ZenRXSeven

I've tried bleeding my brakes and clutch about three times each now, and for some reason, I can't seem to get it to bleed fully. Every time, the pedals are soft and mushy. The brake pedal goes to the floor, and while the calipers do clamp on the rotors, I can break the fronts free while the pedal is fully depressed. And the clutch won't disengage far enough to let me put the tranny into gear while the engine is running. I even ordered a set of those speed bleeders, but they didn't seem to help. I was thinking that maybe I'm just hydraulic-system-bleeding incompetent, but is it possible that the master cylinders could have gone bad? It seems silly for both master cylinders for the brakes and the clutch to go bad at the same time, but I jad just put stainless steel lines on, so I pretty much had both systems completely drained. Also, I'm not sure what kind of brake fluid was in the car before, but I replaced it with DOT 3 like the resevior caps (and the Haynes manual) recommend.



Anybody have any insight into what could be the problem?

TheCamel

Depends on how you are bleeding the system. Air will rise to the highest point. so here is the trick. Bleed the master cylinder first, crack open the lines from the firewall forward (one at a time, bleed, then move to next) and bleed the master cylinder first, from there you want to go to the wheel farthest away from the master cylinder, and to the next farthest etc etc. If you are equipped with ABS bleed it last.



During the whole bleeding process NEVERlet the master cylinder become low on fluid. If this happens start all over again.



With the clutch, start with the same process, bleed the clutch cylinder first, then the slave, if the clutch still feels spongy try opening the slave and pump about half the clutch master cup empty, then close it and try bleeding, I have had a few Toyota's in japan that do this.





If this procedure does not help let me know.

ZenRXSeven

Thanks a bunch. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

Hydroguy

ok i have a 87 turbo II . I have had to change both of my master cylenders. first look at the carpet below the peddals. If it looks brown pull it down some and see if it is wet. Mine bleed so bad that the carpet was ruined! if you have never changed them i would do so. ok now for the bleeding, I'm a hydraulics mechanic on aircraft on the air force. I have bleed more brakes and systems then I can remember. ok hydraulics is a dumb system, it only does what it is told to do, and will always follow the path of least resistance. so if you have a leak or pocket of air in the system your devices will not actuate properly. When bleeding your brakes get with a friend and you have him on the peddals and you go to the bleeder ports. have your buddy pump like hell on the peddel about 15 to 20 times. make sure he presses very hard and and constant. and on the last pump holds down on the peddal as hard as he can. then you open the bleeder port and wait for air to come out until you see clear fluid flow, then close port. keep doing this process until you dont have air in the system and only have clear fluid! make sure to keed reservoir full at all times. now if you keed seeing air in the bleeding process you have a leak in the system. check all lines and hydraulic components. On aircraft I deal with a 3000 psi system!! Leaks are easy to see, so be patient with your looking. I hope this helps some, write me back if you need more help or just email me at Ricky023@aol.com good luck.