66 brake problem

[bjwalega]

I replaced my entire brake system on my 66 coupe except the distribution block. I did not see a need to replace the block seeing how it doesnt leak and you can blow through it. It has drums all the way around. I have no leaks in the system. However, It does not want to fully bleed. It is driving me crazy. I have tried everything. I tried bleeding lines one at a time by plugging up all of the ports on the distribution block but one. They will all bleed individually, but i can not get them to bleed all together. I am sure it is a stupid problem staring me in the face. Any ideas?

Also, what is the correct way for the lines to meet the distribution block? The guy who had the car before me has done a bad job on some stuff and i just want to make sure that the lines are coming out of the right ports.

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[67 GTA]

Did you bleed the master cylinder? Not sure about 66, but the 67 has a piston in the distr. block that will stick and ut the fluid off to one side. Not trying to be a smart a@#, but if you replaced the entire system I would have replaced the distr. block too. You can't imagine what gets stuck in the lines when they are that old.

 

[bjwalega]

I bench bled the master cylinder. I didnt see a need to replace the distribution block because i didnt see any debris in it. If I do not get it working in a few days, that is my next step.

 

[1966conv]

What do you mean bleed at the same time, you can only do one at a time????? Also, every time you take a line off the distribution block, you're letting air back into the system. Leave them all hooked up.

I always start at the passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front and driver front.

 

[Shakin66]

I had the same problem and still don't have a very hard pedal. Its much harder when you have had a dry system to get all of the air out. If you can get your hands on a "power bleeder" it hooks to your master cylinder and pressurizes the fluid down through the lines. That is my next step.

 

[bjwalega]

when i say bleed them all together, i mean all the lines are hooked up to the distribution block versus one being hooked up at a time to see if i could isolate the problem. I have a power bleeder but it is still not bleeding. something else is wrong.

 

[66Runt]

Why do you say it's not bleeding?

Are you getting continuous bubbles? or do do you have a spongy pedal you can't get rid of?

I can't remember the correct line attachment pattern (too long since I changed my whole system), but if you can get hold of a shop manual it may be in there. As long as none of the lines go above the master cylinder, it should bleed out OK for you.

You may need to adjust your drums up fairly tight to limit the amount of cylinder travel. Once you bleed the brakes you can back off the adjustment and reset correctly.
1966Convertible has the right pattern.

The other thing you can try for bleeding purposes only is to wrap your bleeder screws with teflon tape, then put a vacuum hose on the bleeder port and run this into a jar with enough fluid to cover the end of the hose. open your bleeder screw a full turn and pump the pedal on a two second count (in other words, one second to bottom, one second to top). Air moves through a system faster than liquid.
Lastly, if you don't get a full stroke on some master cylinders when bench bleeding, it can sometimes trap air. When bench bleeding were you able to bottom out the piston? Did you put a line on the port and run it back into the reservior so that it didn't suck air back in?

You could also have a stuck open residual valve in the master cylinder. You can check this with a mechanical oil pressure gauge rigged up to a line screwed into the master cylinder port. Should hold 10-13psi.

HTH,

 

[SoCalCruising]

Not mentioned yet: you bleed the longest line first, then the second longest, down to the shortest line last. On my car, it's right rear, left rear, pass. front, driver front. Also elementary, but this is a two-man job in my garage: I'm under the car managing the bleed while my wife, friend, mom, etc. works the peddle to my exact instructions in order to avoid sucking air back into the line when the peddle is released.