Brake ???, (not working)
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Longview Texas
Brake ???, (not working)
Hi all, In changing the oil today, saw brake fluid on the pass. side front tire 
thought, ok, no big deal, turns out to be bubba'd (bleed valve stripped, and it had already been bored for a larger valve 
)
ok, went to parts house (by the way, how can one caliper be $73 at one place and $107 at the other??) bought a rebuilt caliper .... installed and used a mity-vac to bleed the one side. ...... drew 4 oz. fluid through that side and now NO BRAKE PEDAL. It will stop with foot to the floor or after some pumping, but that's not the way it should be. What the f* did I do wrong?
help......Robert 
ps ...... yes, I did bleed the brake the old fashioned way also, using the auto bleeder one way valves
thought, ok, no big deal, turns out to be bubba'd (bleed valve stripped, and it had already been bored for a larger valve )ok, went to parts house (by the way, how can one caliper be $73 at one place and $107 at the other??) bought a rebuilt caliper .... installed and used a mity-vac to bleed the one side. ...... drew 4 oz. fluid through that side and now NO BRAKE PEDAL. It will stop with foot to the floor or after some pumping, but that's not the way it should be. What the f* did I do wrong?
help......Robert ps ...... yes, I did bleed the brake the old fashioned way also, using the auto bleeder one way valves
Instructor
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 220
Likes: 0
From: Hilton Va
Originally Posted by Wife'sVette
Hi all, In changing the oil today, saw brake fluid on the pass. side front tire thought, ok, no big deal, turns out to be bubba'd (bleed valve stripped, and it had already been bored for a larger valve )
ok, went to parts house (by the way, how can one caliper be $73 at one place and $107 at the other??) bought a rebuilt caliper .... installed and used a mity-vac to bleed the one side. ...... drew 4 oz. fluid through that side and now NO BRAKE PEDAL. It will stop with foot to the floor or after some pumping, but that's not the way it should be. What the f* did I do wrong? help......Robert
ps ...... yes, I did bleed the brake the old fashioned way also, using the auto bleeder one way valves
thought, ok, no big deal, turns out to be bubba'd (bleed valve stripped, and it had already been bored for a larger valve )ok, went to parts house (by the way, how can one caliper be $73 at one place and $107 at the other??) bought a rebuilt caliper .... installed and used a mity-vac to bleed the one side. ...... drew 4 oz. fluid through that side and now NO BRAKE PEDAL. It will stop with foot to the floor or after some pumping, but that's not the way it should be. What the f* did I do wrong?
help......Robert ps ...... yes, I did bleed the brake the old fashioned way also, using the auto bleeder one way valves
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Longview Texas
Originally Posted by lostpatrolman
Try bleeding all the brakes, or atleast the other one on that bank.
...... did not loosen, just twisted off, and that was with a SMALL box end wrench ..... not that much pressure, or so I thought, will tackle that side later 
.....NANA-NANA...NANA-NANA Welcome to the TWILIGHT ZONE.
yeah .........
Robert
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Chambersburg PA
Welcome to Corvette Brake hell. This usually lasts anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks. Anticipate this to go as follows.....Will brake off bleeders...buy new calipers....will strip at least one rear hard line and will need to be replaced(will have to order will take a week)....won't get good pedal will bleed about a gallon of fluid....will learn at least one of the "new" calipers is defective and will need to be re-replaced....then will come to corvette forum and get 15 different bleeding recommendations.....will get pissed off at wife cause it HER car.
Just when you are about to say "screw it I'm selling this piece of crap"....You will get a nice firm pedal. (Only to learn next year you need new hoses and the fun begins alllll over again). I hope this is not the case but Its just my prediction.
Just when you are about to say "screw it I'm selling this piece of crap"....You will get a nice firm pedal. (Only to learn next year you need new hoses and the fun begins alllll over again). I hope this is not the case but Its just my prediction.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Longview Texas
Originally Posted by 75rag4sp
Welcome to Corvette Brake hell. This usually lasts anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks. Anticipate this to go as follows.....Will brake off bleeders...buy new calipers.... will bleed about a gallon of fluid....will learn at least one of the "new" calipers is defective and will need to be re-replaced.... .
week one, one quart of fluid gone
Leaving to go get new, new caliper-master cylinder-other caliper-bleed screws, etc .... seems to be leaking air where the &^%%&** caliper is put together
........Robert
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Longview Texas
update update
ok, now i have replaced Both calipers (one was for the second time) and master cylinder (the old one seemed to test good on the bench, but what the heck) along with pads, and have run 1/2 a gallon of fluid thru the frt brake system 
ready for the local cruise nite tonight 
....... Robert
ps....brakes seem not to have enough pedal for me (engage at about 1/2 pedal) but the wife says they are perfect so........
(one was for the second time) and master cylinder (the old one seemed to test good on the bench, but what the heck) along with pads, and have run 1/2 a gallon of fluid thru the frt brake system ready for the local cruise nite tonight ....... Robertps....brakes seem not to have enough pedal for me (engage at about 1/2 pedal) but the wife says they are perfect so........
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Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,065
Likes: 2
From: Smalltownville Michigan
Cruise-In 5, 6 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by stingr69
Lucky son-of-a-gun! 
He got off too easy!
-Mark.
He got off too easy!
-Mark.
my brake ordeal was nothing short of hell on earth!!!!! 
Race Director
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 11,920
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by 75rag4sp
Welcome to Corvette Brake hell. This usually lasts anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks. Anticipate this to go as follows.....Will brake off bleeders...buy new calipers....will strip at least one rear hard line and will need to be replaced(will have to order will take a week)....won't get good pedal will bleed about a gallon of fluid....will learn at least one of the "new" calipers is defective and will need to be re-replaced....then will come to corvette forum and get 15 different bleeding recommendations.....will get pissed off at wife cause it HER car.
Just when you are about to say "screw it I'm selling this piece of crap"....You will get a nice firm pedal. (Only to learn next year you need new hoses and the fun begins alllll over again). I hope this is not the case but Its just my prediction.
Just when you are about to say "screw it I'm selling this piece of crap"....You will get a nice firm pedal. (Only to learn next year you need new hoses and the fun begins alllll over again). I hope this is not the case but Its just my prediction.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Longview Texas
I used a mity-vac vaccuum pump to bleed the brakes, but it really didn't seem to work to well ....... I mean I ran ALOT of fluid through those lines and it just never seemed to NOT have air in the suction line ...... but tonight at cruise night I had some advice given (it was free so take it for what it is worth) the old man said to just open the bleeder valves and let gravity pull the fluid through, keeping master cylinder full of course, and once they are draining pure fluid, close the bleeders and bleed normally ...... also there is a certain pattern for bleeding,(frt rt/lft rr/ frt lft/ R rr) don't know what it is for your year vette ......Robert
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Chambersburg PA
Originally Posted by stingr69
Lucky son-of-a-gun!
He got off too easy!
-Mark.
He got off too easy!
-Mark.
We all must eventually return to brake hell!!!!
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Chambersburg PA
Originally Posted by aharte
I'm now in the same boat. I need to try re-bleeding the brakes again tomorrow. I just put on new calipers, and now have no pedal. I should have left the damned things alone.
1. Wash out a 20oz. gateraide bottle and drill a hole in the cap.
2. Buy 3 ' of .17idx1/4od clear tubing.
3. fill gateraide bottle half full and slide in tube through cap to the bottom of the bottle.
4. connect other end or tube to bleeder
5. fill master cylinder and pump brakes slowly 5 times with cap off.
6. place bottle on top of rotor and open bleeder...once fluid is flowing drop bottle to ground.
7. As caliper is bleeding bang it with a metal hammer.(This is important I got tons of air I did not get in previous bleeds)
8. When bottle is full and there is no air close the bleeder.
9. there is a lot of debate about this but this is the proper bleeding order...LR/I,LR/O..RR/I,RR/O...LF..RF.
Make sure you never run out of fluid in the Master!!!
Watch the brake Fluid it will eat the paint off of everything it touches.