squishy brakes!! Air??
#1
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So about 2 months ago I installed an SJM engineering line lock on my camaro. Aftewards I thought that the brakes felt squishy so I bled them once using the gravity method starting with the farthest wheel from the resovoir. I still had squishy brakes after the first bleed, so I bled them a second time the same way, I still felt that they were squishy but after posting on here about it most people seemed to think it was just in my head since the car stopped fine and I was able to get the ABS to activate by stomping on the pedal.
Now two months later today I went to the track with my 3600 stall converter and when I hold the brake pedal down to stall the car up, the pressure I need to apply to the pedal in order to hold the car from moving the pedal goes to the floor, and I can only stall it up to about 2800 before the car starts creeping forward on me. I bled the brakes again for the 3rd time today at the track and still same problem. I had my friend who also owns a 4th gen camaro feel them and he said they are definately squishy. This started when I installed the line lock so I know that it is related and probably because I have air in the brake system. I have gravity bled them 3 times now, how do you suggest I fix this issue or how should I bleed the brakes? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Now two months later today I went to the track with my 3600 stall converter and when I hold the brake pedal down to stall the car up, the pressure I need to apply to the pedal in order to hold the car from moving the pedal goes to the floor, and I can only stall it up to about 2800 before the car starts creeping forward on me. I bled the brakes again for the 3rd time today at the track and still same problem. I had my friend who also owns a 4th gen camaro feel them and he said they are definately squishy. This started when I installed the line lock so I know that it is related and probably because I have air in the brake system. I have gravity bled them 3 times now, how do you suggest I fix this issue or how should I bleed the brakes? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
#2
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try this. press brake peddle once. notice how far down it goes. pump it two more time, if with each peddle pump it does not go as far as before then u do have air in the system. bleed at all four corners, starting with rear passenger.
I know u mentioned gravity bleed but did u do it from brake reservoir to line, then connect that line and gravity bleed line lock silenoid. connect line to abs system (block where all four lines are connected on top of). now perform bleed on front wheels. rear not required cause u never opened that line but, I would do it any way. it wont hurt and you'll feel more comfortable knowing all line ere bleed. hope this helps.............. peace
I know u mentioned gravity bleed but did u do it from brake reservoir to line, then connect that line and gravity bleed line lock silenoid. connect line to abs system (block where all four lines are connected on top of). now perform bleed on front wheels. rear not required cause u never opened that line but, I would do it any way. it wont hurt and you'll feel more comfortable knowing all line ere bleed. hope this helps.............. peace
#3
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I understand what you are saying with your first paragraph and you are correct, if I press it once and then pump it two more times each time I pump it the pedal goes down less each time which based on what you said means I do have air.
Now on the 2nd paragraph I am a little confused on where you are talking about bleeding the solenoid and the ABS block. As far as I know there is nowhere to bleed the ABS block from and how do you bleed the solenoid??
Now on the 2nd paragraph I am a little confused on where you are talking about bleeding the solenoid and the ABS block. As far as I know there is nowhere to bleed the ABS block from and how do you bleed the solenoid??
#5
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A shop may be the best choice for the folks who may be unsure about their braking system. Any time you open up the braking system before the modulator, air WILL enter the modulator.
Older 4th gen F-bodies do have a few bleeder valves which can be opened. There is a possibilty that their is air trapped in the ABS modulator. A tech tool can activate the modulator during bleeding which can dislodge trapped air. Folks may consider activating their ABS unit during a hard stop then attempting a re-bleed. The activation may dislodge air which was trapped in the modulator. This may allow once trapped air to pass through when you bleed it.
Older 4th gen F-bodies do have a few bleeder valves which can be opened. There is a possibilty that their is air trapped in the ABS modulator. A tech tool can activate the modulator during bleeding which can dislodge trapped air. Folks may consider activating their ABS unit during a hard stop then attempting a re-bleed. The activation may dislodge air which was trapped in the modulator. This may allow once trapped air to pass through when you bleed it.
#7
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So today I took my car to the dealer for this brake issue. They said they bled the entire system and ABS and I got the car back and it feels the same. Anybody else have any ideas? I am going to try and replace my brake fluid again, when I installed the line lock I also replaced my brake fluid with Valvoline synpower synthetic brake fluid. I am going to put some just standard non synthetic Dot 3 brake fluid in and see what happens and I am going to go ahead and put new brakes on the car, however I don't think its the brakes because before I installed the line lock the brakes were just fine. What do you guys think, any other ideas?
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#8
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I wonder if it's possibly the placebo effect. If the air was verified purged from the system, it really should feel no different than before. The fluid itself shouldn't change this. The general difference between brand/type will be its wet and dry boiling points. They will have negligible differences in compressibility.
Don't siphon out the fluid from the reservoir completely as you'll risk the chance of air bubbles in the ABS modulator again (if there was any trapped before the dealer purged the modulator).
Don't siphon out the fluid from the reservoir completely as you'll risk the chance of air bubbles in the ABS modulator again (if there was any trapped before the dealer purged the modulator).