I will be rebuilding my front stock calipers on a 91 std hatch.
Do i need to plug the banjos so the brake fluid doesn't drain out, or do i just hang them pointing up so gravity keeps them from draining?
I will of course be bleeding the brakes anyway, but I'm not sure if I want all the fluid to drain. What would be best?

 

Are you serious? Wow. Just drain it into a local creek.

Come on man, this is an easy one.

 

Only a little will come out when you disconnect the line but after that you can just leave it. Just don't hit the brake pedal.

 

it pretty easy to plug with the right size rubber hose, just slip it in.

but , it wont drain your MC if you dont

plugging it just saves you from having to pump out more air out of the fluid.

 

You could clamp the line. Careful not to tear it if its old.

 

you need to bleed the system no matter what you're going do to try keep the fluid in. you are opening a hydraulic system which means it will need to bled it once you close it. air WILL get in and air compresses much more then hydraulic fluid. if you have an air bubble, you can press the brakes as far as you want, but your not going to stop!!

and why keep the old fluid in? bleeding the brakes could be one of the simplest and cheapest things to do on a car. brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it absorbs water. water also compresses more then hydraulic fluid so it needs to be changed regularly. It should be done each time you do a brake job but people are scared to do it for some reason? IT'S EASY AS HELL!! some people will say "i've never changed my brake fluid and i've never had a problem". those people should stop changing their oil, transmission fluid and never flush their coolant either.

if you can slap some pads on your car you sure as hell can bleed brakes. and what's it going to end up costing? $4.50 for the bigger bottle of brake fluid? my work charges $80 for a brake fluid flush! the techs recommend it on almost every car because it is always brown and dirty.

just pump them 12 times each corner instead of 5 and keep refilling your master and you will end up flushing the whole system

if you don't bleed them at all, nothing is worse then after your all done and put back together and there is an air bubble and you have no break pedal.


Modified by loudandlow at 6:59 PM 10/25/2007

 

EDIT: wrong button, so i guess bump? haha

 

 

I will do the flush, I have bled them before, i will just be more thorough this time to cycle all the old stuff out. Thanks Guys for all the advice!

 

just clamp the line with some vice grips, if its open all the fluid will eventually leak out

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crx Jimmy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just clamp the line with some vice grips, if its open all the fluid will eventually leak out</TD></TR></TABLE>

It shouldn't, the master cyclinder should have to push it out. I didn't clamp my brake lines the whole time I was doing my rear disc swap and none leaked out.