HELP!!! mushy brakes wont go away!

[69camarokid]

69 camaro.
11 inch power discs all four corners
OK so heres the senario.

About 3 months ago the brakes started to get really mushy.
Turns out that one ofmy rear brake lines had snapped off the end section that allows it top seal and keep air out. So i replaced that part and bled the brakes. They felt solid with the car off, once it was on they went mushy again.

Thats when i noticed the master cylinder was leaking. So i just replaced that this morning with a new one, then proceeded to bleed the brakes. The pedal felt solid after, then i started the car and it went straight to the floor mushy again. Ideas?


Here is one question i have. when i bled them the second time i noticed in the rear not a single gurgle or bubble cameout, just steady streams of power steering fluid. This was after 6 or 7 pushes of the pedal. In the front on the passenger side i got lots of air, nad then finally steady streams. Left front was nothing but steady streams.

Any ideas on what may be causing this? thanks

[73z-6sp]

I suspect you still have air in your lines or the master wasnt bled correctly. Remember...you are going to need to get a LOT of fluid out of the rear calipers before you start getting fluid that was in the master cylinder. If your fluid is old and dirty...you would be able to tell right away when the new starts to come out. If it is clean...then it will be more difficult to know. I feel your pain. I have been there. I am trying to finish up my C5/LS1 conversion and will be bleeding brakes then. Best of luck!

[a67]

69 camaro.
11 inch power discs all four corners
OK so heres the senario.

...noticed in the rear not a single gurgle or bubble cameout, just steady streams of power steering fluid...

I hope this is a typo. Otherwise you will need to replace all of the rubber seals in the system and flush the lines out. Then use brake fluid.

Many years ago a neighbor used ATF to top off the M/C. Two days later the truck wouldn't move. All four wheels had the brakes locked up from the seals swelling. Which didn't allow the pads/shoes to retract after being applied.

Bob

[73z-6sp]

Good catch! I just figured he meant brake fluid since they look a lot alike.

[crainholio]

I saw in your post elsewhere that you didn't bench bleed the master cylinder. This is a show-stopper, the air bubbles there can't migrate downward to the calipers to be bled out...time to do the bench bleed.

In all applications I've seen, you can do it on the car in a pinch. Remove the two lines, install plugs, and cycle the pedal until no air bubbles enter the reservoir. Reinstall the lines. Place a small catch pan under the master cyl, and have a helper push the brake pedal while you bleed fluid from the lines. Then repeat bleeding at all 4 wheels for good measure.

[69importkilla]

Here's my two cents, get a pressure bleeder, always took care of the hardest to bleed systems for me...

[Ppd1979]

I would bench bleed the master and then reinstall the master. Bleed the system using a helper to help manually bleed the brakes. Then if it still feels mushy bleed the master on the car to get rid of any remaining air bubbles.