Soft Brake Pedal

[Guest RoborRoss]

A bit odd....

 

Front callipers needed replacing, which I did.

 

I bled nearly a litre of fluid through using a gunson pressure bleed. Starting from the nearest bleed point to the furthest. No good, could still press the pedal to the stop. Tried the other way, from the furthest to the nearest. Still the same.

 

Popped over to DanE's today to try his vac bleed, which after a bit of pumping the pedal while using the vac bleed got a good pedal.

 

However, after driving home (10 miles max), the pedal was soft again and can easily reach the stop without even getting close to locking up the wheels.

 

Had a check round and there does not appear to be any fluid leaks from any slave cylinders or unions. Master cylinder does not appear to be leaking either.

 

Fluid level not going down either.

 

Non-servo assisted. Any ideas what to look at next?

 

Ta

Rob

[Guest RoborRoss]

Bulging hoses?

 

Don't think so... If that was the case, we would not have got a decent pedal at all. Also, didn't have a soft pedal with the seized calliper.

 

Like I say, odd!

[kevin the chicken]

Probably just a little bubble still remaining which you have dislodged on the way home. Try again, furthest bleed point first. Have had immense problems of this sort with old Landrovers, the pressure or vacuum bleeders do help a lot. I would just expect loads of grief and buy a big container of brake fluid. We even put ratchet straps around the brake shoes so that they wouldn't move during the bleeding operation! Brake bleeding is actually one of those operations in which a small child (eight years old) is useful once they know which pedal is which.

[megadodo]

Just because the master cylinder isn't leaking doesn't mean it's working properly. I had to replace mine a month before the IVA test and there were no obvious leaks, it just wouldn't bleed properly, a £10 second hand one from my local garage who banger race sierras and the problem was resolved!

[Guest Bazwaz]

You did fit them with the bleed nipple at the top didn't you?

Baz.

[Longboarder]

They are handed but can be fitted either side and as Baz has said, bleed nipple at the top. Sounds like you have the left caliper on the right and the right caliper on the left. You could save time and brake fluid by taking one off, holding it nipple up, bleed and refit but it's best to swap them round.

 

Nigel

[fry61]

Aren't the hose & nipple female threads on the caliper the same size? If so could he not just change the two over to put nipple top?

[Guest RoborRoss]

LOL!

 

If I'd fitted them upside down, then I think it would be time for me to give up :-)

 

No, they are fitted the correct way.

[Grim]

sticky piston seals are my favourite - bob the caliper off and put a tiny bit of brake fluid behind the dust seal, push the piston in and refit. That should sort it for now, but watch out for it recurring.

[speedtripledan]

we are talking a stylus with mk2 escort m16 calipers and rear drums not zeros

[Guest Ian & Carole]

My money is on a fubared Master cylinder.

Don't need to be leaking to be kna....ed

 

[Guest mower man]

M/C almost a certainty esp if its ex donor ,what happens is the seals are used to a small area then when you bleed they runpast normal working place and are reformed after which they don't seal properly and soft or even non existant pedal occurs ,I stopped fitting seal kits years ago cos it usual meant pain through this . I amgoing to be shot at for this but guess what ? I dont care !!!! mower man

[Guest chrispine]

had an Astra a while ago, if I braked hard, all ok, if I pushed the pedal gently it would go to the floor, master cyl passing internally, hth,

Chris

[Guest chris brown]

I'm with Mick on this m/c seals.

[Snapperpaul]

To check Madter Cylinder put bleed nipples in all 3 outlets bleed

Re bleed

stand on pedal

If pedal goes down MC is fubared