ItsDave

Hello,

I installed some SS hoses, and the Spoon calipers on my car - went to bleed them and did it via the process i've always known, starting from the furthest away form the MC and working in.

The pedal felt really firm at the end and my wife struggled to push the pedal down, however as soon as we started the car it all went soft as if we hadn't bothered.

So, after a bit of reading online, I found out that the bleed order was different, and that people recomended the gravity method. So I sat there for 2 hours watching dripping brake fluid out of clear hose, The guide I read said 10-15 minutes per wheel, I did almost double that just to make sure!

However, again, once complete the brake pedal pressure was no difference once the car had started! I was expecting it to be even slightly better!

What am I doing wrong?!

Dave.

RedCelica

You have air in the line. Will the pedal start feeling even a little more firm if you pump the brakes? Also check for leaks around the connection points.

ItsDave

If I pump the brakes while the car is off, they get rock solid.

If I do it while they are on, they get a little firmer if I pump quickly, still not enough to actually slow the car though.

The problem is how to remove the air from the lines, when i've done both methods for longer then was suggested. Happy
to gravity bleed them again, but only if I know it'll work, it's 2 hours of my life i'll never get back haha.

The fluid seemed to be lighter in colour too, which would suggest that the new fluid was coming through, but apprently
there is still air in there!

My next plan was to check all the joints in the hoses - but as it was 11pm I figured I should wait until today haha

Gottabfast

I've seen some people recommend this, but I've never tried it. If you pin the pedal down overnight people have had good results. I would disconnect the brake switch or battery so you don't eat charge with the brake light.

jr94513

Even doing that sometimes won't work. You have to bleed it from the abs pump. More then likely you have air in there. Bleed each line individually then bleed calipers. You need to buy a kit to do it properly. Look up rob Robinett's website. You will find a good diy on it

RedCelica

So here's what I think is happening. You've got fresh fluid at the caliper, then a big air pocket (or several) and fluid in the top. I swapped my lines and had to start my bleed using the 2 person method, as there is enough vacuum that the gravity method doesn't work. Once you get most of the air out, you'll gravity bleed the rest.

When you bleed using two people, make sure you have the key turned on, so the power brakes are working.

How much fluid did you use for the whole bleed? I had to use nearly an entire can of ATE to get mine fully done.

zeroptzero

When you swap lines you get a lot of air in the system, easily takes 3-4 bleeding sequences.

I could never get my Spoon calipers to gravity bleed, at least not in a reasonable time frame, the bleed bolts face straight up and I didn't want any fluid dripping onto the calipers damaging the paint.

You are bleeding both bolts on each of the front calipers correct ?. They generally say outside bleed bolt first, inside bleed bolt second, if I remember correctly .

J Schmidt

Same thing happened to me after I rebuilt my front calipers and installed stainless steel lines on all four corners. Bled it twice in my garage. Little bit better feel the second time but still not rocksolid. Spent the better part of 10 hours doing this. Took it to my friends shop, he hooked up the vacuum, and we had a rocksolid peddle in under 15 minutes.

B serious

Buy a bottle of water. Drink that. Get super hydrated. Then pour some brake fluid into it (1/4 way up is fine). Buy a 1/8 ID vacuum line or windshield washer line. Open one of your caliper's bleeders. Connect one side to the caliper's bleeder and sumberge the other in the brake fluid in the water bottle. Set the bottle down. Go pump away at the brakes.

You just made a one-man bleeder that's faster, more efficient, and doesn't require you annoying your wife.

Bleed with the car turned on (engine running) so you get a realistic feel. When the car is off, you don't have power brakes after about the 1st or 2nd pump.

It takes me about 10-15mins to do 4 wheels. I use about 1 liter (and maybe an additonal 0.5 L) of brake fluid (not counting the fluid in the water bottle) to do something like you're doing.

The only thing you MIGHT need a 2nd person for is to keep the fluid in the reservoir topped off.

I initially do about 15-20 pumps per caliper. I close the bleeder and move to the next caliper. When I'm done with round 1 (all calipers), I check the brakes.

Are they good? Yes? Make a sandwich, player. You're done.

No? Go for round 2. Do 10 pumps per caliper this time.

devildust

Had same problem, easier way is disconnect battery. Put a 2*4 on the brake pedal and force against the seat so that its applying a lot of pressure. Leave that over night and you will be golden. It will force air out to the reservoir.