brakes

[steve4063]

back again

trying to bleed the brakes !!!!!!!!!!!

doing it fine 5 pumps then hold down open nipple 1/4 til pedal goes all the way down then close.
do this 3 times on each wheel check fluid do it 3 times again check fluid and again.

doing near rear, off rear, near front, off front.

all going ok except the pedal is now hard as nails apart from if you keep your foot on the pedal and then it goes all the way to the ground.

pedals alot harder than it was and we've used half a litre of fluid already and it still goes to the floor if u keep it pressed any ideas please.

got to get it sorted tonight as i'm on my own in the morning before the mot.

steve

[dean36014]

If its creeping down, while your holding pressure on the pedal, you could possibly have a leak somewhere. Have a look around all the unions/master cylinder etc for dampness.
When bleeding try and nip the bleed screw up just before it hits the floor, less chance of air coming back in.

[steve4063]

made mistike see next post

[steve4063]

think i might of found what it is

but now i'm stuffed
the banjo on the brake brakes that connect the bleed nipple to the cylinder and pipe.

it has a copper washer to makle a really tight fit when braking hard it leaks a tiny little dribble.
but trouble is where am i going to get a washer this time of night from?

plus do u reckon that could be it

[alex_holden]

Take the washer off, find a mirror or other piece of glass (something very flat) and some very fine emery paper. Oil the paper, place it on the mirror, and lap the surfaces of the washer flat using light pressure and a figure-eight motion. If it's badly scored/dented you might have to start out by rubbing it on a fine flat file to get the faces basically flat first. Also make sure the surfaces of the banjo and cylinder that the washer butts up against are smooth and clean.

[steve4063]

i've looked over the complete system apart from the master cylinder obviously as i can't get at it without taking it out.

thatr banjo is the only place i can see a leak.

i've tried rubbing it down a bit but the banjo itself is quite badly scored and the copper washer seems very compressed and has a slight recess in the middle both sides

i'll have to see if i can get a new one in the morning right quick and then get a self bleeding kit from halfords.

thats the only bit i can see fluid leaking from so i presaume its got to be that

typical hey it always happens at night and when you've got mot booked

[steve4063]

one other thing should there be a copper washer either side of the banjo of just the pipe side?

[alex_holden]

You could try grabbing a passerby or a neighbour to press the pedal for you, though some say you don't even need to press the pedal if you're prepared to wait a while for the fluid to slowly trickle through. The Eezibleed kit doesn't fit unless you modify the master cylinder filler cap.

I think there should be a washer on both sides. If the banjo is scored it may be because somebody has tried fitting it without a washer in the past.

[Willie]

Well,yes, it seems likely that the washer is the offending item giving you a fluid leak but it would have to be a pretty bad leak to let the pedal go down that quickly. The chassis leg around the area should be swimming in fluid too by now! If you have fitted a recon kit or if the fault has just developed it sounds as though the fluid is able to escape past the piston seal back into the reservoir. Hope it is the washer though.

[les]

You can anneal copper, just heat it to cherry red on the gas stove then plunge it into cold water. The washer will then be soft enough to compress again. Washers both sides, they are different sizes.

[steve4063]

Well,yes, it seems likely that the washer is the offending item giving you a fluid leak but it would have to be a pretty bad leak to let the pedal go down that quickly. The chassis leg around the area should be swimming in fluid too by now! If you have fitted a recon kit or if the fault has just developed it sounds as though the fluid is able to escape past the piston seal back into the reservoir. Hope it is the washer though.

if the master cylinder seal was leaking won't there be fluid everywhere???????

there's none coming out as far as i can see apart from where my missus has been filling it and missed

the leak on the washer is def noticeable you get a nice solid dribble line down the rubber gaiter when u press the pedal so i'm praying to Him upstairs that its only the washer as there's only 1 on mine also.

i'll have to nick one off the spares car for now and heat it up as already mentioned

[IaininTenbury]

The Gunsons easybleed kits are well worth while. Yes you have to modify an old master cylinder cap - drill a hole the right size in the top and screw a self tapper into the small vent hole on the side of the nut, but once thats done its a welcome addition to the tool kit. Had mine about 3 years now and its great as I normally work alone. Bleeding brakes is as easy as just turning on 4 taps. Most of the time anyway! Last one I did felt a bit spongy but eventually found a slight seep on a brake pipe union, where the flare wasnt formed right.

[bmcecosse]

The rear cylinder or connector could be cracked due to over-enthusiastic tightening. You may be better to put the MOT off for a week till you sort all these things out properly!

[steve4063]

The Gunsons easybleed kits are well worth while. Yes you have to modify an old master cylinder cap - drill a hole the right size in the top and screw a self tapper into the small vent hole on the side of the nut, but once thats done its a welcome addition to the tool kit. Had mine about 3 years now and its great as I normally work alone. Bleeding brakes is as easy as just turning on 4 taps. Most of the time anyway! Last one I did felt a bit spongy but eventually found a slight seep on a brake pipe union, where the flare wasnt formed right.

so go on then whats the best way to do it.
i've bought one but it won't seem to hold pressure its just bubbling out from the join i made in the top.
used the washer but being it was metal it did crack a bit

[alex_holden]

You need to get a good seal between the pipe and the filler cap, and between the cap and the reservoir for the Eezibleed to work, otherwise you'll just get loads of fluid leaking out into the chassis leg.

[bmcecosse]

I bleed my brakes by gravity - while drinking coffee. It works - every time.

[Dominic]

I bleed my brakes by gravity

Hi BM - please could you explain in greater depth? Mine need doing shortly!

[steve4063]

well it certainly looks like its the master cylinder as there aren't any visible leaks anywhere.

so its out after 2 hours labour lol what a design hey to put a torsion bar in the way.

good job i did take it out tho as the wishbone had a slight crack in it and with me banging it about got bigger so thats going to be replaced also now.

good job i noticed it now hey these things happen for a reason

any hints on repairing the master then please and thanks

[alex_holden]

Take the rubber boot and the circlip off, then take the piston etc. out and check if the bore of the cylinder is smooth. If it is you may get away with cleaning it out and replacing the rubber seals. If not you'll need a new master cylinder. When you put it back together, follow the diagram in the manual carefully as there are a lot of bits that have to go in the right order.

[bmcecosse]

The 'wishbone' had a crack in it ??