Why Won't My Brakes Bleed?

[will1991 11 1 Cars]

Hi all,

 

I've got the car running now so next move was the brakes. Pads and discs, fluid ready, but there's something up....

 

The car is being bled from dry. New oe caliper seals all round, new hoses and new kunifer lines throughout, new pads and discs. The MC isn't that old (relatively) and the brakes were working prior to rebuild. The car is a fully disc'd 1.9. We were using a 2 man bleed method.

 

 

Issue/Symptoms:

 

• To begin with, we couldn't get any fluid to move past the resevoir, it just stayed put. Eventually we just loosened all the nipples and tried again- the OSF spat a load out and the NSR let a little out too.
• Following this we bled the NSR followed by OSR. It seemed to work but the pedal felt odd throughout with a lack of resistance.
• We then went for the NSF but couldn't get any fluid through it at all.
• Then tried the OSF and managed to get a little through followed by a bit of air. I don't know how much of the fluid that came out was just left over from its earlier spit.

 

I really don't get it. I've bled several sets before but only on pre-filled systems so I don't know if the complete lack of pedal feel is normal or not...it doesn't feel right to me though.

 

 

Any ideas please shout up, or let me know if I've not provided enough info.

 

Thanks in advance,

Will

 

[farmer 328 1 Cars]

Could be compensators Will

[hoodygoodwood 70 3 Cars]

I use a Gunsons Easibleed to do my brakes , it uses air pressure from a spare tyre to force the fluid round - very effective .Do you have a compensator in the rear circuit , I am used to 309 GTI's and they have 2 . They can rust/block up solid and no fluid will get through .

[will1991 11 1 Cars]

Yeah, each rear caliper has a compensator in the line. But I managed to get fluid to both of those in the end so I assumed they're ok...or could they affect the fronts too?

[Paul_13 212 1 Cars]

Have you used grease on the seals when you rebuilt the caliper?

 

My mate rebuilt a set on his car, couldn't work out why nothing was coming out until we literally stamped on the pedal full pelt. The grease come out first followed by the fluid

[will1991 11 1 Cars]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

As an update.... I managed to get hold of an Easibleed for today and it did a great job, no problems whatsoever. No idea what was going on yesterday, but not sure I'm bothered now.

 

Cheers!