How do you get a firm brake pedal? Will a gravity brake bleed result in a firm pedal? I have done the 2 man brake bleed method and I have tried the one man vacuum pump method but the brake pedal is not firm.

How do you do an effective gravity brake bleed?

Is stainless steel brake lines the only way to get a firm brake pedal? But some honda acura techs can get a firm pedal with oem rubber brake lines. How do they do it?

 

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bleeding_brakes.htm

 

Fuse, thanks for the link. That is the method that I use to bleed brakes. The method DOES NOT result in a firm pedal.


There is one thing that http://www.zeckhausen.com/bleeding_brakes.htm forgot to mention. You should put a telephone book or something equivalent under the brake pedal to limit its travel when your assistant is pumping the brake pedal.

 

Very true I have heard stores about taking the peddle to the floor and ruining the master brake cylinder. I have token some to the floor with no problem but the older masters seam to fail.

 

You might try a pressure bleeder http://www.apexperformance.net/cartg...p?pid=46&cid=8 or look at other brake components. I use the pressure bleeder for my brake problem cars.

 

My buddy uses Motive Products: Universal Power Bleeder-Model 0101 on his type r. The product sucks because a couple of times the cap would pop off even when he tightened the cap. Brake fluid everywhere.

 

Ya had it happen to me a couple of times too but thy say its the best way to bleed.

 

Dose your peddle sink to the floor over time this is a sign of a leak internally inside the master cylinder. How thick are your pads? Maybe steel lines are the way to go I hear thy help. Brake peddle hight adjustment may help. Do you have rear drums some times adjusting the rear drums help.

Ya I'm running out of ideas the 4 ways I know how to bleed are pressure(use the pressure tank), vacuum (use a vacuum bleeder), gravity (open all the bleed screws) and pump the peddle (you know).

What are you thinking?? I'm out. Pressure bleed is usually my last resort.

 

Someone told me that the best way to a firm pedal is a gravity bleed: open one bleed screw and letting the brake fluid drip out with out pumping the brake pedal, then close it up and move on to the next bleed screw. In addition never let the fluid go below the low mark on the MC. Has any one tried this technique?

 

this is a important question. I know DCs have all discs but you haven't mentioned what you have.

Disc brakes don't have springs in them so once you let off the pedal the brakes pads pretty much stay where they are, so when you hit the brakes you aren't really moving anything, you are just applying pressure. with drums there are springs that pull the pads(shoes) back, if an adjuster is not working that distance becomes greater as the pad wears increasing the travel of the pedal.