bleeding brakes, soda stream brake fluid

[Neo Badness]

Where do you measure to find the difference in 20mm and 22mm master cylinders?

[Lewy]

Take it off and measure the bore.

[nige_s]

Sorry dude, been too busy on my own car to go through the forum and only just seen your thread.. next time, invest on one of these.



It uses pressure from a spare wheel and worked wonders on my brakes! 

Wouldn't bother with one of those, I bought a Sealey Power Bleeder and never looked back.  Bleeding the brakes is now so easy I do it for fun.
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=109708&Referrer=froogle

[Neo Badness]

Take it off and measure the bore.

Cool that's what I needed, thanks. But that will mean bleeding the brakes again

Wouldn't bother with one of those, I bought a Sealey Power Bleeder and never looked back.  Bleeding the brakes is now so easy I do it for fun.
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=109708&Referrer=froogle

That's not a bad shout tbh, may have to go halfs on it but cheers

its stamped on the master cylinder somewhere

Grubbing about in the engine bay, my favourite. There are a finite number of places for it to stamped so I'll check when it comes back. Got a reasonably decent pedal feel but I'm just wondering if when ordering the new master cylinder they've sent me the wrong one and I never checked.

[rubjonny]

its stamped on the master cylinder somewherte

[RossyB108]

Hi,

You definitely need to clamp the brake bias compensator valve to bleed the rear brakes if the wheels are off the ground.

You can get away with it if you bleed on a flat bed or ramps (of it’s on the ground not raised up at all) but with no-one in the back of the car while you’re doing it, the valve wont be open 100% so the fluid will very slowly trickle out (depending on how well the valve is tuned for the height of the car).

I’ve been to several garages to have my brakes bled over time, and you’d be surprised at how many of them forget to open the rear bias vale before doing the back, stand there scratching their heads and eventually tell me the rear brakes are knackered!

I use a pair of mole grips to clamp the lowest parts of the valve together – this opens the rears brakes to 100% and allows a good flow for bleeding. Don’t forget to take them off though before going for a test drive or your rear will lock up!!!



As for the easy bleed kit, or the better Sealey one, I believe you still need to have someone pump the brake peddle, press the peddle slowly down and do up the bleed nipple before (slowly) raising your foot off the peddle (after the nipple is done up).  Not exactly sure why but this is how to get rid of that gap in the peddle before the brakes kick in.

Hope this helps

[Neo Badness]

[RossyB108]

Wheels are off the ground there - did the garage clamp up the valve?

By the way, mine has the 'wheez' sound when the peddle is depressed too! I don't think you get this when they brakes are bled correctly and there's no play/sponge in the peddle.  No idea why it does it but it sounds like it comes from the bias compensator value.

I still have a problem where my brakes need re-bleeding about once a month.  I'm slowly replacing parts bit by bit to try and get to the bottom of it - nightmare.

Let us know how you get on!

[Neo Badness]

Failed again on brakes

No the garage did not touch the bias valve when bleeding the brakes. They said it was only necessary to adjust for the ride height.

Reckon I'd be entitled to a refund if they bled the brakes and it's failed it's MOT a day later?

When I get the car back I'm going to look at this master cylinder that I got from Eurocarparts, see if that is the issue as it was fine with the old one.

Anyone got a spare mastercylinder for a mk2 16v?

I think I have one off the mk3 16v but don't think it'd fit?
Also I bought a 23mm master cylinder many many moons ago, would that fit the original mk2 16v 9" servo?

This is doing my box right in, and costing me a fortune...

[RossyB108]

You do not have to 'adjust' the bias valve to bleed the brakes but when it's off the ground it closes completely (as though there's less than no-one sitting in the back), so you can't bleed the rear.

You need to TELL THEM that to bleed the system correctly, they either need to do it on a flat bed (prefferably with people sitting in the back of the car while they do it) or they MUST temporarily clamp the valve open while it's off the ground.

I garauntee that nothing came out of the rear calipers when they bled the rear without clamping the comp valve.

You don't need another Master Cylinder. Don't do anything to your brakes until you've watched them do this and re-bled your system, i'd put money on it sorting your problem mate.

This is basic stuff, but most garages miss it.