Update: I am not happy at all with what I've done and am going to go a completely new direction.
I've tried a number of things since my last post and
CANNOT get a firm hard pedal.
I got the speed bleeders in and installed. I also bought a
Capri Tools vacuum brake bleeder.
First, I bled both the front and rear again using the speed bleeders. Worked really well. I used the Capri bleeder tank for catching the fluid. It works super well for that because it holds so much.
When I bled the front, I did it with the caipers unbolted and held in a position that put the bleeders at the very top.
Tested the brakes. Absolutely no change. Pedal felt like a sponge and could be pushed completely to the floor.
In the next test I used vise grips and clamped both front brake hoses off at the bottom as close to the banjo fitting as possible.
Started the car and tested the brakes. I got a high, hard pedal that couldn't be pushed to the floor no matter how hard I pressed. Felt the way brake pedals are supposed to feel!
This test told me a bunch of things: The master cylinder is good. The rear brakes aren't and issue with the problem at all. The brake hoses aren't expanding. The problem is ALL in the calipers. Either there's air in them or they they are flexing.
For my next test I bled the front calipers again using the Capri vacuum bleeder. On each side I held the caliper in my hand while I bled them. I rotated them some and tapped on them to see if I could coax any more bubbles of air out. Re-installed the calipers, started the car and no change, spongy pedal that can be pushed to the floor.
I guarantee there's no air in these calipers. They must be flexing.
But... I wanted to try one more thing. I thought possibly the 1" Rivera master cylinder didn't have enough volume in the front chamber to apply enough pressure to these larger piston calipers. So, I went to Napa and bought a master cylinder for a 1990
Caprice which is a 1 1/8" bore. I thought certainly that would have plenty of volume and could eliminate that as a possibility. So, I installed that and re-bled the entire brake system with both the speed bleeders first and then using the Capri vacuum bleeder.
Started the car and tested the brakes. Spongy pedal that can be pushed to the floor. Clamped the front hoses off at the very bottom. Re-tested and get a high, hard pedal that cannot be pushed to the floor. I am done with these Wilwood calipers! In fact I'm done with stock type front brakes altogether. I've wasted too much time and money.
I'm leaning very heavily towards going with an LS1 brake setup. I've been looking at the complete kit that
Flynbye sells for $875.
