Air in Brake System!
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Air in Brake System!
Did a brake job on my 93 F-150 ext cab with 5.0 Replaced shoes, wheel cylinders, and front pads and bearings, seals. Turned rotors. Had trouble bleeding right rear cylinder. Had wife pump pedal and I would get air bubbles every time I cracked bleeder loose. Other wheels seemed ok. After driving a few days with squishy pedal, I thought I would gravity bleed all 4 corners. Ran fluid through all bleeders for a while and kept fillinf master cylinder as it went down. Right rear took a while for fluid to start coming out. Air seemed to be there.?? After closing all bleeders I had a GREAT brake pedal feel! After driving a couple of days in is getting spongy again. I am not losing ANY fluid and see NO LEAKS. How am I getting air in the brake system. Could a bad wheel cylinder do this without leaking? Master cylinder do this? I have never experienced this before. Don't want to buy new master if it's not bad. What do you guys think? I did have a leaky wheel cylinder before I did brakes. That is what made me do the job.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Langhorne, PA
Air in Brake System!
Just repeating the basics to you, if it will help. Start at the right rear, put a rubber hose over the bleeder nut.The other end of the hose must be in a clean glass of brake fluid. Have your helper pump the brake pedal while you open the bleeder nut, when the bubbles stop coming out, the helper must hold the pedal all the way down while you close the bleeder. Keep checking the master, if the fluid gets too low you will get more air.Repeat on left rear. then do your front brakes same way. There are some problems with certain antilock-brake system. I think there are other lines to be bled.Find out exactly what type of brake system you have, and you might find out that there is a slightly different bleeding procedure. Good Luck 
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 807
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From: -
Air in Brake System!
I take a big ole syringe and put a rubber hose on the bleeder nut and keep suckin away till I don't see anymore bubbles in the clear plastic hose I am using. Just make sure it is a nice tight fit over the bleeder. Works great, and is a one man job that makes very little mess. 
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 630
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From: New Hampshire
Air in Brake System!
Last time I was poking around under my 94 I found a bleeder valve on the frame rail on the drivers side near the front of the truck. Someone once mentioned that that valve needs to be bled as well. I have never messed with it.(if it aint broke ....) Maybe that could help you. Just my $.02.
Bill
Bill
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: abbotsford canada
Air in Brake System!
last weekend i did my brakes too
front and back
drums wheel cylinders shoes rotors calipers bearings pads
the whole gashmosile
i had the exact problem your describing
my wife who was my helper in bleeding the brakes i found would take her foot off the pedal when i said hold it
when id say pump it up shed pump em and when id say hold it she would take her foot off the peddal
at that point i was opening the bleeder
walked her through the routine of bleeding brakes again and my problem was gone
and we got some good quality time in the garage together
lol
front and back
drums wheel cylinders shoes rotors calipers bearings pads
the whole gashmosile
i had the exact problem your describing
my wife who was my helper in bleeding the brakes i found would take her foot off the pedal when i said hold it
when id say pump it up shed pump em and when id say hold it she would take her foot off the peddal
at that point i was opening the bleeder
walked her through the routine of bleeding brakes again and my problem was gone
and we got some good quality time in the garage together
lol
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2001
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Air in Brake System!
Still having problems with brakes. I can open right rear bleeder and let gravity bleed it with the master cylinder cap off for 5 minutes or so and after that I have solid brakes for a day. After a few days they are spongy again. The bleeding procedure with my wife was correct. We have done this several times with no problems. How can air get in system with no fluid leaks? I am suspecting the RR wheel cylinder. Always get air from it and not others. Just put it on. Part was from Autozone. Thinking about replacing it only and see what happens.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 159
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From: abbotsford canada
Air in Brake System!
flush the whole system
flush it really good
a half litre of brake fluid and a few beers in the garage is still cheaper the nthe wheel cylinder
bleed it all over again and see where ya stand then
if you have no leaks i would steer more towards the master cylinder
but id flush it all and try again with new fluids
flush it really good
a half litre of brake fluid and a few beers in the garage is still cheaper the nthe wheel cylinder
bleed it all over again and see where ya stand then
if you have no leaks i would steer more towards the master cylinder
but id flush it all and try again with new fluids
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Freshman User
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Air in Brake System!
Still having same troubles. I can bleed rear brakes and have a GREAT pedal for a day or so and it gets softer as the days go by. Not leaking fluid, anywhere. Could the master cylinder be putting air in rear lines? I am about ready to just replace the master cylinder to see if it fixes it. Is there any way air could be getting in rear wheel cylinders?? I put rebuilt ones on when I did the brakes. Surely it would leak fluid before it would suck air in. Master cylinder may have been damaged during brake bleeding right after brake job by using bottom part of crusty cylinder when pedal was pushed all the way down. Just guessing. I'll write in after new master cylinder and tell results.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,420
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From: Langhorne, PA
Air in Brake System!
You have had this problem awhile now. Take it to a good shop. If your brakes fade at the wrong place and time, you might be very sorry you didn't fix them sooner. Good Luck
Good Luck
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Freshman User
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Air in Brake System!
Finally got it fixed! 
Replaced master cylinder, but same thing was happening. Got a friend to help bleed and watched master cylinder when brakes were pushed HARD. I noticed fluid leaking ever so slightly at rear line. Must have ben pulling air when releasing brake. Tightened the **** out of that line at master cylinder, bled again and all is well. Solid brakes are staying that way. It was leaking, but not enough to notice fluid loss or puddle with normal driving. When mashing on them hard repeatedly it developed a small puddle on floor. Strange one. Never had one act this way before. Just a "small" leak was able to pull air in. Thought you all would want to know.
Replaced master cylinder, but same thing was happening. Got a friend to help bleed and watched master cylinder when brakes were pushed HARD. I noticed fluid leaking ever so slightly at rear line. Must have ben pulling air when releasing brake. Tightened the **** out of that line at master cylinder, bled again and all is well. Solid brakes are staying that way. It was leaking, but not enough to notice fluid loss or puddle with normal driving. When mashing on them hard repeatedly it developed a small puddle on floor. Strange one. Never had one act this way before. Just a "small" leak was able to pull air in. Thought you all would want to know. 