Installed new rotors and did my caliper rebuild. Unfortunately, after we bled the system, we had absolutely no pedal action when we tried to drive the car. The front had nothing at all. When we returned the inside of the rim had brake fluid on it. What could be happening? I check the seals on the calipers and they seamed strong. I can't for the life of me find a fluid leak. Any ideas folks? I check the banjo bolt and bleed screws.

 

Pump the brake and have your friend watch to see where the fluid is coming from.

 

Take the wheel off, shine a light on the caliper, have somebody pump the brakes, and see where the fluid is leaking.

ps. I hope you washed the brake fluid off your wheel.

 

... if nothing just re bleed them until you get it right. also make sure the fluid resv is closed when you are bleeding because that will suck air into the line.

 

I win mike!... well you said the light part.

 

You must have cheated. You don't happen to have 750 pages of secret documents that belong to me, do you?

 

I did all that and looked around and all that business. The pumping yielded no obvious location, I thought my seal around the piston was bad. But I removed the caliper and had him pump and sure enough nothing.

I didn't however put the lid on the resevoir when we pumped so i may have loaded air into the system. However that doesn't explain our leak.

Cars suck, why didn't I get into model trains?

 

Try again. If there was fluid on the inside of the wheel, it came from somewhere. Put the car up on jackstands, remove the wheels and with a good light carefully inspect the braking system while someone is applying strong pressure to the system.

Not putting the lid on the master cylinder reservoir will not put air in the system. It does increase the chance of contamination and allows the new fluid to absorb moisture from the air more rapidly.

 

I think it is better safe than sorry with the lid.. It creates a vaccum with the lid on. Think of a straw full of liquid.. you suck in the straw without the top covered and its really easy... then put your finger on top of the straw and try to suck the liquid... the straw collapses.

 

I'm pretty sure it has a valve so that it does not create a vacuum.