Brake bleeding help Options

[steuspeed]

Installed a new Ate 17mm Master and rebuilt the right rear caliper. It was sticking on. I have gone around several times bleeding each corner with the pedal method. It still does not feel 100% solid. Any suggestions out there? Maybe air trapped by the top bleeders? I'm using Ate super blue which I found is no longer available (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif) I did not bench bleed the master.

[76-914]

You might be pissing up a rope until you get that MC bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[michael7810]

You can bleed the MC by cracking the lines one at a time and pumping the pedal.

[mlindner]

And then there's the pressure regulator, air maybe trapped.

[steuspeed]

You can bleed the MC by cracking the lines one at a time and pumping the pedal.

Cracking them at the MC?

[steuspeed]

You might be pissing up a rope until you get that MC bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

That's about what it feels like. I have never had trouble like this on any other car.

[GeorgeRud]

I had good luck by pressure bleeding the brakes, then taking a drive down some bumpy road and bleeding them once again. Amazed how much air 'burped' out the the bleeders after the bumpy drive.

[jsaum]

Are you getting any pedal or is it going all the way to the floor? Did you start bleeding the caliper farthest away from the master cylinder and work your way around to the closest? I had to use a vacuum pump and speed bleeders to do mine when I rebuilt all of the calipers. Stick with it you'll get it.

[IronHillRestorations]

Here you go Stu
Here's how I bleed a 914 brake system, from my post back in Mar 05.

Remember the "Search" function is your friend!

Get a spare cap for the brake fluid reservoir.
Get a tire valve & stem.
Drill a hole in the center of the reservoir cap, the same size as the hole in a wheel (or measure the narrow part of the tire valve).
Pull the valve stem through the hole.
Remove the plastic screen in the reservoir.
Fill the brake reservoir completely, not to the fill line, all the way full to the bottom of the tube that holds the plastic screen.
Put on your new modified pressure bleeder cap.
Drain your air tank to 10 psi, for cheaper compressors setting the regulator at 10 psi may not work. If you put too much pressure in the system, you'll blow off the blue lines that connect the supply lines to the reservoir, or worse. EDIT-20 psi works best
Take a clip on air chuck and clip it on your new pressure bleeder cap.
Bleed the brakes, starting at the furthest bleeder from the master cyl, and finish at the bleeder nearest the master cyl.
Bleeding sequence (RR-LR-RF-LF) EDITED FROM ORIGINAL POST
Pump the pedal hard about ten times and repeat the procedure.
Do not get brake fluid on painted surfaces it will ruin them.
If the pressure bleeder cap retains pressure, bleed it down (at the tire valve) before taking it off the reservoir.
This works very well, and makes it a one person job.
Replace brake fluid every two years.
Properly discard used brake fluid.

[steuspeed]

Are you getting any pedal or is it going all the way to the floor? Did you start bleeding the caliper farthest away from the master cylinder and work your way around to the closest? I had to use a vacuum pump and speed bleeders to do mine when I rebuilt all of the calipers. Stick with it you'll get it.

Yes, I do have some pedal. It feels like 80%. If feels like the pedal goes further down then I remember. The car was under cover most of the winter, so my memory may not be accurate. I started at the RR, LR, RF, LF. I have done tops and bottoms. Then all kinds of random order chasing an air pocket. Now I'm getting low on my super blue fluid can. I would like to solve this before I run out. It's driveable, but not for confident for panic stopping.

[steuspeed]

Here you go Stu
Here's how I bleed a 914 brake system, from my post back in Mar 05.

I may do this, since I do not have enough spare fluid to use my friends pressure bleeder.

[banananose914]

You might be pissing up a rope until you get that MC bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

My late Dad who was a former DI in the Marines used to say that. The greatest man I have ever known. Cool. Thanks for a trip down memory lane.

[Dave_Darling]

Maybe air trapped by the top bleeders?

Are you not using the top bleeders? If not, you will never get the air out of the calipers.

--DD

[steuspeed]

Maybe air trapped by the top bleeders?

Are you not using the top bleeders? If not, you will never get the air out of the calipers.

--DD

I have tried both tops and bottoms.

[porschetub]

You might be pissing up a rope until you get that MC bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Blunt as ever and I kinda like that,but how about doing one caliper and not the other or did I read wrong,the rest of the system is most likely (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif) ,do all once and get it right.....safety is the key issue afterall.
Brake bleeding is so covered on here really.
Good luck.

[steuspeed]

You might be pissing up a rope until you get that MC bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Blunt as ever and I kinda like that,but how about doing one caliper and not the other or did I read wrong,the rest of the system is most likely (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif) ,do all once and get it right.....safety is the key issue afterall.
Brake bleeding is so covered on here really.
Good luck.

I thought my MC was bad, so I replaced that first. My brakes worked fine cold and then after a few miles the pedal went to the floor. A google search told me my MC was bad. I believe what was really happening is the right rear was sticking on and boiling the fluid. It felt like I had the hand brake on when driving. I had the top off last and it smelled like brakes big time. So. I rebuilt the right rear. I'm planning on doing the left now, but I need to solve this bleeding problem first.

[McMark]

First, make sure the plunger on the brake pedal is adjusted. There should be a small amount of pedal movement before the plunger actually contacts the piston in the MC. If the piston can't fully retract, that's an issue.

Make 3 plugs (How To here).
Depress the brake pedal (with a tool, a brick, or a helper), this will keep reservoir fluid from continually dripping out and making a mess by blocking the internal MC passages. Do this ANY time you're cracking into the fluid system.
Remove the three brake lines from the MC and install plugs (yes, fully plugged off).
Get in the car and press the pedal until it's rock hard (not a little hard, fully, no-motion, rock hard). No cracking lines or opening bleeders. Switch back and forth from fully pressing the pedal to tapping the pedal with your foot, without depressing it, and the back and forth between those two. The tapping works really well for the MC bleed as it knocks more bubbles loose, AND the plugs mean the air has nowhere to go, so fully pressing the pedal closes the MC internal passages, so air can only bubble up into the reservoir when the pedal is 90% up or more.
Now your MC is fully bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Now one at a time bring the brake calipers back in.
Remove the rearward plug and reinstall the line.
Bleed both rear calipers until the pedal is hard (make sure the venting clearance is set).
Now your MC and rear brakes are bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Remove one of the other two plugs and reinstall the line.
Bleed the caliper that you just added until the pedal is hard.
Remove the last plug and reinstall the line.
Bleed the final caliper until the pedal is hard.
Now your entire brake system is bled. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/monkeydance.gif)


If you don't fully bleed the MC you will either spent TONS of time chasing bubbles, or give up and just accept sub-par brakes. Follow that system and you'll get the firmest pedal in the shortest amount of time.


If the pedal feels SAFE take a short test drive.
Bleed the brakes at all four calipers again, just to release any bubbles that collected in the caliper.
Repeat the drive and bleed process a few more times with longer drives in between bleedings. Again, make sure the pedal feels SAFE!!!!

[Racer]

Yes, ATE blue is no longer available.. only Gold. Same fluid, different color. Buy some gold and keep bleeding!

[mepstein]

If you don't have an impact wrench for removing the lug nuts or bolts, get one. Cordless is best.

[steuspeed]

So my buddy brought over his Modine pressure brake bleeder. We hooked it up and I decided to just try pushing on the brake pedal. Every time I pressed a bubble came up the hose off the master. I kept pumping and pumping. More bubble.... Then I went around and cracked the top bleeders. Just fluid came out. Then my buddy pumped a bunch more and bubbles kept coming out the master. I am guessing after 100+ bubbles it stopped. That was it. Now nice hard pedal.