changed discs and pads and removed calipers now cant bleed!

[Stuart B]

Hi and Happy Christmas

2001 AMK S3
Standard Lucas Rear Calipers
Standard ATE 54MM Front Calipers

I removed and serviced the rear calipers change discs and pads and basically repeated this on the front, the master cylinder resevior would have been drained during this process.

now I tried eazybleed using a spare tyre, when disconnecting the eazybleed from the tyre a lot of fluid returned to the container. the pedal went to the floor with no braking power and the handbrake did nothing.

I repeated this - still no luck.

now I have manually bled without engine running and also with engine running and I get some braking at the floor and the handbrake just about works.

in the Haynes it had different processes for for E20 or E60 (or something like that) - which I am not sure which one I have. I also saw something about it totally dry bleed the clutch and bleed the master cylinder? but the clutch is perfect and I don't know how to bleed the master cylinder.

Is there something obvious I have missed or might I still have air somewhere? I don't want to assume the mast cylinder has broken? what I don't understand is why the easybleed seems to send a load of fluid back into the container when the tyre is removed?

I did read something about simultaneous bleeding?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[<tuffty/>]

Rears will take a while if you have bled it dry... bleed sequence should be drivers rear, passenger rear, drivers front, passenger front the brake master cylinder... the MC is two 7mm nipples which you can see on the right hand side of the MC looking in the bay.. they are tricky to get too, I normally crack one off then use the bleed tube to undo it before bleeding...

Don't use more than 15psi in the tyre for the Eezi bleed as it can oxygenate the fluid...

Typically you shouldn't need more than a litre of fluid for a change but if you have run dry then you may use another 1/2 litre to get rid of all the air

Don't expect a pedal on first push as the caliper pistons will need to settle back first... this may take two or three pumps

<tuffty/>

 

[basil brush]

A new discovery I made is suck the fluid through with a syringe
Smear a bit of grease around the nipple to sti it drawing air in there !

 

[Stuart B]

Hi Tufty,

So tomorrow I will re-approach using the easy bleed.

can I still just fill the master cylinder back to the brim and fill the easybleed container without it then putting a new air lock in? I will find the MC nipples to start with though - hopefully the rears still have air in somehow the brakes work now (maybe 40%) so I assume they are all in position. I am a little disappointed with the handbrake as that is mechanical - which must mean I suppose not close enough yet.

should the engine be running? as the pedal has loads of pressure before the engine is running!

Thanks for you help

 

[Stuart B]

do I have to remove the turbo pipe to reach the master cylinder nipple?

 

[SamHendry]

Yes

 

[Stuart B]

thanks - lets see what else blooming breaks now

 

[ayfreetee]

If you have more than 15 psi in the tyre you used, it may have blown the seals in the mc, which is known to happen.

 

[Stuart B]

finally, back on the road, I re-bled the wheels with about 13.5 PSI but the winner was the two Master Cylinder nipples! I used a 7mm socket on a flexible screwdriver, removed the turbo pipe. just need to try and find the caps for the front caliper bolts as I mislaid them "over the weeks" otherwise the next owner will find them seized I expect.

brakes are excellent now

also got the symphony 2 radio working too by snapping off the diversity / facra plastic shield from the audio loom.

happy days.

next on the list is O/S front drive shaft or transmission oil and that noise from the rear.

still unsure of why the door doesn't shut properly - I think the door doesn't properly line up with the catch on the pillar - but I have tried slight adjustments with no joy.

 

[<tuffty/>]

An MC bleed pretty much always sorts out a long pedal..

<tuffty/>

 

[Stuart B]

Thanks for the advice tufty - slowly but surely I was losing my mind - as long as the car improves it is worth the effort

I am unsure whether to enjoy the S3 for a bit, simply cleaning the interior or take on the next bit straight away? The gear and transmission oil seem a likely candidate and hopefully relatively problem free, as long as I check the filler undoes first.