Brake update

[mp3moose]

Alright, as some of you know I am installing new pads, rotors and lines all around. Got the fronts in no problem and hopefully with have the rears in soon too.

HOWEVER,
I drained the lines and refiled the brake resevoir (got all the air out) but I got no brakes.

They work, but only with the pedal all the way on the floor and are very weak at that. I can't drive the car as is. The weird thing is when I turned off the car I pumped them a little to see if there was a change at all and they immediately got extremely tight. Tight like SS lines should be.

I can't find any leaks in the lines or anything so does anyone have any ideas??

Moose

 

[mp3moose]

Oh, one more thing. My steel lines won't reach the clamp that holds them to the caliper which means they rub on my wheels. Any suggestions here?
moose

 

[mp3moose]

Bump

 

[Stormtrooper77]

Start your car and pump the breaks. The lines just have to be refilled.

 

[brokemp3]

did you bleed the brakes or did you just put new fluid in and pump the brakes. you need two people if you dont have a brake bleeder kit, one to pump the brakes and one to close the valve once the fulid squirts out. as for the brake line not being clamped down asking for big trouble dont drive it like that something could get caught in it and then you would not have brakes and you would not know it until it is way to late

 

[mp3moose]

I'll try pumping the brakes some more. However, my friend and I did bleed them. we made sure there was no bubbles coming out, just fluid.

And I going to get some ties for the lines to clamp down. Thanks so far guys.
Moose

 

[PaulMP3]

pics would be cool. Also do all the SS lines not fit, or just the front/back. Any chance you got them backwards?

 

[mp3moose]

I know I got the lines right as to front and rear as it was labeled by the company and they are different. They hooked up just fine, just can't getting any stopping power as of yet.


Will try and post up close pics for you guys by this weekend if not sooner.

Moose

 

[Installshield 2]

It is normal for the brake pedal to have no engagement initially after you install new pads...I assume when you installed them you used a C-clamp or something to push the piston all the way back...So when you start the car and start jumping on the pedal you need to press it (sometimes as much as 15 full travels) to get the pads to connect with the rotor

You may have run into something more serious however...First: did you bleed all 4 brake calipers? Even if you just replaced the lines on the front, when you drain the fluid air can get into the rear lines as well, which is bad too....and can give no pad engagement and a spongy pedal feel...Be positive all 4 calipers are properly bled...

Also how did you go about filling the reservoir...It would have taken a couple of pints to completely fill it, but it is a slow process to get all the fluid in there...You need to be positve that you kept the master cylinders reservoir above the "low" line the entire time you were filling it...You need to fill it to the top, get in the car and pump the pedal a few times, and then top it off again ensuring that no more air entered the sytem( you need to be doing this the whole time your friend is watching for bubbles)...Whenever you push the piston back to install the pads, this also pushes a lot of fluid back up into the reservoir making it appear more is in there than there actually is...

I would reccomend this: drain the system again if the pedal pumping thing still gives you no results...if the pads are already properly installed don't worry about that part...Just re-fill it with a friend helping you and pay very close attention to the reservoir's fluid level, adding fluid when needed...It takes almost an hour of this to get it perfect with no air in the sytem at all...

FWIW the brake pedal will always feel stiff when the engine is off after a few pumps...The power brake system utilizes a brake booster powered by vacuum lines...The tight feeling is becuase it is physically harder to move the mastercylinder without the engine's vacuum assist...so theoretically it does not make a whole lot of difference whether there is enough fluid for proper brake engagement or not...It will feel stiff regardless...

 

[mp3moose]

Thanks for the lengthy message installshield.

I didn't know about the pedal getting stiff when the engine is off. Cool info=)

I bleed the fronts and one rear as I couldn't get the piston to move at the time. So basically I replaced three lines and left one rear on completely alone and stock. Would leaving this rear one stock cause the problem?

I have pumped it for a good 5-10 minutes and still nothing. Refilled the resivoir when necessary and it is full now. I guess I will try doing that last line and perhaps re-bleeding all the lines again. We'll see.
Thanks again.
Moose

 

[Installshield 2]

No problem man...

yep that one rear caliper you didn't bleed probably started your mess...Re-bleed the entire system...It shouldn't hurt that you have one stock line in compared to the rest being SS for now, but definately try to get that stock line replaced with the matching SS line in the near future...The fact of the rest being SS, which will not allow stretching under pressure, will increase stress on the last stock rubber line causing it too eventually fatigue and possibly burst...So try to remedy that in a few hundred miles for safety reasons...

Also you most likely got more air in the system from pumping the pedal the first couple times, so make sure you re-bleed each and every caliper...Hope that fixes it dude...

 

[PaulMP3]

any updates? Im confused over which brakes to buy. I might just end up getting some hawk front pads and have my rotor reground....

 

[mp3moose]

Wont be till this weekend till I can give it a proper look.
moose

 

[MP3intheSTL]

Just a note, the rear calipers are a pain in the ass.
I couldn't get the piston to move at all. So I took the whole caliper off, to find that there's a screw on the back of the caliper.
loosen the screw and the piston will move.
I found this out after 2 hours of scratching my head and throwing
s*** around my garage.
You might already know this so pay no attention to me.

 

[ARD MP5]

Moose,

I was just informed of this. I will have Sean contact you as he installed his and we tested them prior to sale. There shouldn't be any problems. He can walk thru whatever dilemnas you're having.

Sincerely,

Rishie

 

[mp3moose]

^^^^^Are you guys seeing this customer service?!?

Thanks Rishie. I think that if I can get the piston to move and replace the fourth line all will be well. If I have problems then, I will inform you. Thanks,
moose

 

[Installshield 2]

You probably already know this but...There is a 10mm (not positve on these sizes) bolt on the back of the rear calipers...You need to remove that bolt and then insert a 5mm (again not positive on that size) allen key into the hole, turning the internal screw which pulls the piston back and away from the pads...The bolt that you can see when you first look at the back of the calipers is NOT what retracts the piston...

 

[mp3moose]

Thanks again. I will get it done this weekend for sure I have to kill somebody. I should have no problems with all the help I've been getting.

moose

 

[mp3moose]

Righty then,
I got the rears in no problem with the allen wrench. However, problems persist.

Still have almost Zero pressure in the pedal and I noticed when stopping that the fronts smoked and you could smell something burn. I ran out of time, so I will have to wait. But did I do something wrong?

Moose

 

[Installshield 2]

We need more details...

The tires smoked or the pads?? And you are positive that all the lines are properly installed and all 4 calipers are bled properly??