cb2big4u Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 I've had super squishy brakes for some time since I replaced my calipers and cylinders. But they were even squishy then. I don't know if anyone remembers but not so long ago I had a brake leak that I couldn't find. When I did the new calipers and what not I would pump the brakes and bleed them with the truck on. They never really got stiff and my exhaust started to smoke. I took off the master cylinder and it had signs where the fluid was leaking into the booster. I replaced it and went on with life. My truck started pulling to the left recently so I went ahead and replaced the rear shoes and also got to the front pads and noticed they were cracking. This is what was causing it to pull to the left. So replaced the pads. When I went to bleed to try and get the squishy out of my pedal I bled the drums. Went great. Then I got to front calipers. I had the truck on whie I was bleeding but when my wife would pump the brake the truck would smoke. I am guessing the fluid is going back through the master cylinder and into the booster then to the motor. Am I not suppose to be bleeding my brakes with the vehicle on? Could my master cylinder just be crapped again? What am I doing wrong? Feel free to ask questions. Thanks guys! Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown 346 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 I have never bled brakes when the truck is started. When I bleed brakes I start at the tire furthest away from the master and work closer to it. Start at the pass rear, driver rear, pass front and driver front for last. Are you making sure when you bleed them that there is no air bubbles coming out with the fluid? I use a clear hose which makes it easier to see. Did you bleed the master before when it was installed? Air can become trapped in the master and can send it throughout the brake system. I dont bench bleed as I dont have a vice, but I have done several masters on cars and trucks and just bleed the master with it installed and never have an issue other than ruining a old towel. lol I would have your wife push the brake pedal and watch near the master to see where the fluid is coming from. Brake fluid and heat dont mix, a fire is likely. I would clean up the lines coming off the master and the master itself with brake clean and start there while everything is clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb2big4u Posted September 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 (edited) I gotcha. Im getting kinda frustrated with it and I'm wondering if its worth just having someone else vacuum bleed everything. I wonder if I ****ed up the new master cylinder by bleeding with the truck on. I did the same as you with the tube and cup and no air bubbles. I also did bleed the master before hooking lines to it. Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2 Edited September 1, 2013 by TampaVmax (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown 346 Posted September 1, 2013 Report Share Posted September 1, 2013 Thast why I dont bench bleed, if you dont have anything sealing the master you will only be putting air into it. I find it easier to bleed on the vehicle as you use the existing lines. Its the same as bleeding brakes but on the master. I do one line at a time until the fluid comes out clear and bubble free from the lines coming off the master. Might want to try that. I bet you have air in the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssfast Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Blown has great advise posted but another way to help get some air out is to gravity bleed just top up the resivor and open the bleeder screw and just let it dipp for an hour just keeping an eye on the fluid some times that works when its being difficult and don't bleed with the truck running always off you only want the basic hydraulic system being bleed. Once you do that might want to get a tech 2 and do an abs system bleed that always helps to get air out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb2big4u Posted September 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 I redid the bleeding and it deff helped a tad. I do think its just air in there. I'm going to have some try and bleed it for me as I think there is still something in it! Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissfans03ss Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Unfortuneatelly At this point it may be easier to just take it to a shop and have them pressure bleed your brakes as it is difficult to get all the air out sometimes. Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssfast Posted September 2, 2013 Report Share Posted September 2, 2013 Yeah I would just let some one try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb2big4u Posted September 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 This may sound crazy but this issue seems to have finally fixed itself. I drove the truck a couple hundred feet after I got done with pads and shoes and bleeding. Also did the reverse thing to set the shoes. It sat over the weekend and this morning driving to work the front sounded like a metal on metal noise. Thought nothing of it. Now the sound is gone and my brake pedal is very stiff again. Yay! Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy91040 Posted September 7, 2013 Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 I know you mentioned that it feels better, but if you've replaced the master, you may have air in the ABS unit. I have yet to find anyone that knows a way to get 100% of the air out without using a Tech II or equivalent scan tool to actuate the ABS unit while bleeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissfans03ss Posted September 7, 2013 Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 I know you mentioned that it feels better, but if you've replaced the master, you may have air in the ABS unit. I have yet to find anyone that knows a way to get 100% of the air out without using a Tech II or equivalent scan tool to actuate the ABS unit while bleeding.I have read that also there seems to be a valve in the master cylinder(proportioning valve?) That needs to be opened and closed by the scan tool to properly bleed the brakes. Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb2big4u Posted September 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 Thats what my problem us then. Feels great atm though so I am going to leave it for now. Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madza teck Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 I'm not a Chevy technician. However I seriously doubt that you need a scan tool to bleed the master cylinder. ( they did make it where you need one if you're going to mess with the distributor ) / as for the break question. Have you checked that both front brake calipers are free to slide from side to side and that there is brake lube / anti-seize on the slide pins?. If not you could have a frozen ( stuck ) this could cause a funny feeling peddle as well as a pull. Then it pops free again just waiting to do some thing nasty like seizing again and holding the outer pad hard enough to catch fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madza teck Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 Thast why I dont bench bleed, if you dont have anything sealing the master you will only be putting air into it. I find it easier to bleed on the vehicle as you use the existing lines. Its the same as bleeding brakes but on the master. I do one line at a time until the fluid comes out clear and bubble free from the lines coming off the master. Might want to try that. I bet you have air in the system. You have lots of great advice and you know what your talking about. However why not just buy a master cylinder bleeding kit? They're cheep and work well on car or in a vice. It also makes it easy to tell when your done. / basically you're just running a tube from each out put to the master cylinder reservoir. Then you bleed until there's no more bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 I'm not a Chevy technician. However I seriously doubt that you need a scan tool to bleed the master cylinder. ( they did make it where you need one if you're going to mess with the distributor ) / as for the break question. Have you checked that both front brake calipers are free to slide from side to side and that there is brake lube / anti-seize on the slide pins?. If not you could have a frozen ( stuck ) this could cause a funny feeling peddle as well as a pull. Then it pops free again just waiting to do some thing nasty like seizing again and holding the outer pad hard enough to catch fire No, you do not need a scan tool to bleed the master, but you do need one to bleed the ABS pump.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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