Brake Bleeding??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,228
Likes: 44
From: Houston MN
St. Jude Donor '10
Brake Bleeding??
Just put my newly painted calipers back on and now I'm having trouble. The brakes bleed great but then the pedal looses pressure and goes to the floor. Pump again and the pressure returns but stop and the pedal will go to the ground. Did I get air in the ABS system? Does it now have to go to the dealer to be hooked up to the scanner? Any help would be great. Thanks 
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
If you don't have any air or leaks, you may need a new master cylinder. If the internal seals on the piston of the master cylinder are worn/damaged/torn etc, the fluid will bypass when you push on the pedal. The pressure initially feels like you have some pedal but after holding the pedal down, it slowly starts to sink if the fluid is bypassing internally in the M/C.
HTH,
Robert
HTH,
Robert
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 0
From: Issaquah Wa.
Originally Posted by LoneStarFRC
If you don't have any air or leaks, you may need a new master cylinder. If the internal seals on the piston of the master cylinder are worn/damaged/torn etc, the fluid will bypass when you push on the pedal. The pressure initially feels like you have some pedal but after holding the pedal down, it slowly starts to sink if the fluid is bypassing internally in the M/C.
HTH,
Robert
HTH,
Robert
and might as well replace the lines with braided steel 
and I also read something about dot 4 synthetic???
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,762
Likes: 2
From: Murphy TX
Back up a bit... What is happening? I can't quite understand.
You say it is bleeding fine, but you are saying once you tighten the bleed screw that the pedal still goes to the floor? Slowly or fairly quickly?
When you were bleeding did you ever run the resevoir too low (close to empty)?
Is the car running or off when this happens?
Are you sure you don't have any leaks? Clean all the connections up real good then put FRESH paper towels around the connections and push the pedal. Then check the fresh towels. Fluid that is leaking can run along the hose and end up in/on the frame/a-arm in many locations, so you may not immediately see drips etc.
More info will help with a diagnosis (i.e. a step by step with what you did, and what is happening at what step).
You say it is bleeding fine, but you are saying once you tighten the bleed screw that the pedal still goes to the floor? Slowly or fairly quickly?
When you were bleeding did you ever run the resevoir too low (close to empty)?
Is the car running or off when this happens?
Are you sure you don't have any leaks? Clean all the connections up real good then put FRESH paper towels around the connections and push the pedal. Then check the fresh towels. Fluid that is leaking can run along the hose and end up in/on the frame/a-arm in many locations, so you may not immediately see drips etc.
More info will help with a diagnosis (i.e. a step by step with what you did, and what is happening at what step).
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 4
From: Holliston MA
Originally Posted by yellow01
Back up a bit... What is happening? I can't quite understand.
You say it is bleeding fine, but you are saying once you tighten the bleed screw that the pedal still goes to the floor? Slowly or fairly quickly?
When you were bleeding did you ever run the resevoir too low (close to empty)?
Is the car running or off when this happens?
Are you sure you don't have any leaks? Clean all the connections up real good then put FRESH paper towels around the connections and push the pedal. Then check the fresh towels. Fluid that is leaking can run along the hose and end up in/on the frame/a-arm in many locations, so you may not immediately see drips etc.
More info will help with a diagnosis (i.e. a step by step with what you did, and what is happening at what step).
You say it is bleeding fine, but you are saying once you tighten the bleed screw that the pedal still goes to the floor? Slowly or fairly quickly?
When you were bleeding did you ever run the resevoir too low (close to empty)?
Is the car running or off when this happens?
Are you sure you don't have any leaks? Clean all the connections up real good then put FRESH paper towels around the connections and push the pedal. Then check the fresh towels. Fluid that is leaking can run along the hose and end up in/on the frame/a-arm in many locations, so you may not immediately see drips etc.
More info will help with a diagnosis (i.e. a step by step with what you did, and what is happening at what step).
I am having this same problem. I just painted my calipers and reinstalled them. I bled all 4 brakes, but when I turn on the car and push down on the brakes, the pedal goes straight to the floor. There are no leaks anywhere. When I drive the car and slam the brake to the floor, the car doesnt come to a complete stop...its a slow gradual stop. I am completely stumped as to what the problem could be.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 40,995
Likes: 9,759
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Need to know exactly what the symptoms are. For instance, if you are hitting the pedal once and it goes low and stopping power isn't sufficient you could have air in the lines. If you hit it a couple of times and the pedal level comes up and stays high and hard you more than likely have air in the lines. If you are pumping the pedal and then holding a hard/high pedal that gradually sinks you have a different set of problems.
Bill
Bill
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 781
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo Grove IL
One easy thing to check: did you put the calipers back on the same side of the car? With the bleeders at the top? I've heard of people putting them on the wrong side and the air trapped can't get out.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 4
From: Holliston MA
Originally Posted by Snidley
One easy thing to check: did you put the calipers back on the same side of the car? With the bleeders at the top? I've heard of people putting them on the wrong side and the air trapped can't get out.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 781
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo Grove IL
Originally Posted by JSTAN
Yeah i just checked....they are on the wrong side, (bleeders on the bottom)....I will swap them over tomorrow, hopefully this will solve the problem.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,947
Likes: 0
From: Howell MI.
Originally Posted by Snidley
One easy thing to check: did you put the calipers back on the same side of the car? With the bleeders at the top? I've heard of people putting them on the wrong side and the air trapped can't get out.
All bleeder screws up.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,947
Likes: 0
From: Howell MI.
Originally Posted by JSTAN
I flipped the calipers around and now the brakes work perfect.
bleeder srews up
I thought one of the pairs were down
Either front or rear ,I'll have to check how mine are now
Thanks
John
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,255
Likes: 4
From: Holliston MA
Originally Posted by blktie8
So you had the calipers on the wrong side ,does this hold true for front and rear .
bleeder srews up
I thought one of the pairs were down
Either front or rear ,I'll have to check how mine are now
Thanks
John
bleeder srews up
I thought one of the pairs were down
Either front or rear ,I'll have to check how mine are now
Thanks
John
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 781
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo Grove IL
Originally Posted by blktie8
So you had the calipers on the wrong side ,does this hold true for front and rear .
bleeder srews up
I thought one of the pairs were down
Either front or rear ,I'll have to check how mine are now
Thanks
John
bleeder srews up
I thought one of the pairs were down
Either front or rear ,I'll have to check how mine are now
Thanks
John