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        General >> Problems >> Dodgy Bleeder!
        
(Message started by: Paul B on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:03am)

Title: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Paul B on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:03am

Had a muck about with my brakes yesterday afternoon.

Managed to swap the rear calipers - my old ones are nicely seized in the handbrake department. And I put on some new second-hand ones, which seem to work quite nicely.

Removal of calipers isn't too much of a problem, but what a pig of a job it is to detach (and re-attach) the handbrake cables!
Sussed it in the end though. Its pretty near impossible to do one side of the car at a time. Basically, everything needs to be off in order to gain enough slack.

Anyway... after changing those, I took on the task of pumping through all the old fluid (good job I saved a couple of Dolmio jars eh?) I reckon it was time it was done because it was pretty black :o
So, with old fluid out, it was in with the new stuff (a nicer colour... kinda like urine ;) )

Now, I did the old bleeding thing, with the missus in the driver's seat, while I watch the tubing and say "Down....Up" more times than I care to remember. Did that on each wheel until I could only see clear fluid coming through. To my mind that shoud be it. But the brakes are really quite crap now. Handbrake feels like it'll be fine after a bit more adjustment, but the foot brake is awful.
Have I missed anything, or do I just need to bleed again?

Many thanks to PaulScorp for the calipers. I'll sort you out for those sometime soon :)

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Simmo on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:13am

Paul, Have you read through the links on this page?. http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/brakesmanual.htm. There does seem to be a particular 'system' for either replacing the fluid or bleeding the brakes.

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Paul B on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:16am

Did have a look a few days ago. Should have printed it all out perhaps? :-/

Maybe I'll have another look at things tonight when I have more time.

By the way, I noticed in the manual it says "Absolute hygene must be observed when working with brake fluid".
I had a shower and combed my hair before I started, but I'm not sure it made any difference! :-/

;)

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Snoopy on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:40am

Try running the engine so that you get the assistance of the servo .... It might also be worth using a power bleed system... you can get them from MOST good spares/accesories shops.

But you sound as though you are doing right.

You should start at the wheel furthest from the MASTER cylinder and work back to it.
Does sound also that there is still some air in the system which can happen.
If the brakes work OK but the pedal feels low or spongy use the car for a couple of days and then re-bleed the brakes that sometimes helps as the air bubbles collect nto bigger ones and make it easier.

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by mr._floppy on Mar 20^th, 2006, 12:52pm

Are the replacement calipers reconditioned or just taken from a scrapped Scorp ? sorry, but they might just be rubbish :-[

I find these " One Man Bleeding kits " really good , I bled 3 wheels recently ( I couldn't get the bleed nipple of the 4th wheel untightened, dammit !) in 30 minutes, perfect result, nice hard pedal and pulls up in a straight line.

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Fitzy on Mar 20^th, 2006, 7:12pm

PaulB

When i had my rear calipers replaced for the M.O.T there was some instructions in the box stating how they should be fitted, i think it was something like fit and bleed the brakes before fitting and adjusting the handbrake cable, so that the auto adjusters are set properly before the handbrake is fitted. I must admit this is a different way of fitting than what i have had to do in the past. If i hadn't seen these instructions and been fitting them myself i would have just fitted them, handbrake too and then bled them.

Sorry mate, not trying to make you to suck eggs or anything but we're all guilty of not reading instructions when we do things.

HTH

Fitzy ;) ;D ;)

Title: Re: Dodgy Bleeder!
Post by Paul B on Mar 20^th, 2006, 8:41pm

Snoopy... I had the engine running whilst doing the bleeding as you suggested. And by the sound of it, I even did them in the right sequence.
I have driven the car for a bit tonight, and they feel... ok. That's it really, they're ok. But I reckon the Scorpio brakes are great usually. These are a bit soft on the pedal too. But I'll bleed them a bit more to get 'em right.

Mr Floppy... the calipers came from a breaking 2.3 estate I believe, but are the same part. I don't they are rubbish. In fact, they appear far better than my originals.

Fitsy... I know what you mean about instructions - they're usually the first thing we chuck away!
But, as it happens, I have left the handbrake slightly unadjusted. Really wasn't bothering until the footbrake was right. But already, it is working much better than it did before :)