I go out and buy brand new blank rotors, a set of pads and some brake grease.

The long and the short:

I changed the rotors, pushed the brake cylinder in the caliper back, install the pads w/ ample grease and button it back up.

When I go for a test drive, my brakes are mush, I need to pump them to work, but once pressure built.. they bite and the pedal stays firm till released.

I then bleed the front brakes and the pedal gains SOME firmness on the initial press, but still mushy... but I had to leave town on business, no my father in law proceeded to bleed all 4 brakes (rears are drums).

He tells me the brakes don't engage till the pedal is all the way down (after 4 wheel bleeding). His assumption is that the master cylinder is dead. he also says my rear drums brake unevenly, so the car feels uneven under braking (in the rear)... but this was not so in the past.

The Master cylinder was fine just the day before... so wtf is going on ? Did pushing back the cylinder in the caliper get air into the M/C ? Could it have been on it's way out and changing the pads enhanced it ? What ? I have not been able to touch the car since, but am at a loss as to what could be wrong...

 

Try rebleeding them, from closest to the MC to the furthes away (front drivers, front pass, etc..) and see if it helps. If not, then you still have air in your lines somewhere and I would guess the MC is the problem.

 

Well.. is it possible to get air in the M/C itself... just from changing the pads ?

never happened to me b4...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by X2BOARD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well.. is it possible to get air in the M/C itself... just from changing the pads ?

never happened to me b4...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't think so, but you never know. I would definately try re-bleeding them before I spent the money on a new MC though.

 

yeah same thing happened to me , it was my MC
change that and you'll be ok

 

Well, so far that car has had the brakes bled 3 times. I know that when the M/C kicks out... typically... the pedal gets firm, then when you keep the pressure on the pedal... it slowly gets mushy... but that's not happening.

What I plan to do before replacing the M/C is to bleed the M/C itself...

 

How are you bleeding them? You have to do furthest away from the MC first.

 

hey, do you have have the calipers on the right side??? I have seen people pull rotors, then stick the left one on the right side and vice versa.... it puts the bleeder on the bottom and the brakes dont bleed right..

Just a thought.

 

maybe your brake booster is going out?

 

[QUOTE=DIY_Racing]hey, do you have have the rotors on the right side??? /QUOTE]

you mean calipers, right? any why would you disconnect the calipers when just changing pads?

 

yes,arggg. sorry.. calipers...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B2FiNiTY &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How are you bleeding them? You have to do furthest away from the MC first. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Wrong. Do the one closest to the MC first.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by X2BOARD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> some brake grease.


I changed the rotors, pushed the brake cylinder in the caliper back, install the pads w/ ample grease and button it back up.
.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Brake Grease? what kind of car were you working on? a servicable rotor? if not then you should never need nor use grease on the rotor or pads.

check to see if you tore a boot on the caliper esp if you used a C-clamp and did it fast.

Did you bleed in order? make sure you do if not then you didnt accomplish anything significant.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ricey McRicerton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Try rebleeding them, from closest to the MC to the furthes away (front drivers, front pass, etc..) and see if it helps. If not, then you still have air in your lines somewhere and I would guess the MC is the problem.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Always from the furthers to the closest.

so on most hondas

Rear Passenger
Front drivers
Rear drivers
Front Passenger is the correct way to bleed

 

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

Always from the furthers to the closest.

so on most hondas

Rear Passenger
Front drivers
Rear drivers
Front Passenger is the correct way to bleed</TD></TR></TABLE>

WRONG! I always was told the same thing until I looked in my Helms Service Manual.

Section 19-6

Bleeding Sequence

1. Rear Right
2. Front Left
3. Rear Left
4. Front right

 

did you remember to take the MC cap off when you compressed the piston? if not you could have blown the MC

 

My cousin had the same exact problem with his 01 2dr but he changed the brake lines and went correct after that.

 

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

WRONG! I always was told the same thing until I looked in my Helms Service Manual.

Section 19-6

Bleeding Sequence

1. Rear Right
2. Front Left
3. Rear Left
4. Front right

</TD></TR></TABLE>

those are both the same orders

 

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

those are both the same orders</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtekthis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you remember to take the MC cap off when you compressed the piston? if not you could have blown the MC</TD></TR></TABLE>

beat me to it, when you leave the MC cap on and press the piston back into the caliper the cap needs to be off other wise the pressure in the system blows the master cylinder seals.
bet you a steak dinner this is what happened
goog luck

 

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

those are both the same orders</TD></TR></TABLE>

I know , I was in a hurry and quoted the wrong post.

I meant to quote this:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have to do furthest away from the MC first. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

I thought for some reason you went form closest to the MC to the furthest. Guess I have learned something new from this post!

 

Are the brakes working right now though? I had done some brake work on my Civic a while ago, and after properly bleeding per Helms manual instructions, my pedal did feel soft still. However, within a day or two it stiffened up, so maybe it just needs to settle in? If the brakes are still stopping the car, and it is not dangerous to drive, try giving it a couple days and see if it stiffens up, maybe the new pads and rotors just need to break-in?

 

OK....

I did the FURTHEST to the CLOSEST, diagonal... as the Helm's specifies.

I did NOT take off the cap when I pushed in the piston (CRAAAAAAAP)

The brakes are still mushy, after many days of driving.

I will bleed my M/C, but I think, as some mentioned... it may be blown due to my lack of removing the cap.... *****....

 

Just replace the MC then man. You blew the seals out of it.