Brake Problem Finally Fixed !!

[mikester]

Two threads, a ton of info and aggravation but the problem has been figured out and FIXED !!!!!
The other day I called AC Delcos tech line to find out the difference between two different year boosters. At that point I replaced everything but that so I figured the heck with it. Whats another $75 right ?
The number I have was for the brake section but only masters, calipers and wheel cylinders. The tech asked me what was going on. I told him everything that happened from the start. His opinion ? Air in the line someplace. When he heard the lines were clamped and the pedal was hard that was it.
So yesterday I cleaned up the area and today I started working on it again.
Long story short, I kept looking for a leaky fitting or line. As soon as I hit the air bleeder a ton of air mixed fluid would come out of both calipers. Not the wheel cylinders though ! It was only the fronts.
Then I remembered the leaking fittings I fixed on the wagon. They wouldnt leak just sitting there. They also didnt show anything when the suction bleeder was working. The only way I knew there was an issue is when someone stepped on the pedal and put pressure on the system. Not suction. Pressure only.
So my buddy came over today and while he stepped on the pedal and held it down I inspected every fitting. I had to use an inspection mirror to see it but the line from the master on the top of the proportioning valve was seeping in the middle of the fitting. It took a few minutes to develop enough to start a drip. With suction only it never dripped but the air got sucked in through the same fitting. Unbelievable !!! All this time for a simple fitting. I hate this crap. lol

 

[Wagonman100]

Glad you found it. Things like that can be very frustrating. My ‘99 Silverado has a seeping line that only shows when constant pressure is put on it for a while. I found it when I was doing an alignment and the brake pedal depressor was on. It doesn’t draw air though. At least not enough to affect the brakes. I have a pressure bleeder I made from a garden sprayer, some fittings and an extra master cylinder cap. Works like a charm. I can bleed all 4 wheels in about 5 minutes. Probably wouldn’t have helped you find your problem though.

 

[Tomeal]

I have a pressure bleeder I made from a garden sprayer, some fittings and an extra master cylinder cap.

I'd like to see a picture of that, sounds slick!

 

[Wagonman100]

I'd like to see a picture of that, sounds slick!

There’s not much to it. I just bought a small garden sprayer and an assortment of fittings that allowed me to screw the hose into a fitting and then pass through a hole I drilled into the master cylinder cap. I also drilled a hole in the bottle and put a pressure gauge in. You are supposed to put fluid in the bottle and it would self feed the brake fluid as needed to not run the master dry, but it was starting to leak at the cap, so I just use it to pressurize the system with air to push the fluid that is in the master. Since I have a plastic reservoir, I can see if the fluid is getting low. But it doesn’t take much fluid to bleed this way. I’ll post a pic later if I think of it, but you can look it up online and find articles and pics of how to do it. Works great. Actually here’s a video. He uses a pvc cap where I used an extra master cap, but everything else is about the same.