What to do about braking. PART DEUX!

So i finally got around to installing my 11 inch brake kit. The kit came with stainless steel braided lines but i already had some on the car and decided to reuse them. why not i decided?

My only real hiccup during the procedure was when i found a leak on the drivers side front where the hardline and the braided lines meet. so i teflon taped the fitting and put it back together.

But still, after bleeding the berkelying thing 10 times. i still have air in the lines. the pedal feels like a sponge. ive tried the two person method. ive tried a hand pump. i'll hopefully be trying a vacuum bleeder here soon. I've even tried yelling at it! but to no avail... still spongy. and no leaks. anyone have any fancy trick for this?

cxhb wrote: So i finally got around to installing my 11 inch brake kit. The kit came with stainless steel braided lines but i already had some on the car and decided to reuse them. why not i decided? My only real hiccup during the procedure was when i found a leak on the drivers side front where the hardline and the braided lines meet. so i teflon taped the fitting and put it back together. But still, after bleeding the berkelying thing 10 times. i still have air in the lines. the pedal feels like a sponge. ive tried the two person method. ive tried a hand pump. i'll hopefully be trying a vacuum bleeder here soon. I've even tried yelling at it! but to no avail... still spongy. and no leaks. anyone have any fancy trick for this?

Are you using the stock calipers? If the new calipers have more piston area, it's going to make the pedal feel strange to you. Have you tried driving it? SLOWLY, that is.

I'd put the new lines on as well.... they're VERY easy to damage. What company made the ones that were already on your car?

The fitting that mates the hard line to the "hose" is a flared tube fitting,the threads don't seal it.I would suggest replacing the braided line.

The calipers are DA integra, bigger than stock. The lines on the car are Russel.

Yeah ive tried driving it too, twice lol. the pedal felt fine exactly one time, backing out of the driveway, by the time i hit the end of the street it was spongey and extra low.

just to throw it out there before anyone asks and you havent read my previous what to do about braking thread, the proportioning valve doesnt need to change, and my master cylinder is 15/16", also bigger than stock.

maybe i should try the new lines... i dunno.... i just cant get this darn air out.

Yep. New lines. Then it's time to start looking at the brake cylinder, and possibly the calipers.

Everything is dry down there? No visible leaks?

no visible leaks and i would see it if there was one i use ATE super blue fluid, very easy to spot. Thats whats throwing me off. and i never let the master cylinder go below minimum so i shouldnt need to bench bleed it.

Maybe try yelling at it some more?

Don't figure it will fix your brake issues, but it might make you feel better about the whole situtation at least for a little while.

Where are you located?

acura brake calipers not working?...tell em youll feed em to Godzirra if they dont straighten up. Acura parts are notorious for goofing off. You gotta show em you mean business. If the Godilla bit doesnt work, tell em you know someone with an aluminum recycling furnace. Use Ritalin as a last resort.

93celicaGT2- im located in south western Ohio, Fairfield if you want me to be more exact.

And no, thats the odd part, no visible leaks. lol Its so annoying. id rather there just be a leak and be done with it... at least then i would know what it was.

4cylndrfury- they are acura calipers, but they are also 95-00 civic EX calipers, and some year accords, and 90-91 prelude, and acura legend... and a couple model year preludes... they are the WHORE of the honda brake caliper world... they've been on everything.

TJ wrote: Maybe try yelling at it some more? Don't figure it will fix your brake issues, but it might make you feel better about the whole situtation at least for a little while.

lol when i get home ill try using more expressive language and give it a shot.

You may have a master cylinder problem. If the piston does not return past the compensator port it will not allow fluid to return to the master cyl upon release. How is the adjustment for the push rod ?

iceracer wrote: You may have a master cylinder problem. If the piston does not return past the compensator port it will not allow fluid to return to the master cyl upon release. How is the adjustment for the push rod ?

oooohh. good thinking ill check that in a minute when im done eatin pizza.

Bleeding the system likley killed the master. A thin layer of crap settles in the bore from normal use, when you bleed it you ran the lip seal over the crud and likley cut groves in the lip. It's common problem in repair shops that helped get presure bleeders in to the shops.

44

cxhb wrote: 93celicaGT2- im located in south western Ohio, Fairfield if you want me to be more exact. And no, thats the odd part, no visible leaks. lol Its so annoying. id rather there just be a leak and be done with it... at least then i would know what it was. 4cylndrfury- they are acura calipers, but they are also 95-00 civic EX calipers, and some year accords, and 90-91 prelude, and acura legend... and a couple model year preludes... they are the WHORE of the honda brake caliper world... they've been on everything.

Keep us posted, but a great point was made about the master cylinder above.

There's a chance i may be in your general area this weekend picking up a spare bottom end for the Mazda, and i certainly wouldn't mind swinging through to at least lend another set of eyes on the situations.

That sounds like when I cooked my brakes and the seals in my master cylinder were on the verge of disintegrating...there may have been some air in the lines but there were no leaks and a spongy pedal.

ok everyone heres an update.

11:30PM 07/06/09- i finished up eating and checked for master cylinder pushrod via iceracer's idea and it is perfectly fine. sadly. (why cant this crap just SHOW ME whats wrong with it?)

12:00AM 07/07/09- i proceeded to yell at it, i also talked softly to it at some point, pleading for a stiff pedal... still nothing... so out came the beer.

2:00AM 07/07/09- i saw a drip. yes that is right. ONE LONE DRIP. the passenger side line they sent me must have been bad because it had the absolute slightest leak right where the stanless steel braided line meets its fitting near the hardline. SO out with the new and in with the old Russel lines. they fit, but have an awkward bend not uncommon to how they were when i had oem brakes. so i installed them and made sure everything was tight.

2:30AM I bleed the brakes again. still spongy. F my life.

Noon 07/07/09: i got my hands on a true vacuum bleeder, not some hand pump junk. and bleed them once again. they are still spongy.

-At this point the idea 44Dwarf has is definitely a possibility seeing as there was not a single drip or slightest leak between the hours of 3AM and noon of today. I guess i just have a hard time thinking my master cylinder is bad after only 1 and a half years of use, but then again... stranger things have happened and this is definitely worth looking into.

93CelicaGT2- yeah if you want to stop by just let me know when you'll be down my way and ill let you know if ill be at work or whatnot.

Another update: as of 3:17 i believe that both lines that fastbrakes has sent me are bad as the drivers side now is showing the same sign of slight blue tinting at the fitting just as the passenger side did right before they failed and started to leak, so for now im going back to the old russel lines. fingers crossed. swapping them out in a second.

Brake bleeding sucks. I owned my current car for at least a few months before i got all the air out of the lines (it had a leak shortly after i got it, then i replaced the lines an rebuilt the calipers, and bleed it enough to drive, which took about 3 hours with a pressure bleeder, then a month later bled it again and finally got all the air out. lol)

ok, i am now back to running the russel fronts.

• I went out to drive it, this is the third time in three days and this is the first time i was able to completely lock up the fronts, even though i still feel as though the pedal is too soft.

-I bled them at least four times with a vacuum bleeder as best i could and i see no leaks soo.. screw it im driving it. if it leaks hopefully i can find it.

here is some pics of the brakes with and without wheels and my new shoes: