Brake bleeding?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
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Brake bleeding?
I know this has been ground into the dirt but I can't my brakes feel firm on my 82.. I posted in the General about booster adjustment but now I'm bleeding. This is what I have, all Wilwood calipers and a Wilwood m/c. I've bled through a gallon of fluid and still feel mushy as hell. Took the m/c off and re-bled that. But if I pump the brakes fast they will firm up and while holding they will slowly fade to the floor. Also the pedal return is not very fast, is that normal? Could the brake junction block be bad? No leaks anywhere. I've bled three ways. Motive pressure, a professional siphon and the old fashion pump the pedal.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
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I might be getting somewhere now ( crossed fingers) I think I still have air in the rears. I keep going back to bleed and get air bubbles out of the rear but not the fronts. So I will continue to go back and forth on the rears until no bubbles. But what it does is the first bled I get air then no more, I'll start the car pump the brakes shut it off and recheck and same thing that very first pump theres air but nothing after until I repeat what I just mentioned. Weird!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
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I know this has been ground into the dirt but I can't my brakes feel firm on my 82.. I posted in the General about booster adjustment but now I'm bleeding. This is what I have, all Wilwood calipers and a Wilwood m/c. I've bled through a gallon of fluid and still feel mushy as hell. Took the m/c off and re-bled that. But if I pump the brakes fast they will firm up and while holding they will slowly fade to the floor. Also the pedal return is not very fast, is that normal? Could the brake junction block be bad? No leaks anywhere. I've bled three ways. Motive pressure, a professional siphon and the old fashion pump the pedal.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
The bleeders are in a different location. Use the Motive unit, place a block of wood between pads, and do one at a time vertical while tapping on it with a rubber mallet.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
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Likes: 15
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,364
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From: los altos hills california
I posted on this a while back, as did many others who contributed
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ar-brakes.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ar-brakes.html
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
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Well I thought I had it, really firm pedal then started the car and slowly sank to the floor. How in the hell can that be? You would think it wouldn't make a difference when the car was started...
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 1,588
From: los altos hills california
Are the pistons still retracted? I don't see here that you've tried to drive the car to see if you have any brake function at all. What I have found, but can't say why, is that the pedal improves after a few actual stops.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3
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From: ELK GROVE CALIFORNIA
I know this has been ground into the dirt but I can't my brakes feel firm on my 82.. I posted in the General about booster adjustment but now I'm bleeding. This is what I have, all Wilwood calipers and a Wilwood m/c. I've bled through a gallon of fluid and still feel mushy as hell. Took the m/c off and re-bled that. But if I pump the brakes fast they will firm up and while holding they will slowly fade to the floor. Also the pedal return is not very fast, is that normal? Could the brake junction block be bad? No leaks anywhere. I've bled three ways. Motive pressure, a professional siphon and the old fashion pump the pedal.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
No I haven't but I'm putting the tires back on and see how they are.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
I posted on this a while back, as did many others who contributed
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ar-brakes.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ar-brakes.html
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
Ok here's a new one. I think the brakes are bled and the car brakes very well so well that they are dragging. I have a slight rake on my driveway and in "N" car will not move. And normally you can let off the brake and it will start to roll but not now so something is dragging. Where do I start with dragging brakes and what could be causing it?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 1,588
From: los altos hills california
Did you follow any kind of procedure to burn them in? The pad supplier probably has one. Typically a number of hard stops until you smell them and then let everything cool.
Also, was what I mentioned about a few stops to bring that pedal up what actually happened? It always seemed to me the pistons don't really get fully deployed until I've at least done that.
I rather doubt there's anything much wrong at this point. Maybe it is something about the Willwoods, but my car is harder to push around than it was with the stock setup. I have zero toe but aggressive camber so maybe that's a factor although it wouldn't seem to be.
If the brakes are dragging somehow, the calipers will get warm, something easy enough to detect.
Also, was what I mentioned about a few stops to bring that pedal up what actually happened? It always seemed to me the pistons don't really get fully deployed until I've at least done that.
I rather doubt there's anything much wrong at this point. Maybe it is something about the Willwoods, but my car is harder to push around than it was with the stock setup. I have zero toe but aggressive camber so maybe that's a factor although it wouldn't seem to be.
If the brakes are dragging somehow, the calipers will get warm, something easy enough to detect.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
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I lifted the car back up and roared the fronts which had just about zero drag like normal so I knew it wasn't the fronts. The back I had to remove the wheels and checked everything out and all looked normal. The calipers were not any warmer than the fronts but looks like the rears are now actually working. Maybe all along they were not or just partially. I'll drive it again tomorrow and see how it goes but man this car stops better than it ever has since I owned it.
I did the burn in procedure last summer when I first installed the calipers but if the rears weren't grabbing properly maybe now since they are that's the reason?
After several hard stops I started to feel nauseous so quit doing so but so far very happy as long as the drag feeling goes away.
And yes the pedal felt batter after a few stops??
I did the burn in procedure last summer when I first installed the calipers but if the rears weren't grabbing properly maybe now since they are that's the reason?
After several hard stops I started to feel nauseous so quit doing so but so far very happy as long as the drag feeling goes away.
And yes the pedal felt batter after a few stops??
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
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Ok something is really going on with the brakes! Went for a drive again today to see if they are better. At first I didn't notice anything but then the car started to slow down and had to give it more gas. Came to a stop and could barely take off. It's so bad that the lockup in the trans will not engage but noticed if I pull bak on the brake pedal it alleviates just enough I can somewhat get it back home. Could this have something to do with the booster? Because when you depress on the brake the return on the pedal is slow reacting.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 1,588
From: los altos hills california
If all the wheels are dragging that's a good theory as it's a single point of failure. I have manual brakes so the vacuum booster would be a mystery to me. You may want to start a fresh thread with a different title to get the appropriate input.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,837
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Ok something is really going on with the brakes! Went for a drive again today to see if they are better. At first I didn't notice anything but then the car started to slow down and had to give it more gas. Came to a stop and could barely take off. It's so bad that the lockup in the trans will not engage but noticed if I pull bak on the brake pedal it alleviates just enough I can somewhat get it back home. Could this have something to do with the booster? Because when you depress on the brake the return on the pedal is slow reacting.
