I am almost done with repairs and had hopes of getting my baby off the jack stands this weekend. The last job was to bleed the brakes, since I have spent the summer working on the brake jobs from hell. Had someone pump and pump and it looked like I was making progress but then after a few passes at bleeding the brake the pedel never got more firm. I slept on it for I have read almost every post on this dreaded subject and after 6 or 7 cups of coffee this morning I went out to blead them again. I have speed bleaders so I am able to actually do this on my own. By now I am on my third quart of fluid. They were still spongy, seems that there is a few inches of pedel travel before your foot feels resistance. I did not change out or do anything to the master cylinder so I thought I may have air trapped there. But before I touched those fittings, I checked the rear brake pads for rotor clearance and even set it to 6/1000 but no improvment. I then had someone stomp the brake while I tried to blead the master cylinder. no real improvment....
Darn ! I notice that when I pump the pedel it does build up more resistance but I sure would not want to go down the road this way, and I think this is an indication that there is still air in the line somewhere.

The porportioning valve is next on the list but darn all those fittings are rusted in place and the top one I am not sure how to get to for my brake line wrench will not fit or allow enough movement even it was a new fittting there.

So any help or prayers are welcome. I am considering either the vacuum or the pressure bleader gadgets. Any thoughts on that or are they a waste of time ?

Thanks in advance for your replys.

tap the m/c , and the p/v with a rubber malet. frees some air bubbles. also tap each caliper a couple times to loosen some hidden bubbles. some times it takes 5 qts to get it all. make sure you keep the resevoir topped off.

you sure you speedbleeders are sealing? are these the kind with the ball bearing in them?

are you getting bubbles in the line from the bleeder ( you are using a clear tube right ) ? if no the check the prop valve ( i know you said that ) if you are then check the grommets and lines from the fluid reserve. as well as are you sure the speed bleeders are closed and tight. then check all the lines to the calibers are tight.

if all this plays out the i would suspect the MC

ps stupid question you are bleeding the top bleeder on the front if they have 2

scott t

I have used the combination vacuum pump/bleeder to change the fluid in mine before DE this year. Did it by myself in about 20 minutes. Start with the right rear,left rear,right front, then left front. Good luck.

I have a power bleeder and I swear by it. They work great and you can do it all by yourself. It pressurizes the lines and blows the air out. Always start with the farthest one away from the master cylinder. and work your way to the closest. That is how I do it and it works great.

bleed right rear (passenger), left rear, right front then left front. If your brakes are like mine every caliper has 2 bleeder valves.....finish with the tops...air travels upwards...if you are just bleeding from the bottoms you will never remove the air caught in the top of the calipers.

Jim's right. Passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front.

Hey... how much are you opening those speed bleeders? I only open them a quarter turn, max.

Could be you have some bubbles in the proportioning valve. You said that the car is on jackstands. Are you lowering the front prior to bleeding the rear? That's critical.

-Rusty

Don't forget to greese the bleaders this will keep air from intering arounf the screw threads. I love my power bleader, I also lube the cup to the bleader just to make sure, and a rubber mallet is you friend here. Tap them like it is your job. I have also had luck with gravity bleading - but it can be tricky to get it right.

You did check your rear caliper venting clearance?????

Love the power bleeder.
Just bought one from Pelican parts and used it flush and bleed the lines. You save time. Figure half an hour to 45 minutes to conscript some one to push the pedal. Everybody at my place scatters when they know I'm near the end of a brake job. You save money. Getting some one to pump the pedal is going to cost you at least a six-pack. You save aggrevation in spades. It is worth the forty bucks!! I know a place in Van Nuys where you could borrow one for a brew or two.

Make damn sure you pinch the resovoir breather line on early 914's before using a power bleeder. You will end up with brake fluid blasting out of the line.

Also... using the power bleeder puts pressure on 30 year old fittings/plastic lines that never get replaced that lead down to the master cylinder. It is NO fun to have one of them BLOW off after pressurizing the system.

I have had too many mishaps with the power bleeders. I find a friend or neighbor.


B

When I bled mine it took several times of bleeding to get it right.

I like using the power bleeder on all new systems where I have replaced everything... but not on daily drivers where I rebuild one caliper. I also get a different pedal feel when I manuel bleed versus power bleed.

Come to think of it.. I have about 3 different ways I bleed brakes..LOL



B