Brake bleeding issues
03-20-17, 10:53 AM
#1
Brake bleeding issues
After sitting for way too long, I've just about put the car back together in the tiny scraps of time I've had coming back home from college. The thing is, for the past few months, I haven't been able to bleed the brakes properly, I'm not getting any fluid out the rear lines. It's pretty frustrating being this close to finishing and being stopped by something so basic, though honestly that's what working on a car is like.
I was just wondering if there was a well known issue surrounding this. I already had to replace my rear left side wheel cylinder because I had fluid leaking from there when I initially tried bleeding it. Now this time, I'm not getting any fluid leaking from there, but I can't get any fluid to bleed out correctly either. I'm just pretty confused because I don't see how I'm not getting any pressure anymore, because I was getting a bit of pressure earlier, and now I'm getting nothing at all. I obviously didn't expect any braking force from the rear right side, but based on the fact that I had fluid going through the left side earlier, I was kind of hoping that I would get those brakes active. No luck. Do I have no choice but to replace the hard line between the rear left and rear right brakes? I'd rather avoid it considering I don't have the tools but hey if duty calls.
So I guess I'm just asking if there're any common issues with the rear brakes that I should know about.
Pretty stupid question, I know, but I figured I might as well brainstorm and get something figured out for the next couple weeks I'm away from my car.
I was just wondering if there was a well known issue surrounding this. I already had to replace my rear left side wheel cylinder because I had fluid leaking from there when I initially tried bleeding it. Now this time, I'm not getting any fluid leaking from there, but I can't get any fluid to bleed out correctly either. I'm just pretty confused because I don't see how I'm not getting any pressure anymore, because I was getting a bit of pressure earlier, and now I'm getting nothing at all. I obviously didn't expect any braking force from the rear right side, but based on the fact that I had fluid going through the left side earlier, I was kind of hoping that I would get those brakes active. No luck. Do I have no choice but to replace the hard line between the rear left and rear right brakes? I'd rather avoid it considering I don't have the tools but hey if duty calls.
So I guess I'm just asking if there're any common issues with the rear brakes that I should know about.
Pretty stupid question, I know, but I figured I might as well brainstorm and get something figured out for the next couple weeks I'm away from my car.
03-20-17, 11:54 AM
#2
Don't know if the s3 different from the s1 but my car doesn't have a bleed screw on the left rear wheel cylinder. IIRC my s1 didn't have a LR wheel cylinder bleed screw either.
If your right rear has gone bad as well then it will not bleed properly. If I was you and I couldn't get it to bleed I'd replace the RR (because that's what I'm capable of doing) and then if that doesn't work move on to a more difficult task like replacing a line.
If your right rear has gone bad as well then it will not bleed properly. If I was you and I couldn't get it to bleed I'd replace the RR (because that's what I'm capable of doing) and then if that doesn't work move on to a more difficult task like replacing a line.
03-20-17, 12:24 PM
#3
Yeah I figured that it might need to go. I also forgot to mention my RR brake drum is stuck so if anybody has any tips for that too that don't involve me bending my backing plate that'd be great lol.
I should probably clear up something. I don't have a bleeder on the RL, just the RR. The leak I had there was from the normal hard lines because the threads in the wheel cylinder were really stripped and messed up. I'm pretty sure the brake cylinders are fine just because I don't see where they could have gone wrong, but I'll try replacing them anyways, I can sacrifice $10. I'm just really confused because everything was working fine before, so I don't see where anything could have broken in the time it was up.
Thanks though, will update in who knows how many weeks when I'm back with my baby.
I should probably clear up something. I don't have a bleeder on the RL, just the RR. The leak I had there was from the normal hard lines because the threads in the wheel cylinder were really stripped and messed up. I'm pretty sure the brake cylinders are fine just because I don't see where they could have gone wrong, but I'll try replacing them anyways, I can sacrifice $10. I'm just really confused because everything was working fine before, so I don't see where anything could have broken in the time it was up.
Thanks though, will update in who knows how many weeks when I'm back with my baby.
03-20-17, 12:35 PM
#4
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
These are normal SA rear brake issues.
For the stuck RR drum, just loosen the adjusting bolts until you can get the drum off. If the
drum is fused by rust to the axle, you may need to apply some heat between the bolt holes
and tap with a mallet until it breaks loose. If this is the problem, you can hear a ping
sometimes when the rust breaks free.
For the not getting fluid to the rear brakes, its usually the brake balance doo hicky that hangs
off the MC. It is designed to keep pressure on the rears and also as a fail safe when the rear
loses its fluid. It can get stuck when fluid is drained such that none flows to the rears. The fix
is to stamp on the brake pedal a few time very quickly and hard, like an emergency stop. This
will usually reset it and fluid will get to the rears.
For the stuck RR drum, just loosen the adjusting bolts until you can get the drum off. If the
drum is fused by rust to the axle, you may need to apply some heat between the bolt holes
and tap with a mallet until it breaks loose. If this is the problem, you can hear a ping
sometimes when the rust breaks free.
For the not getting fluid to the rear brakes, its usually the brake balance doo hicky that hangs
off the MC. It is designed to keep pressure on the rears and also as a fail safe when the rear
loses its fluid. It can get stuck when fluid is drained such that none flows to the rears. The fix
is to stamp on the brake pedal a few time very quickly and hard, like an emergency stop. This
will usually reset it and fluid will get to the rears.
03-20-17, 01:16 PM
#5
Ah, it's awesome getting advice like this, it's why I love the rx7 community. Getting to the adjuster bolts is going to be a pain if I'm imagining this correctly, but I don't really have much of a choice.
As for the master cylinder magical balancing thing, is there any way to manually fix it if slamming it doesn't work? I'm still learning, so every bit counts.
As for the master cylinder magical balancing thing, is there any way to manually fix it if slamming it doesn't work? I'm still learning, so every bit counts.
03-20-17, 01:43 PM
#6
TG is right try heat. AND there are two threaded bolt holes on the drum itself. They are designed to have bolts threaded into them and press the drum off of the axle. Finally use a BIGGER hammer, beat the living snot out of it. If you crack the drum eh so beit but at least it came off. Most of the time when I encounter stuck drums the drums are worn with a lip retaining them (another words the drum is ruined anyways).
03-21-17, 08:03 AM
#7
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
Ah, it's awesome getting advice like this, it's why I love the rx7 community. Getting to the adjuster bolts is going to be a pain if I'm imagining this correctly, but I don't really have much of a choice.
As for the master cylinder magical balancing thing, is there any way to manually fix it if slamming it doesn't work? I'm still learning, so every bit counts.
As for the master cylinder magical balancing thing, is there any way to manually fix it if slamming it doesn't work? I'm still learning, so every bit counts.
The adjusters are two bolts on the outisde of thelower part of the backing plate. They lock a square adjuster in place. You loosen
these and spin the adjusters until the drum turns freely. See the FSM for how to
loosen these as its not intuitively obvious at first. They are easy access once the
wheel is off and its up in the air.
Also remember to remove the two small philips head screws that hold the drum to
the axle. Its easy to overlook and beat the **** out of a drum for no reason.
As to the brake proportioning bypass valve (I looked it up!), there is no special
instructions on this in the FSM. I discovered the technique quit by accident one time
when I was swapping out the wheel cylinders.
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03-23-17, 08:27 PM
#8
You are imagining it incorrectly The adjusters are two bolts on the outisde of the
lower part of the backing plate. They lock a square adjuster in place. You loosen
these and spin the adjusters until the drum turns freely. See the FSM for how to
loosen these as its not intuitively obvious at first. They are easy access once the
wheel is off and its up in the air.
Also remember to remove the two small philips head screws that hold the drum to
the axle. Its easy to overlook and beat the **** out of a drum for no reason.
As to the brake proportioning bypass valve (I looked it up!), there is no special
instructions on this in the FSM. I discovered the technique quit by accident one time
when I was swapping out the wheel cylinders.
The adjusters are two bolts on the outisde of thelower part of the backing plate. They lock a square adjuster in place. You loosen
these and spin the adjusters until the drum turns freely. See the FSM for how to
loosen these as its not intuitively obvious at first. They are easy access once the
wheel is off and its up in the air.
Also remember to remove the two small philips head screws that hold the drum to
the axle. Its easy to overlook and beat the **** out of a drum for no reason.
As to the brake proportioning bypass valve (I looked it up!), there is no special
instructions on this in the FSM. I discovered the technique quit by accident one time
when I was swapping out the wheel cylinders.
As for the proportioning bypass valve, I'm still getting some fluid in the lines as I mentioned earlier, just not all the way to the bleeder. Does that mean it could still be the proportioning valve? I'm not sure if that rules it out or not, just want to make sure I'm not doing an unnecessary step. Also I think I'll try asking the board directly on how to specifically reset the proportioning valve, more info never hurts!
03-23-17, 09:03 PM
#9
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
Ah found what you were talking about for the adjusters, I'll try that out when I can get back down!
As for the proportioning bypass valve, I'm still getting some fluid in the lines as I mentioned earlier, just not all the way to the bleeder. Does that mean it could still be the proportioning valve? I'm not sure if that rules it out or not, just want to make sure I'm not doing an unnecessary step. Also I think I'll try asking the board directly on how to specifically reset the proportioning valve, more info never hurts!
As for the proportioning bypass valve, I'm still getting some fluid in the lines as I mentioned earlier, just not all the way to the bleeder. Does that mean it could still be the proportioning valve? I'm not sure if that rules it out or not, just want to make sure I'm not doing an unnecessary step. Also I think I'll try asking the board directly on how to specifically reset the proportioning valve, more info never hurts!