brake pad replacement

[zdude]

so i got the new pads in and everything just fine. but i had to let the bleeder screw out to get the piston compressed. i got some help to bleed the brakes, and we bleed them for about 5 minutes while adding fluid all along. well i got them all nice and firm and full of fluid, but when i started the car and went to back out of my driveway, i had no brakes. do i have to bleed the rear brakes too?? should i keep bleeding them?? i dont know what i should do about this. the resevoir is still full of fluid, the bleeder screws are tight. why does it seem like i have no front brakes, i have rear brakes because my ebrake works just fine, but why no front ones??

[zdude]

never mind, i got it under control, finally got hold of a friend

[zdude]

maybe not, i tried what they said to do, and it still is soft when i start the car
it is still firm while pumping if the car is off, but when i start it, and pump it, it gets stiff, then i let off and wait a few seconds, then pump it again, and it is really soft, almost as if there is no fluid. so i check the fluid, and its still level. any ideas??

[zdude]

bump, anyone know whats wrong with my brakes??

[formeRiceR]

your master cylinder is fried...

my car did the SAME EXACT THING after my 300zx caliper swap. I thought it was the B. Booster, but after checking everything out it iwas the Master Cyliider.


Good Luck

[Andrew Bohan]

e-brake doesn't use the hydraulic system, so that's not a good indicator at all.

[zdude]

hmmm... i dont know, it might be the master, but i bled the rear after remembering that i forgot to fill the fluid for a few bleed cycles. i can drive it fine now, but everyonce in a while i have to pump the brakes a few times to gain pressure again. thenthey work fine... so do you think that because i ignorantly forgot about the fluid level for a bit, that i ran the master dry and f'd it up? how much will that cost me to replace, and how much of a pain is it

[msaskin]

hmmm... i dont know, it might be the master, but i bled the rear after remembering that i forgot to fill the fluid for a few bleed cycles. i can drive it fine now, but everyonce in a while i have to pump the brakes a few times to gain pressure again. thenthey work fine... so do you think that because i ignorantly forgot about the fluid level for a bit, that i ran the master dry and f'd it up? how much will that cost me to replace, and how much of a pain is it

Try bleeding all 4 for quite a while. If it ran dry there's a good chance there is air in one of the hard lines running the length of the car.

The master cylinder is about $60-70 at most parts stores, and takes all of about 15 minutes to replace. It's easy as hell to do.

~matt

[kanekz]

Yea bleed all four sides for sure. Try it out. It may take a few sessions of bleeding. If not MC might be fried.

TIP: tap the calipers with rubber mallet (something simlar) before each push to get some more air bubbles out.

*Post something like this in TECH section next time :spank:

[zdude]

yeah, just a habit for the general chat section. i bled all 4 corners a few times, but not that much. tomorrow ill see if i can try to bleed them some more. thanks for your help

[Wei240]

yeah, like others said, bleed all four in sequence (forgot what it is, it's in the fsm), if you're doing solo, i would recommend russell speed bleeders...

[Replicant_S14]

so i got the new pads in and everything just fine. but i had to let the bleeder screw out to get the piston compressed.

You shouldn't have to do that. I can compress my fronts by hand and the rears doing the twistn~turn deal. Either way I don't open the bleeder.

[msaskin]

yeah, like others said, bleed all four in sequence (forgot what it is, it's in the fsm), if you're doing solo, i would recommend russell speed bleeders...

I believe it's rear right, rear left, front right, front left, but check the FSM to be sure.

~matt

[zdude]

thanks guys, so when i do that, do they all automatically equalize??