trick to bleeding brakes?
 

I have recently flushed my entire brake system and still have two distinct pedal feels -

#1. the first time I mash the brake pedal and
#2. every time after that.

#2 is good and firm, but #1 has about an inch of pedal travel more than #1 before it becomes firm. If I drive for about 3-5 minutes, I'm back to #1 then #2.

Is there some trick to bleeding out the master brake cylinder? I don't see any bleeders there.

How did u bleed them..did u begin w the one furthest away from the master cylinder?

I dunno how you're bleeding them, but I always flush the system whenever I replace the pads. I first use a turkey baster, (my wife hates me because I use hers) and pull as much fluid as I can out of the reservoir. Then, when I compress the caliper pistons the reservoir fills back up. I suck that $hit out too. Then when I'm ready to start bleeding, I fill up the reservoir. I've never worried about which wheel to do first thru last, but I do always start at the rears. The first wheel that I bleed, I bleed until I have virtually emptied the reservoir again. This way I know I flushed the line to that wheel. I proceed to do the remaining wheels until new fluid comes out.

For me, and it's kinda hard/painstaking to do, is to keep cracking the bleeders only a very little at a time. The idea being to have the bleeder closed before the brake pedal hits the floor. I can't remember a time that I've had to re-bleed my brakes.

I've also heard that maybe there's another bleeder somewhere? Or is that the clutch? Or is that a different car? :chug:

There's a 2nd bleeder for the clutch. It sits up on the passenger fender by the power steering reservoir.

I highly recommend the speed bleeders that SPL sells. I used them on my new slave cylinder and it makes bleeding the clutch really easy. It would make bleeding the brakes a snap.

i think in the 94+ models, there was another bleeder for the brakes installed inside the cab. If i'm right, it should be under the rear flooring near the fuel lines between the rear fender wells.

You mean near the ABS/brake distribution block?

I've been outta pocket a bit lately...thanks for the responses.

Up to one of the later models (<95?) there was a bleader on the ABS manifold that would aid in the process. It seems to be absent on my '96. I don't see any additional bleaders on the master.

The whole process started when I replaced my pads with ceramics (which I don't recommend for dusting reasons, but they do grab like Vise Grips with verrrry little fade...) and I flushed out my system with about two of three quarts of brake fluid. Yes, I went by the perscribed wheel pattern.

The dual personality still exists, hence the question. Let be ask the point directly - Does anyone else have two different brake pedal feels, or do you have a firm brake pedal all the time?

I don't have the classic "sink to the floor" feel of a warn master cylinder. What does a Z32 feel like when it goes?

The other option that I am pursuing is a possible vacuum leak on the line to the vacuum assist.

Thoughts?

Did you uuuhhhhh, turn your rotors when you put the new pads in?

Sure did. The brakes stop straight and grab firmly with no vibration.

The only thing i can think of (b/c we had a similar problem on our conversion van) would be a worn out brake line. When they get old, the may tend to expand under pressure and you'll loose brake power to that wheel.

Not to ask a stupid question, but is there anything in the way of your brake pedal? My moms subi has a problem where the floor mats slide up under the pedals, some time they go all the way down. Sometimes they don't.

that's what i was kinda thinkin. My brakes do that too now that i think about it. It being winter and all, i haven't driven my car in a few weeks. Damn snow. But yeah, my brake pedal feels firmer upon the second depression. I'm thinkin it's the old brakes lines too.

It could also be normal. One thing to consider is that our cars are older. Things start to wear. There might be enough wear/looseness around the seals that air can leak into the brake system after sitting for a while, but brake fluid won't leak out. The first pump pushes the air back out.