soft brake pedal
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
Likes: 35
From: Austin, TX
It certainly takes more than just a few pumps - sometimes you will get a couple pumps with no bubbles and it will look done, but if you keep at it, they'll start to go again. The process is not done until you can't push the cylinder in more than 1/8th of an inch. If you can push it in farther than 1/8", there is still air in the MC. Like I said, I also find that repeating the process at a forward and backward tilt (after bench bleeding it level), then back to level, and maybe back and forth a couple times can free those last few air pockets. I actually put my floor jack under my work bench while the MC is in the vise. My bench slopes downward slightly, so I can raise the jack to level the bench, and then raise it a little more to get a forward tilt. It seems to work pretty well.
By the way, thanks for your service!
By the way, thanks for your service!
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 347
Likes: 0
Yep I bled the MC until I couldn't do it anymore cause my arms were sore if I remember right it took about 45min till that point and no bubbles were coming out after prolly 25min then just kept going just as a precaution that its my first time changing one but I dint have a vise it was me and a buddy I held the mc and pushed the piece of steel rod up against the shed while my buddy held a jar with fluid and hoses runing into it not the best way to do it I guess but should have worked I kept it as level as possible the whole time along with keeping the fluid topped off
Should I take it off again and redo it ?
All fittings are tight I'm known to over tighten things just cause I don't relies my own strength
Should I take it off again and redo it ?
All fittings are tight I'm known to over tighten things just cause I don't relies my own strength
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Check that your rear drum brakes are adjusted properly..when i replaced my mine I failed to adjust them properly and had a "spongey" feeling pedal because the shoes were having to travel too far to contact the drum. adjusted em up and theyre firm again
an easy check for this is to put your ebrake on (if it works) and see if it is still spongey... if not then adjust your shoes.. if so, sounds like air in the system
an easy check for this is to put your ebrake on (if it works) and see if it is still spongey... if not then adjust your shoes.. if so, sounds like air in the system
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
there is a little coin slot with a rubber plug in it on the backplate of the brakes. pop it out and there is a little star gear inside that can be turned with a screw driver to expand the shoes (this is the self adjuster, only works once its been manually adjusted 
). I believe you turn it in the up direction (if that helps) it has a spring loaded lock to keep it from retracting the brakes.... I recommend pulling the drum off and looking at them tho. gives you a better idea of how the self adjuster works plus you can check to see if any maintenance is needed since your rebuilding the system anyway. a drum brake job is cheap... around $20-$30 buy a hardware kit with it too
I disagree mine are very solid, no spongey feel whatsoever... Id say they even feel better than my 00 4Runner brakes
Although mine is a 75, and our 78 at work always had kinda spongey brakes.... maybe you just have to get a factory freak to have solid ones?
). I believe you turn it in the up direction (if that helps) it has a spring loaded lock to keep it from retracting the brakes.... I recommend pulling the drum off and looking at them tho. gives you a better idea of how the self adjuster works plus you can check to see if any maintenance is needed since your rebuilding the system anyway. a drum brake job is cheap... around $20-$30 buy a hardware kit with it tooAlthough mine is a 75, and our 78 at work always had kinda spongey brakes.... maybe you just have to get a factory freak to have solid ones?
New User
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
so do i need to bench bleed with the cap on or off? the instructions that came with the MC said to run these 2 hoses back into the res and pump it until there were no more bubbles. I also have 38" tires as well, would that make it not want to stop? im not real new to mechanic work, but there are some things i dont mess with much, breaks being one of them. Big mods like my 9" lift and 38's is my first as well. Took me a while to figure out the "bump steer" problem.
Last edited by eddge; Apr 27, 2011 at 10:20 PM. Reason: added more text
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