• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Help!!! Bleeding brakes

Powerman

Powerman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
I replaced a lot of brake stuff, but I know all that stuff worked cause I drove with it. I replaced the rear line and bled the brakes all the way around, but now I have no pedal. I have no leaks. The first time I bled I went empty on the resevoir. I stayed on that line and thought I got all the air from that out. No Pedal. Went all the way around a second time and still no pedal. Goes right to the floor with the engine off! Is there air in my MC? How do I get it out. I thought you just kept bleeding and it would go through. What else could be wrong?
 
The MC was in the whole time, and the brakes worked before. Now after bleeding and sucking in some air through the MC no pedal. Please don't tell me I have to pull the MC! How do you bench bleed? Can you do it in the vehicle? Do you just undo the 2 out put lines? Could I undo the the 2 output line and let it drain through? Thanks for the reply
 
Sorry, thought you had master cylinder off. If you suspect air in M/C, you can cheat and unhook secondary line, (closest to firewall) and bleed master cyl. Keep pedal held to floor while you hook line back up, then re-bleed all 4 brake positions until all air bubbles are out of the fluid. Check your m/c between each position.
 
Ya, I was doing this myself and let the fluid go empty. Why won't the air be forced out just bleeding the brakes. Just asking, not arguing. There is definatly something wrong. Air somewhere, and it's not in the lines.
 
IF you got air into the master cylinder, you CAN get it out by bleeding it the regular way, but it takes forever. Are you using a vacuum bleeder? If not, how are you doing it by yourself?


By the way, this probably should have gone under OEM tech. Just an FYI
 
Din't think about OEM. I don't know an official name. I have the cup with the hose that goes to the bottom of the cup to keep air from sucking back in. I can do it myself but it is a PITA cause it only holds about 4 oz and you need to keep one in as a seal. I will undo a line off the MC and try to force some fluid through to speed things up. Any one else have any sugestions?
 
I highly recommending calling up a buddy and getting them to help you. This whole process is a thousand times easier with 2 people. Offer to supply beer, trust me, it will be well worth it. Use them to pump your brake pedal while you do the bleeder valves.
 
The wife just got home and will ask her for help even though I don't like to. She is cool but sick of the Jeep. I have been doing a build for 3 weeks now. I am so sick of it, I just want to be done and go wheel. All that stuff on my floor is now on the Jeep, but no brakes. Thanks for your help. Anyone have any other ideas I'm open.
 
Some people swear by using the "gravity" method of bleeding brakes, just keep the m/c full and let the fluid flow.
 
Get your wife to pump the brakes & then hold the pedal down while you bleed them. Start with the master cylinder, go to right rear, then left rear, then right front, then left fron. Make sure she pumps the pedal when you have the bleeder valve closed, and that she holds the pedal down when you open the valve. Repeat as necessary, and they will be bled faster than you would think.
 
Bled the brakes old school w/ the wife. Still nothing!!! Out of ideas. What the hell is going on???
 
That is the begining of this. Had ABS, swaped rear axle, took out entire ABS system, and used new prop valve from a 98 all disk Grand Chero. But everything worked after that. Decided to replace rear hard line, and the hard line from the MC to the prop valve for the front brakes. Bled system and no brakes. When I bled, that was when I goofed and sucked in air by letting resivoir get low. There is air somewhere, but don't know where. Bled well 3 times. Gone through 2 QUARTS of fluid. Will go get fresh stuff tomorrow. There are no leaks anywhere, and no air comming out durring bleed except fine bubbles to pass rear. There is no way to draw air in except if something is leaking right? Meaning I can't be taking in air unless I was leaking fluid out right? What does bench bleeding your MC do for you. I happen to have the 98 MC from the grand, but I know it's empty.

Is it just air? How do I get it out? Am I just freaking and just need to bleed more? I am so tired from this build. I just want to drive my XJ again. I really want to be done with this. I appreciate any advice
 
We just emptied my MC today and flushed the whole system to clean out old fluid. We also did the stainless line on the rear. We used a vacuum bleeder with pedal assistance.
I'd say try to find someone with a vacuum bleeder.
It's pretty easy to suck a little air in when your manually bleeding. I've never gotten it first try manually and that's with a mechanic helping.
We went through about 2 quarts flushing everything.

I'm sure none of this actually helps...
 
What is a vacume bleeder?
 
Ready to start day 2. Any other sugestions? What is bench bleeding the MC? What is a vacume bleeder?
 
a vacume bleeder just sucks on the line to draw fluid threw the system. bench bleeding allows you to get all the air out of the master quickly. sometimes with the master in the car it sits at an angle and is hard to get all the air out. basicly to bench bleed you pull the master put it level in a vice run both output lines back into the res. with a little piece of hose and pump the thing like crazy till zero air comes out. then you know that the master is free of air cap the lines re-install and bleed the lines in your vehicle. i have had fairly good luck with gravity bleeding my brakes by just opening the bleeder screw and letting it bleed out for a while. one other thing to think about is if you master is bad. if you are indeed bleeding the system correct you should have a firm pedal. sometimes if it's an old master it wears the bore of the master like a piston rings do to an engine. and when you go to bleed the system you move the master piston past it's normal operating range over the scored cylinder walls and dammage the seal. but usually you can pump the brakes up and get some pedal for a minute.
 
bj-666 said:
a vacume bleeder just sucks on the line to draw fluid threw the system. bench bleeding allows you to get all the air out of the master quickly. sometimes with the master in the car it sits at an angle and is hard to get all the air out. basicly to bench bleed you pull the master put it level in a vice run both output lines back into the res. with a little piece of hose and pump the thing like crazy till zero air comes out. then you know that the master is free of air cap the lines re-install and bleed the lines in your vehicle. i have had fairly good luck with gravity bleeding my brakes by just opening the bleeder screw and letting it bleed out for a while. one other thing to think about is if you master is bad. if you are indeed bleeding the system correct you should have a firm pedal. sometimes if it's an old master it wears the bore of the master like a piston rings do to an engine. and when you go to bleed the system you move the master piston past it's normal operating range over the scored cylinder walls and dammage the seal. but usually you can pump the brakes up and get some pedal for a minute.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I'm getting somewhere. My bleeders on the rear calipers are on the bottom. Took calipers off turned upside down and a butt load of air came out!!! Still need to do the correct bleed when wife gets back. Also pedal is much better but still not right. Just to make sure, I might pull the MC and do as you sugest. That makes sence. My MC is from my 2000, so it shouldn't be wore out. Also, had my system all opened up and bled back to normal operation before, so my MC should be good.

Thanks for all the input. I see light at the end of the tunnel! Or that might just be the tow truck to take my junk away! We'll find out.
 
Dirt Surfer said:
.... My bleeders on the rear calipers are on the bottom...
Click to expand...
Sounds like you installed your left caliper on the right side and visa-versa. The bleeders should always be on the top. Don't feel too bad, it's a pretty common mistake.

R&R the calipers to the correct side of the vehicle and then bleed, you should be OK after that.

One of these make quick work bleeding/flushing brake systems.
http://www.motiveproducts.com/02bleeders.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

X
My brakes are crap
Replies
12
Views
3K
xjklmnop69
X
J
Help needed with nightmare XJ ABS to Non-ABS swap...
Replies
0
Views
66
JBinNY
J
O
Resetting Brake fault light
Replies
1
Views
973
kastein
kastein
M
Poor pedal feel and weak brakes.
Replies
15
Views
2K
Bill Mc
B
1
Can't get good brakes on my 1ton xj
Replies
2
Views
4K
1-tonxj
1
Back
Top