BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

Here's my method of bleeding:

1. Pump brakes to build pressure
2. Hold pressure on pedal
3. Crack bleeder
4. Pedal goes to floor (or just prior to floor, tried both)
5. Close bleeder
6. Release pedal
7. Repeat

I've also bled using the Motive Power Bleeder several times. The MC has been bench bled and bled on the car.

I talked to my dad who's an aircraft mechanic. He suggested bleeding from the calipers up through the MC, which is what they do in aviation. He also said his old Malibu had an adjuster where you could adjust the pedal or MC piston (he couldn't remember) so the plunger makes contact with the MC earlier (in a sense, moving the pedal back). I told him I didn't think the f-body had an adjustment like this.

I still think this is a caliper issue since they are really the only thing I haven't checked thoroughly. The only course of action I have left is to cap the individual caliper lines one at a time to see if the pedal improves. Maybe I can isolate a bad caliper this way.

2fresh

iTrader: (20)

maybe one of the pistons on the calipers is leaking have you checked that?

LSjim

iTrader: (8)

yeah check your calipers and lines did you change the pads ? and you opened the mc when doing so right?

BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

Yep, opened MC cap when compressing pistons.

transam69230

iTrader: (49)

Are the calipers on the correct side? I had my calipers powdercoated and I had them on the wrong side when i put them back on. The pedal would never get hard, my buddy realized it and we switched them and all was good.

I believe that the bleeder screw needs to be facing up. I know there is a certain way that the bleeder screw needs to face though!

BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

Yes, the calipers are on the correct side.

Does anyone know what size caps I could use to cap off the brake line where the hard line meets the flex lines?

SJMMFGINC

I could make something up for you...the only problem would be, you can't bleed the air out that you're going to be trapping.

BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

Yeah, I thought of that. Could you weld a bleeder screw to a fitting where I could somehow loosen and bleed it like a normal bleeder?

SJMMFGINC

I don't think that could be done. You've got to be doing something or lack of that you can't bleed the air out of the lines. Don't use those make-shift pesticide sprayers. Just use the two man method of bleeding and make sure your reservoir doesn't go low. If you can bleed the lines free of air, you'll probably correct the problem. It shouldn't be too difficult as now you don't have to worry about the ABS controller. Start with the longest caliper line first...working your way to the shortest line.

Even if a caliper is damaged or frozen, the pedal won't get soft. If a caliper is frozen, the fluid won't flow pushing the caliper piston inward. It's not going to make the situation where the pedal would be soft. If the caliper is working normally which you can verify by pressing slowly on the pedal and watching the piston move outward (you'll have to reset the piston to install the pads obviously). When the pads are installed, the piston will only move until fully clamps onto the rotor...where the pedal would stiffen.

A quick test to check operation of the pad would be to turn the wheel manually, while someone depresses the pedal...the wheel should stop...apply rotational force on the wheel and see if you can overcome the friction from the pads/rotors. If you can there is something wrong with the caliper/pad/rotor. (This still would not cause a soft pedal though).....when the pedal is released, the wheel should turn.

If you've got a soft pedal air is most likely the culprit. If air is entering somewhere you'd know it as when you applied brake pressure, you'd push fluid out where the leak is...the system is closed otherwise. Air cannot enter in/nor out.

BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

There are no visible leaks anywhere. I've traced the lines 100s of times it seems, but no fluid showing.

Instead of capping the individual lines, maybe I could plug the MC ports one at a time to see if the pedal feels any better when the rear port is plugged versus the front port. Do they make anything that would screw into the ports and block them off? At least I could narrow it down from there.

Also, do the small soda-like bubbles mean anything when compared to the large bubbles?

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

I'm not going back and re-reading ... is your soft pedal while parked in the driveway only? Or do you have the same pedal while driving? have you bedded the pads? does the pedal go straight to the floor with little resistance or does it ever get firm? if it gets firm, does it hold at that point or slowly fall to the floor?



The biggest issue I have in this whole production is you are swapping possibly bad parts with used, still possibly bad parts. When problem solving, replacing unknowns with more unknowns doesn't allow you to make progress.

In the cap and pump method you are grasping at ... what will it tell you exactly? You have already replaced everything once and the result was nothing.

If it were me and I were at this point, I'd restore everything to a known good combination, confirm that the pedal is once again firm and then begin replacing parts one at a time.

Till then, you are chasing your tail.

SJMMFGINC

If you have bubbles, you've not bled the system correctly or enough. Yes, I can offer you blocked off fittings...I'm not sure what that is going to do for you, but I can offer it to you.