4 wheel manual disc brakes?

[69MyWay]

Here is a hijack while we have some great brake experts to share their .02

I'm setting up my car (by default) at this time using manual 4 wheel disc brakes. This car is a factory manual brake car - so the pedal, small m/c bore...and all are intact. It is a 69 Vette - and will be my first manual brake car in...forever!

I was bleeding the brakes after bench bleeding the m/c the other day. I was letting them gravity bleed while doing other things. The fronts came on-line after a bit and I was able to get pressure in them.

The rear after over an hour of being open didn't bleed. Tried to pump them...with no result.

So....what is the trick to get those rear babies to come on-line?

And...I am glad to see so much positive response on this thread about running manual brakes. I'd like to upgrade the m/c later due to the poor visual of the heavy cast - soon to rust - stock m/c.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by 69MyWay

Here is a hijack while we have some great brake experts to share their .02

I'm setting up my car (by default) at this time using manual 4 wheel disc brakes. This car is a factory manual brake car - so the pedal, small m/c bore...and all are intact. It is a 69 Vette - and will be my first manual brake car in...forever!

I was bleeding the brakes after bench bleeding the m/c the other day. I was letting them gravity bleed while doing other things. The fronts came on-line after a bit and I was able to get pressure in them.

The rear after over an hour of being open didn't bleed. Tried to pump them...with no result.

So....what is the trick to get those rear babies to come on-line?

And...I am glad to see so much positive response on this thread about running manual brakes. I'd like to upgrade the m/c later due to the poor visual of the heavy cast - soon to rust - stock m/c.

You might need to apply some VACUUM to get them to bleed - sometimes I tap the caliper with a small dead blow hammer to "shake" the air bubbles. BUT I have a handy dandy air driven vacuum bleeder so it's easy on my end and a one man job -- ALSO make sure you have fluid in the MC --- keep it topped off... When bleeding brakes - you ALWAYS start with the furthest away - meaning you should have gotten all the air out of the passenger Rear FIRST... then the driver rear - then the passenger front... then do it all over again.

Stop the rusting master cylinder with some "cast blast" rattle can paint from Eastwoods or similar - it makes it look like brand new cast iron. Just don't spill brake fluid on that paint! So when you're done - make sure you clean everything with some mineral spirits or similar.

[69MyWay]

Awesome! Thanks

Yep..I got in a hurry to get some brake action so I could move the car under its own power for the first time before the sun went down last weekend.

Had just enough (manual shift car) to get it to move in the driveway and call it a success.

I'll check out that paint - but it seems hard as you try, a little fluid trickles down and eats the paint off - leaving a rust trail soon behind.

By the way - if I use a siphon air gun and hook the siphon hose to the brake bleeder - then deposit the air out tip in a bucket...will that work to pull a vacuum? (poor man's tool).

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by 69MyWay

Awesome! Thanks

Yep..I got in a hurry to get some brake action so I could move the car under its own power for the first time before the sun went down last weekend.

Had just enough (manual shift car) to get it to move in the driveway and call it a success.

I'll check out that paint - but it seems hard as you try, a little fluid trickles down and eats the paint off - leaving a rust trail soon behind.

By the way - if I use a siphon air gun and hook the siphon hose to the brake bleeder - then deposit the air out tip in a bucket...will that work to pull a vacuum? (poor man's tool).

Yes -- that should work - just remembering that the brake fluid WILL FIND IT'S WAY TO THE PRETTIEST PAINTED PART IN THE SHOP... Maybe try covering the bucket in a dampened towel - and wire tie or duct tape it tightly to the top of the bucket and then just poke your "deposit end" through a hole in the towel/shop rag. You wouldn't want a fine mist of brake fluid floating around in the air and getting on something!!

It's like a hammer -- a hammer is used to find the most expensive part nearest the item you're trying to hit.

[69MyWay]

Since I have hijacked this thread...might as well keep rolling.

Hey Greg...I'm stumped. I re-bench bled the m/c. Getting plenty of flow to the front - all is perfect there.

On the rear (which is also on the rear of the m/c) I am able to get all the air out and it seems to flow well.

When I hook it to the car, I can't get any flow to work down the line. All these lines were new and dry.

I opened it up at the distribution block - and when pressing the pedal can get it to squirt out there, but not much.

I have opened the lines and can't get it to gravity bleed at all.

I tried my siphon technique. It is making good suction, but it won't pull anything to the rear.

I'm stumped.

[Vegas69]

A mechanical vaccum pump will work or pump the hell out of the brakes for a couple minutes.

[GregWeld]

Right -- you're just pushing the air out of the lines and displacing it with fluid...
It will take a bit - full new lines - and calipers...

I had trouble getting my rears (not my rear) started when I did this -- and was surprised at the "effort" it took -- and I have a one man air operated vacuum bleeder!