Yet another brake post!!

How annoying!

We now use a bleeder which connects to the airline (used the easi-bleed type things, they were a bit rubbish) and is probably the best single tool we have ever bought! As suggested, you must have a leak somewhere! Bripart wheel cylinders though...not good...I gave up on those! They may not leek fluid out, but surely air is thinner than fluid so it can suck air in but not be visibly leaking?

Jamesbil said:

ok, just recieved and fitted replacement cyl, (only a bearmach), bled and have good solid pedal, which i never did with the britpart.
still have air tho!
i can bleed all, then go back to the first and there is air in it! so i go round again, and air where i started! been round 6 times this aft,
rear lhs, rear rhs, front lhs, front rhs,
open, pedal, close, off pedal, this twice, then pumpx4 and hold pedal down, open, close, release pedal.
getting air at each wheel each time but only on the first pedal.

What am I doing wrong? :frusty:

Click to expand...

"getting air at each wheel each time but only on the first pedal."

going back a few posts so on the second press of the pedal you get a firm pedal not spongey? if so i would bet you have fitted the springs incorrectly so they are pulling in the piston giving a bit gap between show and drum which goes when you have pressed the pedal twice?

no i mean when bleeding im getting air the first time i open the nipple,

just a thought; is the air im getting air from my bleed pipe? the one i put on the nipple?
i only get it on the first open.
this pipe is empty obviously, when i attach it to the nipple and dip the end in the jar of fluid.
the first open will push the air out.
think ive just solved a prob i didnt have

You must have used about 5 litres of fluid there? sorry to hear that it's been such a pain... are you doing it by yourself? I had a right time between MOT visits (over 3 weeks) ended up changing shoes, cylinder seals all round, and then taking it back, only to find front brake imbalance, so even though I had got all air out, the adjustments were still out... ended up taking 10 minutes out of the test, and driving round the block with foot on brake to even out the imbalance. The mechanic was a really good guy, wanted me to pass!!
Don't give up!
Just to go over the method I did, (which I was gong to do anyway before I saw your post) I used about a litre and a half of fluid, because I opened the bleed nipple too much the first time!!
I had read a few posts first, and put the front on ramps, to raise the master cylinder (Iwasn't taking any chances) Starting at the rear N/S, I held peddle down with a long stick (jammed against the seat) while I attached a one way pipe to the nipple, other end in jar, I opened the bleed nipple just enough to let the fluid and air shoot out.. then pumped the brake about five times holding pedal down between pumps. I then held pedal down with the stick wedged against the seat while I checked for air in the pipe, when there was no air (tiny bubbles) left in pipe, I tightened the nipple. I then moved on to rear O/S front N/S and front O/S. Making sure I only opened the nipple enough to let air out!!
checking in the Haynes manual, this was all wrong, but it worked for me..
I have a dual circuit though.
My bro in law said that I should just open all the nipples, and let it trickle out for about an hour, and that would do it!! sounds a bit relaxed to me...
If after your many attempts at bleeding there is definately still air, and it isnt that you need to adjust the brakes snail adjusters to bring to pedal higher, then I would get better cylinders, and curse the B**t***t manufacturers. Checked all pipes for leaks, and under the M/C, I even checked the slave cylinders were working by getting an accomplice to press brake gently with the drums off, so I could see the cylinders moving (In my paranoid state, I imagined a blockage in the pipe, and only one of the two front cylinders working).
I sanded the inside of the drums to rid them of scoring!
looked at the shoes after driving for a bit to note where they had worn, and the contact was not covering the whole shoe (hence the imbalance), which is why the MOT man tightened them a lot more than I would have done to bed them in quicker.
I think that's about it... I now have brakes that function really well, although smell quite a lot, and unfortunately due to Mintex shoes, SQUEAK horribly!! oh well that will give the neighbours something to talk about...
This is my own method based on checking out other posts, and trial and error...
Another method, which I was going to try was to inject the fluid from the nipple end, thus pushing the air through into the M/C (careful with overspill).
That was a lot of words, I know. Hope you got it sorted by now?
If not I expect to see your 109 on ebay in the next few days?
Good luck. Cheers.

Steve2286w, where IS monkeyhangerland? sounds like a fun place...

yes after alot of messing and bleeding with my 9yo apprentice, they finally work, only ok tho, will prob adjust a bit tighter as you did, and next time use genuine parts!!!

17th-March-2011 23:21GemRe: Yet another brake post!!
Steve2286w, where IS monkeyhangerland? sounds like a fun place... 17th-March-2011 23:21GemRe: Yet another brake post!!
Steve2286w, where IS monkeyhangerland? sounds like a fun place...

17th-March-2011 23:21GemRe: Yet another brake post!!
Steve2286w, where IS monkeyhangerland? sounds like a fun place...
James glad its sorted

gem this should explain

Monkey hanger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

a nice place but not to everyones taste!

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmi0Xts6Y04"]YouTube - Hitler finds out that the Christmas night out is at Hartlepool[/nomedia]

Poor monkey!! not only ridiculed by the french, but hanged by the scouse!! that may explain the lack of monkeys in liverpool though...

I'm not a mechanically minded person and generally stay well away from these types of things, but I received a tip from an old mechanic yesterday which seemed to have sorted my own spongy brake pedal.

After bleeding the brakes to death and sill getting a spongy pedal on the first press I was told to depress the pedal all the way, release it and press again until I got a solid pedal... when I got it to then wedge a length of timber from the depressed and solid pedal from under the steering wheel to hold it down...

Then remove the reservoir cap and leave overnight

I replaced the cap this morning and removed the timber wedge and as if by magic it seems to have sorted it - apparently the constant pressure over night pushes through the very laist tiny bits of air that most bleeding leaves in?

Don't know if this even relates to your problem but seems to have sorted mine, so may be worth a try????

will give that a try tonight.
Thanks