LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

brake question - need to pump a few times..

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Old Aug 8, 2009 | 04:18 PM
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Default brake question - need to pump a few times..

so i got the car back together a few weeks ago and just working on the small stuff to get it driveable and buttoning everything up. I eliminated tcs/abs and have the sjm kit installed. i bent some new lines for the front brakes and the rear lines are stock. after bleeding it, i noticed the pedal to be really soft and sinking straight to the floor. i looked and saw what looked like a leaking master cylinder so i said screw it, go out and get a new one from advanced auto for 75. the original has been in there 13 years already, figured it was time. I bench bleed the new master cylinder and get it back on, then proceed to bleed the brakes again (furthest from the cylinder) and lo and behold, the pedal pressure is a bit better, but i still have to pump it twice to stop the car. the first time it goes down with some resistance and the second time it will stop it. I'm a little stumped as to what to do next. we took the wheels off thinking we needed to bleed some more, but we're not getting even the tiniest bubbles out. then I start thinking could the proportioning valve need to be bled too, what about the linelock? i don't have power going to the line lock yet, i'm assuming it doesn't need it for the brakes to work. any thoughts? stumped on a saturday afternoon is a bummer...not finding much via search either, hoping i'm missing something obvious.
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Old Aug 9, 2009 | 08:14 AM
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You aren't done bleeding yet. Because of the angle the M/C sits at, they are a bear to get bled properly. Just did this, and it took 2-3 hours to get it bled out.
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Old Aug 9, 2009 | 11:36 AM
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really needs to be bled for 2-3 hours on the bench? My bro and I did it for about 20 minutes and we made hard lines that we put back into the master cylinder. we kept on going until we didn't see any bubbles.

my other thought is the proportioning valve. Does that play in any way in the bleeding? i'm assuming completely clockwise it's closed, and completely counter clockwise it's open. I had it about in the middle when i was doing all the bleeding.
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Old Aug 22, 2009 | 08:34 PM
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i gravity bled for about 45 minutes and the pedal is seriously getting firm!!! I'm getting happy, I'm going to gravity bleed some more. I keep finding topics like this and never see the final results posted of whether something worked or not, so I'll do that here and hopefully I get a nice firm brake pedal.
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Old Sep 1, 2009 | 08:24 PM
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fixed my problem, made an obvious rookie mistake, i installed the calipers backwards, the bleeders were pointing down! couldn't believe it when i realized it. I did a quick change, quick gravity bleed and the car is driveable!!! the small stuff sometimes really gets you...got me anyway...

i'm happy now, will do a final bleed with the power bleeder and should be having some fun again
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