Hey all, I need to do a brake job on all four corners and I've noticed that the brake fluid is black and gritty feeling. I already need to replace the wheel cylinders as the rears are cooked (probably what happened to the fluid) and I think I have a sticky caliper as the right front has worn out much faster than the left. I obviuosly do not want to introduce black, gritty feeling fluid to new parts . I'm torn between cleaning the Master and filling it full of clean fluid, then sucking the lines with a mighty vac and disconnecting the lines at both ends and blowing them out. We have a "wad shooter" here at work I could use to send a plug through but what a PITA that will be. Especially if it doesn't come out the other end. The mighty vac idea is more appealing because it will keep the lines full of fluid. Just not sure it will clean them well enough. Thoughts? Other ideas? Thanks!
That is not a good sign Rashy, the black is deteriating rubber and the grit could be moisture attacking the inside of the lines if that is the case it could be line replacement. $.02
Put DOT 5 in there after all that work and then it does not attract moisture, does not eat up paint, has a higher boiling point for racing and does not stink like DOT 3. I know where you can get a good deal on it.
De-Natured Alcahol is the only thing I use to flush lines. I disconect the lines on both ends and use my Air blow nozel with a siphon hose on it. Drop the hose in the Alcahol and blow it through until it comes out the other end clean. A piee of Vac hose on the loose end in a bucket will control the Mess. Then blow the line dry. Make sure you have a good water trap on the air supply. I've done this many times over the years with good results. The Wizzard
I'm with royalshifter on this one. Bite the bullet and replace all your lines and hoses. That stuff came from somewhere and it didn't magically preciptate out of the brake fluid. That's the residue of deteriorating lines and hoses. Which sucks worse - replacing lines and hoses or a brake failure at a busy intersection?
Like others have said...REPLACE all the lines!!! You don't wanna skimp when it comes to plumbing your ride...especially when it comes to the braking system! It ain't that expensive or difficult to run new lines...and the peace-of-mind is MORE than worth it!
someone posted about fedhill's brake lines a few weeks ago and i read up on them and invested. I have to say brake line replacement has never been so easy....I dare say " fun". The lines are a nickle/copper alloy so no corrosion, you can bend them with your fingers, and they have a rupture strength higher than steel. The flare tool they make is so damn easy to use and makes PERFECT flares every time. Get 4 guys to go in with you and buy the flare tool. Their line is a little expensive $69 for 25 feet....but you'll never have to replace it again...which is ashame....because it's so damn easy to do it.....
I remember popping a brake line on my '55 Roadmaster while I was out driving. How I drove that thing home without killing someone or destroying any property has long been forgotten; but I DO still recall the panic and cold seat when the line first popped and I lost the brake peddle pressure. Do us all, and yourself, a favor.....spend some time bending new lines instead of wasting time trying to clean out old ones.
Ditto...I'm with the rest of the guys...do it right, replace the lines and hoses and use new fluid....but there's something that isn't "right" about using the silicone DOT 5 fluid, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is. I read about it somewhere....I know it doesn't attract moisture.... The new line material I'm not familiar with, but it sounds interesting....I just redid all the lines on my juice braked '28 Ford A woodie over Labor Day.... I remember looking for a place to stop too back in the old days when I broke a line on my '64 Falcon...(my first car, a real POS)... Used that master on the A, changed that out for a dual compartmented unit from a drum/drum 71 Maverick...Best thing I did...lost a wheel cylinder not too long ago, and was able to stop it safely.... I'd suggest an upgrade to a dual unit if you can....traffic is so much faster and unforgiving....
Ryan If you do not have the time to do the job right, when will you have the time to do it over? And at what cost? I toasted a guy's 65 Ford on the back of a motorhome when the brake lines ruptured from rust. Fortunately this happened as I was test driving the car for a potential purchase. "No thanks, not what I expected." I said as I walked off. The car was junk and fortunately no one was hurt. So, REPLACE THE LINES....NOW. Kermit
You know I like doing brake lines. I'll be happy come and bend a new set for you if you want...It's the best thing to do - and the price is right!!! J.
What I've heard is that silicone brake fluid compresses a little compared to normal brake fluid which doesn't compress at all. So it gives you a little bit of a mushy brake pedal feeling when you switch to the silicone. Also silicone sucks if you get it on anything that ever needs to be painted. It's really hard to clean off completely even with really harsh solvents (because it's basically chemically inert), and just a tiny smudge of it on a panel will cause horrible looking "fish-eyes" in the paint (round craters where the paint beads up and won't stick to the substrate). I always use DOT4 or "DOT3/DOT4" fluid.
Dont forget the junction blocks also.When i did the complete brake job(mc,all new lines wheel cyls,drums,shoes hardware,hoses)the brake fluid had turned too jelly,i flushed the junction blocks with lac thinner then blew em out with compressed air.Mike
Drain all the fluid, flush w/MEK. Replace all rubber lines, master cyl and replace or rebuild wheel cylinders. Vac unit will melt w/MEK use the old master cyl to flush with. Inspect and replace all rusted or dented lines. If you don't have the brake tools come by the house and borrow mine.
You know how good you're going to feel when you've done the job right, the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have done the best and safest job. Remember, you share the road with others of your species. Get it Hot! hit it Hard!
Do it once and do it right. Do everything possiible.Watch silicone brake fluid as its not compatible with all types of rubber. Can cause rubber to swell up with potential disaster.
I've read this other places on the internet also but unless they have recently re-written the laws of physics... You can not compress a liquid. The physics law doesn't say some liquids compress more than others...it says you can not compress a liquid...period! I know people have had trouble getting a pedal and may have fixed the problem after they changed to standard fluid but fluid compression was not the problem. It probably was a trapped air bubble (a gas that does compress). I'm not raggin' on you. I'm just trying to debunk a myth that becomes more believable the more we read it. Unless the lines are almost brand new, I wouldn't waste any time and effort trying to clean them. My 1993 Ford Lightning blew out the steel brake line up in the frame near where it connects to the rear hose. When you look under the truck, all the lines look perfect. No signs of rust anywhere. I only replaced the rear section but I had no other signs of a problem. I'd check the condition of the fluid at the combination valve. Dirt and contamination in the valve can give you fits. Possibly uneven distribution to the the front calipers giving uneven pad wear?? Check the caliper slides very carefully and lube them up for even pad wear. Replacing brake lines on a late model can be a real PITA, (it's fun on a hot rod), but so is an accident.
true about the fluid, but as far as pad wear is concerned, you forgot the most basic part of hydraulic principal when dealing with a single master and multiple slaves-nothin happens until all pressures are equal. point being... rebuild the system. silicone fluid kicks ass, and you won't have this problem again if you use it, just keep your grubbies off the shiny or "gonna be shiny" stuff.- I have run it in the cutlass for 8 years now, and every time I open a bleeder, I wonder why I did it. fluid looks and feels the exact same as the day I poured it in. I even pulled apart a wheel cylinder while fighting a cracked shoe- no wear to speak of. pedal actually seems a bit firmer, but the important thing- no more "hot " fade...ever. that's how I cracked the shoe!
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