need help on brake bleeding issue...

[wicked93gs]

alright, i recently designed and plumbed my brake system...up front are GM calipers with stainless steel lines, all new, out back its lincoln calipers with rubber lines(the lincoln calipers are old and the brake lines)all the hard lines are new, I bent and flared them all myself...the master cylinder is a remanufactured aluminum unit from an 85 t-bird w/ 7/8" bore....this is a manual brake setup...anyway, I finished plumbing it all today and tried to bleed it...after tracing down about four leaks and fixing them(mainly due to the fittings not being tight enough)I still cant get any pedal pressure....the only used parts in the system are the rear calipers and brake lines...and the stock distribution block which I am using for the front lines(one port blocked off)the rear lines run through a new wilwood proportioning valve...I have speed bleeders at each wheel...I can pump the brake for five minutes at each wheel and no leaks...still cant get any pedal pressure...any ideas?

 

[mrmustangman357]

did you bench bleed the master cyl before installation? is it sized right for your brakes?

 

[wicked93gs]

ah, thats it, I did forget to bench bleed it...even after I told myself to do it...thats going to be a mess to pull off, c'est la vie

can I bench bleed it on the car without removing it? just disconnect the ports?

 

[mrmustangman357]

no, you need to take it off. bench bleed it on the bench. you need to get the full stroke of the piston in the m/c

 

[ForceFed70]

You do not need to take it off to bench bleed.

They make those kits for like $4 at the autoparts store. Basically, a couple of lines that run straight back into the resivoir. I always do this instead of on the bench as it's much cleaner and easier.

 

[wicked93gs]

well, i took it off nd bench bled it...havent had a chance to bleed the rest o the system...although during the bench bleed it was rather confusing....no matter how much I bled it there seemed to be an occasional small bubble...I bled it for about half an hour...followed the instructions that came with the master...it said 1 inch strokes with 10 seconds between strokes...did that for about 15 minutes...then sped them...seemed to make no difference, still a very occasional small bubble, tapping didnt seem to do aything...I'm hoping I got it bled ell enough it will work no...I'll find out in about...half an hour

 

[wicked93gs]

well...bleeding the master didnt do it...still nothing after that(though I am sure it needed doing) and then I realized I had run one line over the master cylinder level...I rerouted it outside the engine bay, along the frame rails, and voila! after bleeding for the umpteenth time I have front brakes...what a stupid mistake on my part...anyway, I dont know about my back brakes...I do know that the brakes feel pretty stiff...which may or may not indicate the backs are working...cant tell without someone else's help...regardless worst case scenario, I should just have to bleed them again...assuming these old rear calipers arent locked up...I was planning on getting rebuilt units just in case...then I will have a completely new brake system