Hello all,

I bought my car as a shell and towed it home from day1. Once i put a motor in it and bled my brakes, the brakes seemed to work fine. After a few test drives, i noticed some resistance from the calipers. This problem increased to the point were they would smoke and eventually completely seize up. I assumed that the calipers were seized since my car had been sitting for a long period of time (prior to me owning it)

I decided to use this as an excuse to upgrade to a 00 gsr front brake assembly. Now the same thing is happening to these!! they are starting to lock up!

I am able to "free" them up by loosening the 14mm nut on the caliper that holds the brake line to the caliper, thus releasing some brake fluid.

Ive searched numerous threads and have found some info that has lead me to believe that the problem is my MC. I have a MC off of a 00 civic si but its come to my knowledge that an abs MC cannot be used with a non-abs BB. I am assuming that the 00si was equiped with abs. Ive also noticed that the brake fluid in my MC looks like it hasn't been used through the lines/calipers. Its still crystal clear as water.

One more thing, i converted my car from auto to manual and i read in a thread that tampering with the shaft from the BB to the break pedal can cause something like this to happen. So im stuck and have chosen to put it in the hands of my H-T brethren.


<FONT COLOR="red"><FONT SIZE="5">*Update* 01/21/06</FONT></FONT>
Ive changed the proportioning valve, brake Master Cylender and the problem continues. I cant begin to explain how fed up i am.

The only thing i havent changed is the brake lines but it just doesn't make sence why <U>both</U> front brakes would lock up. I could understand if only one did, then i would check the brake line...

I guess this will be my next step. Keep in mind that the rears do not lock up, only the fronts. Thanks guys

<FONT COLOR="red"><FONT SIZE="5">*Update* 01/30/06</FONT></FONT>
I bled the brakes a different way lastnight (thinking it was maybe the way i was bleeding them) and took the car around the block. Same thing, they locked up, started smoking a little...
But i noticed the rears were showed some resistance aswell. So, the fronts completely lock up and the rears show resistance, could it be my brake booster?

<FONT COLOR="red"><FONT SIZE="5">*Update* 02/02/06</FONT></FONT>
Problem solved!!!
Turns out after swapping all these parts, all it needed was an adjustment of the push-rod. I still dont understand why it had this problem with the original MC but who cares, its good now!

I replaced many unecessary parts and wasted countless hours but im just happy its fixed. Plus, ive learned a few new things which is always good

Thank you guys for all of your help! If anyone wants to know how to adjust the BB push-rod, feel free to shoot me a pm



Modified by ken-e at 7:38 AM 2/3/2006

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated

 

hey i had the same problem with my front brakes on my 93 CX. they used to lock soo bad taht teh rotors would heat up so hot that u couldnt touch them or it would burn u instantly. they woudl smoke like mad too after i stopped and shut the car off

it was the brake flex hoses that were collapsed. the rubber hoses. i took 1 off and tried to blow through it (just for ***** when iw as changing it) and i couldnt even blow through it.

i can almost gaurnetee thats ur problem

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRXified &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey i had the same problem with my front brakes on my 93 CX. they used to lock soo bad taht teh rotors would heat up so hot that u couldnt touch them or it would burn u instantly. they woudl smoke like mad too after i stopped and shut the car off

it was the brake flex hoses that were collapsed. the rubber hoses. i took 1 off and tried to blow through it (just for ***** when iw as changing it) and i couldnt even blow through it.

i can almost gaurnetee thats ur problem </TD></TR></TABLE>wow didn't read about that one. I'll check that out, thanks man

 

well CRXified,
like i said, when i loosen the caliper bolt, brake fluid runs out of it. So im guessing this might not be the case...

anyone else?

 

it still makes sense, when u push the pedal it has enought force to force the fluid through the hose even tho it may almost be fully collapsed, but its just not able to return into the resivour on its own power. when u unbolt the caliper bolt its releasing the fluid pressure built up in the caliper from the fluid not returning and there for releasing the brakes taht were stuck on.

give it a try, the hoses are only like 20 a side, change the 1 thats worse first to see if it helps on that side and if it doesnt, then u know thats not the problem.

worth a shot man, i delt with it and thought for SURE it was my caliper and was all ready to replace it and then a shop told me it was my brake hose, replaced both and it was liek new again

keep me updated

 

pm sent

 

replied

 

 

see above for update

 

bump for you

TTT

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ken-e &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">see above for update</TD></TR></TABLE>

Did changing the brake lines solve the problem?

 

If you dont have ABS make sure your MC and booster are non-abs ones. I had my rear brakes locking up when I upgraded to gsr brakes. I was using an abs booster and non-abs mc. I got a new booster and my havent had a problem since.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93civicsedan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you dont have ABS make sure your MC and booster are non-abs ones. I had my rear brakes locking up when I upgraded to gsr brakes. I was using an abs booster and non-abs mc. I got a new booster and my havent had a problem since.</TD></TR></TABLE>MC is off of a 00si which is non-abs.

I will be changing the last possible problem tonight, the front brake lines.

Thanks for the help guys

 

OMG! im gonna pull my hair out!


Update:01-23-06

Today i changed the front soft lines hoping that maybe the old ones were clogged or callapsed. I did so and bled my brakes for oh...i dont know the fiftyeth time this month?

And Yup, of course that wasn't the problem. I have literally changed EVERYTHING on this car that's brakes related except for the hard lines and brake booster.

MC, soft lines, F/R brake assembly and prop valve have been changed and still nothing. Once i bleed the brakes and pump the peddle, the front calipers lock up!


Someone PLEASE HELP!!!-Kenny

 

 

I thinkyou should check the hard lines. It could be kinked, smashed, or just clogged. I would think that these lines are more likely the culprit than the rubber ones. Why not try pumping the brakes with one or both front lines disconected from the caliper. There should be zero resistance at the pedal with the system open.

 

I'll try that later this week. but ive checked all the lines and they are not kinked. Also, why would <U>both</U> front calipers lock? i could understand one line being clogged but both?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I thinkyou should check the hard lines. It could be kinked, smashed, or just clogged. I would think that these lines are more likely the culprit than the rubber ones. Why not try pumping the brakes with one or both front lines disconected from the caliper. There should be zero resistance at the pedal with the system open.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

expletive it man, in times like this, just take it to the honda dealership. a couple hundred is worth the stress free

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ken-e &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll try that later this week. but ive checked all the lines and they are not kinked. Also, why would <U>both</U> front calipers lock? i could understand one line being clogged but both?</TD></TR></TABLE>

good point. maybe your proportioning valve then. Or, somewhere on the front line between the proportioning valve and the MC.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

good point. maybe your proportioning valve then. Or, somewhere on the front line between the proportioning valve and the MC.</TD></TR></TABLE>The prop valve has been changed out to a 00si one for the rear disc brake conversion.

Im thinking it might be the line from the prop valve to the MC for the fronts like you said...

 

help!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ken-e &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">help!</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<FONT COLOR="red"><FONT SIZE="5">*Update* 01/30/06</FONT></FONT>

 

i have seen this a couple of times, the adjustment on the brake pedal will cause the pedal to stay engaged without your foot on the brakes. get them to lock up, then unbolt the MC from the booster, not the lines, just the 2 that hold it to the booster, see if they release pressure.