need help with bleeding brakes still.

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Ok.. im so close to being done but im doing something wrong. I bleed the brakes for awhile till the air was out, but there are a few very very tiny bubbles. I tried them out just now and they feel soft, it feels like the front brakes are stopping the car more than the rear so i dont think i did it right.   Please give whatever tips you can, i need to have this finished by tomorrow evening as my dad needs the garage to store his police car (cant have it outside for fear of vandalism :S). Thanks

edit: 2 more things i forgot to mention, i found that i couldn't completely pump the brakes till they were rock hard, which i thought was unusual. And also, how much do i need to torque down the hydrolic line? I was scared that id strip the threads again, but its not tight enough as it is, still a little fluid getting through.   and 1 last thing, with brake cleaner, is it safe to put a little on the rotors without disassembling everything, just to be sure theres no fluid on there (which is making them feel soft)?

Edited by kawana

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kawana Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 June 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kawana Report Post Quote Reply Topic: need help with bleeding brakes still. Posted: 29 May 2008 at 9:39pm
	Ok.. im so close to being done but im doing something wrong. I bleed the brakes for awhile till the air was out, but there are a few very very tiny bubbles. I tried them out just now and they feel soft, it feels like the front brakes are stopping the car more than the rear so i dont think i did it right. Please give whatever tips you can, i need to have this finished by tomorrow evening as my dad needs the garage to store his police car (cant have it outside for fear of vandalism :S). Thanks edit: 2 more things i forgot to mention, i found that i couldn't completely pump the brakes till they were rock hard, which i thought was unusual. And also, how much do i need to torque down the hydrolic line? I was scared that id strip the threads again, but its not tight enough as it is, still a little fluid getting through. and 1 last thing, with brake cleaner, is it safe to put a little on the rotors without disassembling everything, just to be sure theres no fluid on there (which is making them feel soft)? Edited by kawana

Dr.Fiero Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Post God Joined: 12 February 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1726	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dr.Fiero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 2008 at 6:13am
	I don't usually say this, but... From the sounds of things - take this into a shop and have them do it. If it wasnt such a safety thing it'd be ok - but it really sounds like you're unclear on what needs to be done here. It IS your life and whoevers is in front of you you're dealing with!! Oh, and yes, you can spray brake cleaner on the rotors (and anywhere else!) to clean off residue. Just let it dry before you drive (usually only takes 30 seconds).

kawana Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 June 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kawana Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 2008 at 11:37am
	well from what they're saying on PFF, i should try gravity bleeding it, and if that doesn't work i may need to adjust the calipers. Either way, i dont have $$ for towing, so its not gunna be any safer to drive it down to a shop now vs. after i try the gravity bleeding. Any tips on how i should adjust the calipers? edit: Nvm i was told how to adjust the calipers, i think ill be ok to park it outside for 1 night while my dad store the police car, then ill pick up on it again tomorrow. Im trying not to go to a shop to do this, i need/want to learn. Ill be sure to test it at slow speeds alot before i go back to normal driving. Im picking up some ramps to raise the front end to gravity bleed them, see if that helps. Edited by kawana

kawana Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 June 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kawana Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 May 2008 at 6:28pm
	Ok well its getting a little better but im running out of things to try here. The brake now goes down a little past where the gas pedal is when at rest, before the brakes fully engage. This seems too far to me. I just finished bench bleeding the MC by looping the primary line back to the res and slowly pumping the brake, did that for a few min so i think if anything was in there it'd be out. I did the brake adjustment tutorial on Theogre's (pff user) website, that helped in the pedal travel. What else could i try? The brakes do feel solid, but the travel seems more than it used to be. If i cant figure it out, it feels safe enough to drive to budget or something, but im hoping i can get it figured out on my own (hopefully tonight, i wanna go driving :( ). Thanks for your input.

kawana Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 June 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kawana Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 June 2008 at 1:33pm
	Woohoo! Just got it back from budget, and it feels great :D Turns out there was still some air left in it, i really should get one of those power-bleeders. Total bill was only $60 so i cant complain :) Plus i got a few compliments about my car, which is always nice ;) Now just gotta get ready for the all pontiac show :D

Capt Fiero Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Founding Member Joined: 12 February 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 4039	Post Options Post Reply Quote Capt Fiero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 June 2008 at 4:57pm
	Glad to hear you got it all fixed up, are you coming to Arlington or the All Pontiac Show?
	Capt Fiero 88 Fiero GT 5spd V6 Eight Fifty Seven GT V8 5spd.

kawana Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 June 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 508	Post Options Post Reply Quote kawana Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 03 June 2008 at 7:46pm
	cant make the arlington show unfortunatly, but im in for the all pontiac show for sure :D Hope the weather holds out. Is it indoors or outdoors btw?