Hey ya'll, Been working on the brakes on my 79 and frustrated is the word of the day. I cant get the pedal to get firm.

Let me start by telling you what I've replaced in this process.
2 master cylenders, all new calipers, all new rubber brake hoses.

I've inspected all brake line connections and lines themselves for leaks.

Bench bled both master cylenders properly acording to manufactures instructions. Both were new not rebuilt.

My dad and I bled the brakes for a few hours a day for a total of 3 or for days. Doing the pump and hold method.The pedal would be hard as a rock with the car not running. Crank it up and the pedal sponges right to the floor.

Went a got a vacume pump. Pumped gallons bled bled and bled some more still the same result. I was doing the farthest bleader first method.
Some say it dont matter some say its critical. I dont know what else to do.

I called a local shop and asked and the mech. there said sometimes they cant even get them things bled and he wouldnt touch it.


Can someone please help. How in the world can i get the brakes back I want to drive it so bad in this spring like weather we're having down here.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long repeat post.

 

try opening the front bleeders and the inside rear bleeders and put an old towel under them to catch the fluid. leave the master cylinder top off and leave it check back often and top off. when fluid comes out out properly shut that bleeder. when you pump the pedal to bleed you need the engine vacuum to get enough travel

 

We all went through the same thing. I went to the farm supply, and bought what they inject cattle with. Removed the needle, and put a 1/2'' long clear tube on the end. Now I can fit it over the bleeder and push fluid up to the master cyl. I fill the master up, then draw from it so it won't over fill . Man....I was so frustrated before as you. And finnaly made something that worked. Takes more time to remove and install the wheels than the bleed. Hope you get it going. P.s. put the cover back on the master cyl before you squirt fluid up....guess why .....

 

Bleed in the following order:

Left rear inner half
Left rear outer half

Right rear inner half
Right rear outer half

Right front

Left front.

 

Since I am usually alone when I do things I put speed bleeders on my 1976. That helped to make sure that the air was out of the system.

The tool that I use is a vaccuum bleeder that you can get at Harbor Freight for around $25 I have one just for brakes and 1 that I do not use on brakes. I use that one for headlights...you don't want to accidentally drip brake fluid on paint if you are trying to fix headlights or searching for a vaccuum leak somewhere.

 

1979C3L82,

it's people like you that keep me from doing things to my car! Mine pulls to the right when I brake hard and I want to go and try to bleed the brakes, even figured why not change the fluid while I am at it. I have seen all of the posts lately and was about to do it and then YOU came along.

You see, if someone is going to have a problem with it working right it is going to be me! You just reminded me to think twice and act once. Maybe I will put it off for a while. LOL

Good luck

P.S., it sounds like you need to find a better local shop to do business with.

 

1979,

I don't know if you've fixed it yet, but there is a lot of confusion about bleeding the brakes on a Corvette, and most people have their own method. But here a a few facts that cannot be argued

FACT 1! The Corvette braking system is pretty much the same as any other car's, it uses a fluid that is heavier than air and, given time, it will sink and allow any trapped air to rise. Once you grasp this fact, then the bleeding process will be simple.

FACT 2! The bleed nipples are on the top of the calipers and any air in the caliper will rise to this point, given enough time. Opening them will allow the air to escape. Leave the nipple open long enough and some fluid will come out as well. Be careful.

So here's what I do. I go to the nearest wheel and place a length of clear plastic hose on the nipple. I loosen the nipple until some fluid comes out, sometime there are air bubbles as well. If the plastic hose is long enough to reach the same height as the master cylinder, then the fluid will stop filling the hose when it reaches this point. Remember, a fluid always finds its own level.

Leave it there long enough for all the air bubbles to come out, usually several minutes. Then lock the nipple and wiggle the hose off, pinching it so that little fluid is lost. You can then empty this into the MC or dispose of it if it is old. Repeat for the next caliper. For the rears, do the inner first and the outer second. THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU BLEED THE BRAKES IS IRRELEVANT!

Just remember that the rear brakes are a lot further from the MC than the fronts and the long steel brake line from the prop. valve to the rear T junction may contain air if you've removed one or both of the rear rubber brake lines. If you raise the front wheels a foot or more, then any air here will migrate forward to the prop. valve and up to the MC. Just allow it some time for all the air to move forward and up.

If you've replaced or emptied the MC, then you have to bleed it (of air) before you start. You can either bench bleed it or bleed it on the car, but you will need two short lengths of steel brake line, one for each outlet port, in order to do this. Carefully bend the line up, back and down so that the end of each line is BELOW the fluid level in the MC. Then you can depress the piston with either a big Phillips screwdriver if on the bench or with the brake pedal if in the car.

Be careful it doesn't splash on the paintwork and KEEP THE LEVEL NEAR THE FULL MARK by topping it up when necessary. Once you see no more bubbles coming out, then you can quickly remove one line at a time and connect the car's steel line. You WILL spill some fluid doing this, so have a few rags handy. Then bleed the calipers as described above and you should be good to go.

The only thing that might let you down here is if the rubber hoses have swollen internally so be realistic when deciding if the rubber lines need replacing.

Good luck.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn