Brake caliper and brake system bleeding woes
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Brake caliper and brake system bleeding woes
I'm trying to bleed the brakes on my car as I finally have it ready for the road.... well almost. I'm having trouble getting a firm brake peddle. Even after bleeding it still wants to go to the floor, and I do have a new master cylinder. I bleed the brakes out and have no air bubbles coming out, and its new fluid as the system was completely drained when I took the car apart. I think I have a problem with one of my front C5 calipers. The passenger side caliper seems to be working fine, as when the brake peddle is not depressed it is loose enough to turn the rotor by hand. The driver's side caliper is where the problem is I think. Even with no pressure on the brake peddle the pads are so tight that I can't turn the rotor very easily, it takes alot of force. I took the caliper loose and pressed the pistons back with a C-clamp and they went in easy, then reinstalled the caliper, but as soon as I press the brake peddle the rotor locks up again. The calipers were bought used and I bought all the C4-C5 brake conversion parts and brackets new. Am I correct in thinking a rebuild of the caliper is in order, or is there something else that could be wrong?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Originally Posted by 5pinball
is brake hose new had that problem once and it was hose a piece of rubber had broken off and was actibg as a 1 way flapper valve (HOSE WAS NEW)
Hose is original, and I'll check that, since the hoses did stay put up in my garage for a while.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Richmond VA
It could be anything btween the Caliper and the ABS pump. I had a very similar problem on the pass. side front and finally traced it back to a bad ABS pump. That was after replacing just about everything else in the front brakes. My new ABS pump goes in today.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,699
Likes: 2
From: The Black Hole LA
Originally Posted by Former Ford Boy
It could be anything btween the Caliper and the ABS pump. I had a very similar problem on the pass. side front and finally traced it back to a bad ABS pump. That was after replacing just about everything else in the front brakes. My new ABS pump goes in today.
Is there any way to check for this? Is it possible to take the line apart where it connects to the rubber hose in the fender well and put a piece of rubber hose (I've got alot of different size vacuum hose pieces laying around) on the metal line and the other end in a bowl of brake fluid (this is how I bled them in the first place) and pump the pedal to see if I get fluid pumping out and then sucking back in when the peddle is released? If this is possible and the fluid does suck back in when the peddle is released would it stand to reason the problem is between there and the caliper, and if it doesn't suck back in I should inspect the lines going to the abs pump and the pump itself? Does this logic sound right to you guys?
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Richmond VA
I did it by disconnecting the hose at the steel line as you described. I still had pressure problems (some fluid shot out, nothing was sucked back in). I then checked the brake line all the way back to the ABS Pump, looking for dents that may explain the problem. As expected, the line was fine. At that stage, it had to be the pump. FYI, I just finished replacing the pump an hour ago and the problem looks to be resolved.
