Hey Honda-Tech.

So long story short, I wrecked my EJ1 getting on the highway on a rainy day, so I bought a 93 Si shell. This shell had a strange brake set up. It was a 4x114 conversion using Prelude/Accord brakes. The person I purchased it from claimed I needed GSR front calipers for it. I just so happen to have some =P. So I put them on, bled the brakes, and drive it around. It drove perfectly.

I was on my way home from the shop I was at all day with the hatch and I noticed my car slowly slowing down! My front brakes locked up and siezed completely. I towed it back to the shop and did some research and searching on HT. I discovered someone with a similar problem. His fix was adjusting the "pushrod". I adjusted mine today, and my brakes locked up again on the way home.

Only the FRONT brakes are siezing. They get super hot and smoke too. Does anyone have a possible clue on what it could be? It only does this when I use the brakes a few times.

Thanks,
Matt

 

Bump. I need some ideas.

 

how far is your pedal travel? i suspect you may have the wrong brake booster and/or master cylinder combo.

 

You know I'm not too sure which brake booster/master cylinder combo it is. The master cylinder is most definitely smaller then my EX one [ABS too]. I adjusted the pushrod in almost all the way. My brakes are stiff pretty soon.

 

hmmm, i had that same problem when i mixed and matched some different boosters and MC's when i put on my 5-lug and spoon calipers.

i remember going through what you did as well cuz i drove around the block, stepped on the brake, had maybe 1/2 of travel before it started to lock...drove home and it was already beginning to lock up on it's own.

i ended up getting a matching MC and booster after that and solved my problems.

 

Hmm. Interesting. I have GSR Front calipers so do you think I need a GSR master and booster?

 

GSR calipers are no different than the RS/LS/GS caliper.

if you use the GSR 1" MC, you will need to bend and re-flare the line closest to the firewall. i would suggest you find an RS 15/16 MC and matching booster. that's what i'm using and it works great with my 4-piston calipers.

i think there's also the '91 Civic EX 4-door MC that is 15/16...but we don't have that model here in Canada.

 

Thanks for your help bud. I called the previous owner. He told me that the brake master he gave me was a dead one. He uses it for his core charge since he has a lifetime warranty on it. Wish he would have told me that before I put the whole damn car together.

 

geez, what an ***. that's pretty dangerous of him to do that and not tell you...

if you have a stock civic one, use that in the mean time until you get a larger mc/bb. it'll work, but the pedal travel will probably be a little further (but you should be able to lock them up still).

 

Ok so I replaced the master cylinder with a new one from auto zone. It's a 7/8" one. I bled the brakes front and back but I still have them locking up in the front after they heat up. They even smoke if I let it sit too long. Any idea what that could be? Think I need to adjust the pushrod back out?

 

hmmm, are you using the matching brake booster for that 7/8's MC? you can adjust the rod, but it's a bit of a pain....and there should be some slack before that rod engages the piston in the MC (almost 1cm i think?)

 

Yea I adjusted it almost all the way in. A very knowledgeable person told me to adjust it in so I did. I think I need to adjust it back out though. You know I'm still not too sure if its a matching booster. How hard is it to bend and put a bigger holder on the brake hardlines so I can fit my EX one on there? I tried putting it on but the hardline closest to the firewall didn't fit in the hole. x]

 

Im bring this back from the dead because I have done everything the OP has done and I still have the same problem.

Mrmatt3465 did you ever figure out what was wrong?