IF you blow compressed air into brake components or into the brake lines, be sure to FIRST install an inline filter at the blow gun. The inline filters are only a few dollars to buy and are much cheaper than having failed brake components due to oil contamination in the brake system.

If any oil residue from the compressor comes through the air line and gets blown into the brake system, it will swell and destroy the seals of the MC, wheel cylinders or the brake valve seals if that oil comes in contact with any of these seals.

DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 are synthetic brake fluids, not petroleum-based. If petroleum-based oils come in contact with the brake system seals, component failure is eminent.

 

Thanks guys for the information. I will take a step back and start again. I'm a new user to the site and am very pleased with the responses I've received. Thanks again

 

Did you replace all the flexible rubber brake hoses? Over time, the inner lining on old brake hoses will begin to slough off and collapse, internally. This results in the hoses acting like a check valve.

Most often when this happens, when you apply the brakes, fluid enters the wheel cylinders (or calipers if a vehicle has discs) but when you let off the brake pedal, the fluid doesn't want to immediately return back into the MC --the brakes tend to stay applied before the pressure gradually bleeds off and the brakes finally release.

Sometimes, it can act the other way where when the brake pedal is applied, brake fluid does not want to enter the wheel cylinders/calipers so the brakes won't actuate. No fluid getting through means no pressure being applied on the brake components and no fluid flow to them.

Converesly, the lining of the hoses may be fine but the hoses may be clogged up with sediment and rust scale build up from the brake system. Flexible brake hoses are fairly cheap. If they haven't been replaced, it would be a good thing to put new ones on to eliminate that possiblity and for the peace of mind in knowing they are new.