Darth Cypher

It has been a while since I was on this forum...I believe getting up to a couple years. A lot of things happened in my life (retired from Air Force, wife divorced me and we had a contentious divorce, moved to VA, started my new job at a shipyard here, and have equal parenting time with my kids). My Z28 has not had a state inspection in over a decade due to me being stationed in OK. I was also concerned about my exhaust causing issues so I finally got my Z28 from my parents' house in NC (they watched it for me while I was getting things settled here in VA). I got a state inspection done and the only thing it failed for was my brakes. Yes, they still have the same pads and rotors. Which is fair and not surprising but I wanted to only identify other issues that might cause an inspection fail (like the aftermarket exhaust).

I got a brake package from Strano a little before the Christmas holidays as well as some braided brake lines. I know that this is a straight forward job but I wanted to ask for any tips and "lessons learned" from other who did this. I am wanting to have my son and (hopefully) my oldest daughter out there with me as I show them some car maintenance. Since I have my kids every other week and I don't want them to miss anything, this might take a little longer. My biggest concern is properly plugging the brake lines while the car sits so that the master cylinder does not run dry or get any air into it.

I also know about a trick to bleed the ABS with new fluid without taking to the dealer for them to. I might check with this dealer, who knows...since they are doing the inspection they might just hook up the tool and do it (but I think they charge a couple to several hundred dollars to do it so I don't know). Other than finding good hardware to plug the lines while work is getting done, I think I have my bases covered but wanted to check the knowledge base here.

It's good to be back after this trying time and get back into working on the Z.

biketopia

iTrader: (5)

Do the brakes function correctly now, just failed for being under 2/32's? I'm in VA and also an inspector. If they work like they should now, just low and since you go new lines I would do it like this. Before you start spray the steel brake line to flex line connection with your choice of brake loose juice. You'll need some needle nose vise grips or hose pinch off pliers, start with one axle, front or rear does not matter. Push the piston in do your pads and rotors and then pinch off the line at the caliper, if you pinch before pushing the piston back you'll never get it to push back. Remove the line at the caliper, install the new line with bolt and crush washers, then loosen and remove the old line, install the new. If your hydraulic brakes are functioning correctly as is and you haven't run the master dry, you should not loose enough fluid to need to mess with exercising the ABS pump. Repeat for the rest of the wheels and lines make sure the master stays full. When I'm done I like to open up the bleeders and let the calipers gravity bleed until some fluid starts trickling out then close it up until you are ready to bleed them. Make sure when you are pumping up and bleeding the brakes you don't run the master dry, other than that bleed them as usual RR RL FR FL, once you feel the air is all out take it for a test drive and enjoy new brakes.

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

the pins .....its always the pins.....clean the dickens out of em....not easy task trust me.....i use a 45 cal gun bore brush to get the bore nice n clean.....and I use the green permatex grease....new pins and boots and you are gold

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I'd say they had pretty much covered it. You're not going to lose a ton of fluid really fast.

What I typically do is I'll get some pinch off pliers, plastic you can usually pick them up at a parts store. And pinch off the rubber line then disconnect that from your brake caliper. Put the new stainless line on the brake caliper, taking care to make sure you get the orientation of the banjo fitting correct. And then when you have all that ready to go that's when you disconnect the rubber line from the hard line and then just quickly hook the new stainless line up.

Penetrating lube is absolutely a good idea. So are some good line wrenches. Obviously the car's been sitting for a while and brake line fittings can be a pain and a regular open end wrench is practically begging to round off the fitting. Other than that I'd say they pretty much covered everything.

Darth Cypher

Thanks for the replies. The brakes failed for the rotor thickness. I have been meaning to change them for a while now but...things happened. For the ABS I remember reading on here a while back that the trick is to turn the key to the slot just before turning the engine, have the tires off the ground and spin the hell out of the wheel and then rapidly mash the brake pedal to activate the ABS and cycle the old fluid out and get the new fluid in. Of course this means bleeding the brakes again. Or I can just take the car onto an empty road, get it to about 10 mph and mash the brakes to activate the ABS and cycle the fluid that way. I'm honestly leaning towards just taking the car to an empty road and doing that. There is an empty road next to a forest where I live.

biketopia

iTrader: (5)

yea just go find some gravel and get the ABS to kick on and you'll be good to go. Spray your bleeders with some kind of penetrate, I like PB blaster or Aero-Kroil, don't want to get everything done and then be stuck cussing a stuck, stripped, or snapped off bleeder. Where about's in VA are, if you're at the ship yards I'm guessing Newport News area? I'm in Fairfax and my folks have place in Willamsburg I'm at often.

Darth Cypher

Yes. I work at Newport News Shipbuilding. My kids are in Yorktown so I got a house in Newport News minutes from where they are.