.
Okay, I'll buy the air problem causing issues with grav bleeding. Here's another one though. I usually don't, but did anyway this time...and bench bled the master. I installed it, hooked up the lines, and did the grav bleed. As I said one front side didn't take and I had to force it all through using check valve bleeders and pedal force. Now, I have a pair of bleeders on the master, which I replaced with check valve bleeders too. I attached tubing to them to a catch can. I pumped and filled twenty times. Every time I would pump I would se emore tiny little bubbles, and I have NEVER seen that much air come from a master. I had just rebuilt it using a new kit, and changed all the old rubber. Is it possible for it to pull in air from the outside on the compress stroke of the pedal?