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lucianosanchez
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Joined: May 04, 2016
Posts: 212
Location: Ventura County
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 Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 8:16 pm Post subject: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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I wanted to bleed my brakes today since it's been on my list and thinking it would be a breeze but I am here because it wasn't...
I followed these directions on both rear brakes, then I went to test the pedal and felt no pressure. If I wanted I could press the pedal all the way down without pressure.
1. Fill the MC with fluid.
2. Start at the bleeder farthest from the MC, i.e. right rear.
3. Open the bleeder first.
4. *Slowly* (allows you to see what's going on in step 7) depress the
brake pedal and HOLD. DO NOT depress the pedal all the way to the floor. This can damage the master cyl. See Comments section.
5. Close the bleeder.
6. Release the brake pedal.
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 until you get clear, clean, fluid for two
or three iterations.
8. Repeat the process for LR, RF, then LF wheels. Make sure you do
step 1 a lot.
The brakes felt fine before and now I can press the pedal all the way down which I am not doing because of the instructions above. I was having my wife press the pedal as I bled the brakes so I am thinking she wasn't pressing the pedal far enough?
Could that be why? Any other ideas? Maybe a bad master cylinder?
Thanks
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61Scout
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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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| lucianosanchez wrote: |
... 4. *Slowly* (allows you to see what's going on in step 7) depress the
brake pedal and HOLD. DO NOT depress the pedal all the way to the floor. This can damage the master cyl. See Comments section.
5. Close the bleeder. ... |
I recommend closing the bleeder while the brake pedal is still going down. The pedal should then become firm. If it is still soft you need to bleed more. I like to use vinyl aquarium tubing on the bleeder then into a glass jar so that I can see the air and color/cleanliness of the fluid.
Aloha
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dobryan
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Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16501
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:18 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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If the brakes were fine before the bleed then my guess is that you accidentally let the reservoir get too low during one of the bleedings and got air into the lines. It takes a long time to pump that air all the way back to a bleeder.
Keep at it and you should eventually get that air out. I pressure bleed my brakes since it is a one person job and goes much quicker. There are some instructions somewhere in this forum for making a cheap presssure bleeder from a garden sprayer. Be careful with using too much pressure if you use that method. I find 10psi is fine.
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Dave O
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Aryana
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Butcher
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:22 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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If you got time, fill the reservoir and open the bleeder. Gravity will force the fluid through the lines [normally].
That does not mean your done! but it should bleed a lot of air out and get a fairly good pedal [more than you had, less than you had from the start]. After that, get the wife to help.
As for pressure bleeding, yup, that's my choice. |
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Abscate
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Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:42 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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Run the line up and over the wheel, then down to the container.
Crack the bleeder, just enough so that it just oozes fluid, not wide open. For a starting point, tighten until it firms up (bleeder taper touches inside) then open 1/2 turn, using flats as guide.
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Zeitgeist 13
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 8:50 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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I always start with using gravity to remove the bulk of the air n the system, and then switch to a pressure bleeder to finish. The rear drums need to be properly adjusted in order to bring the pedal up where it belongs.
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lucianosanchez
Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2016
Posts: 212
Location: Ventura County
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:02 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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Thanks everyone. I guess I must have gotten air into the system although we were watching the level 
I think I might pick up a bleeding tool to get it done quicker. Would the cheap Harbor Freight one work okay?
If I don't have time to pick it up today, I will try letting gravity do some of the work.
To do that I have to attach a piece of clear hose, run it over the tire, crack the bleeder slightly and just let it be? No pressing the pedal?
Also, when gravity feeding, can I do all tires at the same time or one by one?
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dobryan
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Zeitgeist 13
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Joined: March 05, 2009
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Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:06 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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I think HF just sells the vacuum "puller" bleeder, but I prefer a pressure "pusher" type
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'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
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dobryan
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lucianosanchez
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Location: Ventura County
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dobryan
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Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:19 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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I use the pressure type to pressurize the master cylinder reservoir so that it pushes the fluid thru the brake lines (and clutch too if you want to bleed that). The pressure type usually have a way to add fluid to the reservoir as it is bled but I do not use that function of the system. I manually keep the reservoir topped up as I bleed.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
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MarkWard
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Joined: February 09, 2005
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Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:20 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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With the reservoir full, go to the r/r and loosen the bleeder valve and place your finger over it. Have your wife work the pedal, don't be concerned about how far the master travels. Have her press till it stops. Your finger will act like a check valve. It's a little messy, but it is a quick way to get the air out of the rear system. Once the air is gone, you probably can't hold your finger on it. Close the valve and then proceed to bleed the r/r and the l/r.
Do the same thing on the r/f caliper using your finger. I have a pressure bleeder, but they take quite a bit of fluid and just not worth the headache if you have an assistant. Make sure she is pushing the brake pedal. Long story there.
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dobryan
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Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:31 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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| MarkWard wrote: |
| I have a pressure bleeder, but they take quite a bit of fluid and just not worth the headache if you have an assistant. |
.
Just out of curiosity why does your pressure bleeder take a lot of fluid? Is this because of putting brake fluid into the pressure bleeder to be pumped into the reservoir? Since I do not use that I only use as much fluid as the other methods.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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Zeitgeist 13
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Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:14 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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My Motive bleeder can be used without filling its chamber with fluid. Just pressurizing the master cylinder reservoir is usually all it takes to force fluid and air out the brake lines.
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'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
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dobryan
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Ahwahnee
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:23 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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| MarkWard wrote: |
| ... I have a pressure bleeder, but they take quite a bit of fluid... |
The kind that people make from a garden sprayer take a fair amunt of fluid but I made one that simply applies modest air pressure (10-15#) via a modified reservoir cap. No more fluid required than a regular bleed.
But I have recently been converted to a vacuum bleed which seems to get excellent results.
This one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BANZSJO/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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MarkWard
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 10:24 am Post subject: Re: No Brake Pedal Pressure after bleeding brakes |
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Not using it as a pressure pot. It was designed to dispense fluid. If you just want to pressurize the reservoir, there are a lot simpler ways to accomplish that.
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