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Why can I never get brakes right!!

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Why can I never get brakes right!!

Ok, spent a lot of time last night messing around with the brakes on my mark 1. last week changed the rear wheel cylinders, and finally decided to get back into the garage and finish the job so I can drive the car again, which obviously meant bleeding the brakes. Decided to push the fluid completely through the system as it was very dirty.  

Bled all 4 corners, started with the back right, ended with the front left (not sure if this is correct order for the car, as couldn't locate haynes manual at time) fluid seemed to push through system ok. When I'd done the last corner, Check the brake pedal and Lo and behold spongy as anything Grrrrrr!   I've tried re-bleeding the whole system twice more and had no luck, so what am I doing wrong??

The brakes felt nice and firm before I changed the back cylinders, even with the very old fluid in, and I've bled brakes sucessfully on other cars before, so what is the problem? I just can't seem to get it right!! I'm sure the rest of the braking system is OK, as it all worked before, so I'm sure it's a problem with the way I'm bleeding the brakes.

Any tips and suggestions greatly appriciated!

1983 White cabriolet GTi

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Maniac,

I'd check the brakes lines are tight, use new or newish fluid (don't shake) as older fluid will absorb air.

What bleeding method are you using? manual or with an ezibleed or simmilar?

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Fluid is brand new, was a sealed container before I opened it.

Bleeding method, using a tube with one way valve on, and using a friend pressing the brake pedal to push fluid through system, being very careful to keep it topped up.  

I've checked the tightness of all the unions, even the ones I havn't un-done, they all seem ok.

Is there a particular order to bleed them in on the car. I've always used rear brakes furthest from master cylinder first, front brakes closest to master cylinder last, hence rear right first, front left last in this case. Is that right??

1983 White cabriolet GTi

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think you got the bleed order right. Only other thing Haynes tells you to do is to move (forward?) the sprung arm on the brake compensator by the back axle before bleeding.

I've got no idea though why this is done or if it makes any differene! :oops:

Andy

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1983 MK1 Golf GTI Campaign Model - Under (looooong) resto!
1962 Rover P4 80
2002 BMW 745i
2008 BMW Z4 2.5Si

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Hairyarse said

think you got the bleed order right. Only other thing Haynes tells you to do is to move (forward?) the sprung arm on the brake compensator by the back axle before bleeding.

I've got no idea though why this is done or if it makes any difference! :oops:

This is really important, and is the reason that the pedal still feels spongy after bleeding the brakes correctly. You can't bleed the rear brakes with the axle hanging down, because it restricts the flow of brake fluid to the rear (as it should when the front of the car is down/rear is up, during emergency braking - prevents the rear wheels locking up, and skidding sideways)

When I did it last, I let the car down off the jack onto axle-stands placed under the bottoms of the shocks, which means that the axle is at the same angle as when it has its rear wheels on.
When you have it like this, do your bleeding as normal (by the way, the order is: offside rear, nearside rear, offside front, and nearside front - furthest from the master cylinder, through to closest to the master cylinder).

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Buy a Gunsons easybleed about ?15.00 [Halfords etc] then follow Type17 method .
It never fails

Chudd….

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Finally found time to have another shot at the brakes on my golf last night, did as suggested with the back brakes, and I've brought an easi-bleed kit which seems to work really well!

Back brakes bled fine, no problems, but I've managed to sheer off a bleed nipple on the front brakes while un-doing it. I knew I should have changed them the first time I managed to succesfully un-do them.  :banghead:

Any suggestions on methods of removing it? I'd rather not buy a new caliper if possible. It's sheered off flush with the caliper, no little bit to grab hold of or anything.

Mike.

1983 White cabriolet GTi

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manic,

You could use an easy out but be carefull you don't break that off also!

Otherwise I've had success by taking the caliper off and drill out the bleed nipple carefully (use a drill slightly smaller than the thread) gauging the depth to drill.  Eventually you will not be able to drill anymore cos the end of the blead nipple will just rotate in the hole.  Clean out what's left in the threads.  Use a magnetic screwdiver or other magnet to get all the debris out and the end of the bleed nipple.  use the mag screwdriver again to really make sure all the debris is out.  It is unlikelythat you will get any swarf in the brakes cos the bleed nipple is always closed when you are drilling.  Worked well for me!

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