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TR2/3/3A Now the bad news. BRAKES

STeve 1958

Jedi Hopeful
Offline
My peddle is soft every morning and sometimes during the day. When I bleed the right front I get air every time. I've gotten to where I can bleed the one brake in about two minutes by myself. So I've done this every day for a week.
How do you think air is getting into the right front brake and how to stop it ???
 
Maybe air is getting past the threads of the bleeder valve, but I am not sure how you are doing the bleeding. Is the pedal firm right after you get done? How about if you wait a couple minutes? I am just trying to figure out if this is a trouble with bleeding problem or air somehow getting into the system after. I assume when youmention air in the right front that you are not getting bubble when you bleed at the other three corners. If it is occuring only in that corner and only post bleed look for a leaky caliper (sometimes hard to see, might need to take it off) or a leak in the line to the caliper, could be either the rubber line, steel line or any of the end fittings of the line.
 
I had this same problem once. Turns out it was a bad seal in the MC. Seal was good enough to not let brake fluid out under pressure, but apparently sucked air in upon brake release and hence had air in the line the next time I used the brakes. Air always in right front caliper. Rebuild MC and air in caliper problem went away.
Chuck
 
Are the bubbles all in the right front...always? Are you certain they are not by the MC, so you have to bleed for a while to get bubbles, or are they immediate out of the right front?

If it is always right front, then you have excessive runout in the right front rotor. Either the hub is bent, the wheel bearing is bad, or the rotor likely needs to be shimmed. If the runout checks within limits, then the wheel cylinder needs to come apart to check for pitting in the bore/piston.
 
I have the secondary problem of the brakes always being soft, first thing in the morning. One pump and they firm right up.
This would implicate the master cylinder. I see no fluid at any connections or on the right brake. Always bubbles at the right front, occasionally a bubble at the left front.
 
DOT 5?

I sometimes have a similar problem. Soft on the first application then OK. I am using DOT5 and considering trying pressure bleeding to see if that fixes the problem. I have replaced the MC as the one I replaced would not always return in a timely manner. It was a brand new MC put on the car at the same time as the clutch MC.

David
 
Sometimes a soft pedal occurs or will occur if the back brakes are not adjusted up tight. I am not sure what size brakes you have 10 or 9 inch. I find the 10 inch adjuster a little beefier. Anyways, the adjusters have to work smoothly and many times they are pitted on the cam lob and pointed cam adjuster. I also find a good quality wrench is important when adjusting because a smaller wrench will often come off at that last click that is needed to get the shoe tight enough in the drum to stop the excessive travel.
 
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