[BC]

I have recently acquired a 70 plain-jane model that I want to use as my daily driver. It has a new 350 w/PG and drums all around. When the motor was out (pulled the 307 for a mild 350), I re-did the entire front end with new ball-joints, end-links, poly bushings, springs, shocks, etc...even rebuilt the entire front brakes. The problem in the fronts is that I can only get the front right side to bleed, nothing out of the left front. Nor can I get any fluid out of the rears, even with the brake lines disconnected!! I didn't rebuild the rears, they looked to be fairly good. On the front left, I disconnected the line where it enters the cylinder and I get fluid out there, but nothing out of the bleeder screw of the hole when the screw is removed entirely!! I know the cylinders are good, I just rebuilt them; is it possible that when I put it all back together that 'pistons' inside the cylinder are blocking the hole? How do I get it to move? How do I find out why there is no fluid getting to the rears?

Thanks for all the help,



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Bill C.
'71 SS (now with 468BBC)
ACES #2780
Colo Spgs, CO

 

[tom wurm]

BC,
You know brakes are so simple they are complicated. At least we try and make them complicated, especially when we are having trouble getting them to work. This happened to me: When I did the frame off of my 69 SS the system that frustrated me the most was the brakes. Like you I rebuilt all the wheel cylinders and installed a new master cylinder. I connected all the lines and began bleeding the system. The rear brakes were no problem but when it came to the front I could not get the pedal to come off the floor. I bled what seemed like 2 quarts of fluid through those front cylinders over about 4 or 5 cold winter nights. The pedal was still on the floor. I kept telling myself that bleeding brakes was not rocket science and I had done it at least 100 times on many different cars. I must have had that master cylinder on and off the car 50 times. After a few days of ignoring the brakes the answer came to me. Can you believe that I installed the front cylinders on the wrong side of the car. This caused the bleeder to be on the bottom of each cylinder resevoir, which let plenty of fluid drain throught but the resevoir would never fill.

I know this does not answer your question but I guess what I am trying to say is: Brakes are really simple, do not let a problem complicate your approach to the problem. If you have fluid to the cylinder then take one of the cylinders off the car and dissassemble it to try and determine why fluid is not entering. There is only one way for fluid to get into the cylinder and one way for fluid to get out. I am sure if your attack the problem without letting the frustration cloud your thinking you will easily find the problem. Good luck.

 

[BILL TIRELLI]

BC,do you have a metering valve under the front bowl on your m/c. If you do, then this is for your front brakes, remove the bolt that holds it to the bracket. You will notice a small shaft sticking out the back. This shaft has to be held in whenever you bleed the brakes. Get small c-clamp and tighten it until it pulls in the shaft. Then bleed brakes, drivers rear, pass rear, drivers front, pass front. If you don`t hold in the shaft you will never bleed brakes.Hope this helps

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BILL TIRELLI TEAM CHEVELLE MEMBER#280 1969 BLK CHEVELLE SS396 375HP 4SP 410 POSI
STATEN ISLAND NY

 

[chev64]

I personally never rebuild the wheel cylinders, I always replace them it's not worth the hassle.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017

 

[elcamino]

Are you using a '70 service manual. They outline 8 steps to manually bleed the system. Failure to follow the correct procedure could result in problems.

You would be wise to let a professional do this for you.

Do you have bleeder hose's?

Step 1; You must bleed all air out of the master cylinder first if it is equiped with bleeder valves, then proceed to the wheel cylinder nearest the master and bleed that, then the next nearest and so on. Keep doing this untill there is not a trace of air in the system.




[This message has been edited by elcamino (edited 10-15-99).]

 

[john6066]

i had a similar problem after some extensive sand blasting, don't know how sand got in the sealed system but it did. i had to completely empty the brake system, run clean fluid through it the blow it out with air and repeat until it was clear. you mentioned that you couldn't get fluid out of the rear even when disconnected. your lines may be pluged. hope it helps, john..