I just got through changing all 4 calipers and installed a new master cylinder. I have pedal but it's a little soft. On second application the pedal is better but I keep getting the "brake" light on the gauge panel. I've bled these things till I'm blue in the face. Both with a vacuum pump and the old fashioned way with help. Would power bleeding be my best option at this point? I have enough brakes to power brake it but that doesn't make 'em right. I'm getting pretty close to nutting up.

 

Did you bench bleed the master cylinder before you put it in?

 

The motive power bleeder. Good investment for any vette owner. I have to work alone 90% of the time. Best thing since sliced bread!

 

What is recommended by all the manf. these days is to vacuum. I use a mighty vac I bought from my Cornwell dealer. No mess, and you can use it to trace vacuum leaks etc.

 

Yup! New master cylinder bench bled and then I used the Mighty Vac and the old fashioned way with a helper for the calipers. But, for whatever reason, I just can't seem to get it quite right. I'm to the point I don't feel like fooling with it anymore. If power bleeding doesn't cost more than 20 or 30 bucks it might be money well spent in order for me to keep my sanity.

 

google Motive Power Bleeder. The lowest I've seen it is 60bucks. Quite a few places carry it.

 

I'm kind of wondering how this thing will work.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92474

 

Looks basically like my mighty vac which worked great when I bled the brakes on the '69 Camaro. I'm not exactly sure why I'm not getting the same results. That motive power bleeder looks like the deal though.

 

Thanks for the info James. Bleeding first gen Camaro brakes are a breeze compared to these #$%^&* C3 brakes.

 

Yeah, if my Vette was a person I would have choked it already!!!

 

Are you running DOT 5 in your vette? If so it will make it more difficult to bleed. Just stick with it..... its a slow process sometimes. I haven't had any luck with the pressure bleeder. I need a better way to attach to the MC ... C clamp maybe?

Carbster

 

When I first used the mighty vac I did it wrong. You have to tighten the bleeder screw down before you lose vacuum. Some people do not know that there are two bleeders on the rear brakes as well., inside and outside. I had to bleed several times and then I let gravity bleed for about 10 min and BRAKES.

I purchased a complete master cly-power brake booster in combo from Advance auto parts and I changed it out two times?? I finally took the last one apart and the push rod they had installed was the wrong one. Too short. The master cly had a deep sunk cly and my original had a shallow sunk. The push rod was about 2 inches to short. I took it all back and showed them and they gave me a NEW master cly that the cly was not deep sunk on and that cured the problem.

 

[QUOTE=TEXASRANGER;1558539097]When I first used the mighty vac I did it wrong. You have to tighten the bleeder screw down before you lose vacuum. Some people do not know that there are two bleeders on the rear brakes as well., inside and outside. I had to bleed several times and then I let gravity bleed for about 10 min and BRAKES.

I purchased a complete master cly-power brake booster in combo from Advance auto parts and I changed it out two times?? I finally took the last one apart and the push rod they had installed was the wrong one. Too short. The master cly had a deep sunk cly and my original had a shallow sunk. The push rod was about 2 inches to short. I took it all back and showed them and they gave me a NEW master cly that the cly was not deep sunk on and that cured the problem.[/QUOTE


I'll try and gravity bleed and the vac and see what happens. When I pump the brake the pedal is basically where it should be. I just can't seem to get all the air out. On the rear calipers, as per my book, I have been bleeding the inside ports first. All I can say is what a PITA!!!

 

I'm running DOT 3.

 

How do you people bleed brakes? I have never had a problem with bleeding these brakes and it can be done pretty quickly. You need a helper. One person sits in the car and operates the pedal and the other sits at the caliper with a wrench on the bleeder and a hose hooked up. It's easiest to submerge the hose end in a small container w/ brake fluid so you can see bubbles and even dirt coming out. Then tell the assistant to depress the pedal and keep rpessure on it, open the bleeder and air rushes out, tighten the bleeder again and tell the assistant to let off. Then tell him/her to put pressure on the pedal again and when he/she has rpessure open the bleeder again and the pedal will drop to the floor again, close bleeder, let off pedal...and again and again until the brakes are bled properly. Ususally it takes only a short time to do this. Have the assitant press the pedal but not stomp it to the floor, depress with normal leg pressure and pressing down in a controlled way when the bleeder is opened, if you stomp the brakes to the floor when the bleeder is opened the piston seal may get damaged (in case youré using an old MC, there may be a little wear or dirt in the bore)

The reason I ask is, I was watching an american hotrod episode (the one w/ the ghetto princess/green impala convertible and hideous green bike) and boyd was stomping the pedal like he was kicking a rabid dog and the other guy (Dan?) was playing aroudn with the bleeder and a container w/ fluid but the hose was not submerged. If you do it like that you'll be pumping like an idiot endlessly.

 

Crap happens

 

???

 

What would be the correct procedure using the Mighty Vac?

 

Some of these TV shows are crap.....

 

The brake light coming on indicates a pretty good bubble on one side, small bubbles worn't do that.