Bleeding Brakes
 

After painting calipers, doing rotors and pads,and red calipers, and some good rotor seasoning, i'm still slightly mushy... But it stops like a bat now :lol:

Are there any special things to consider while bleeding 93 brakes? I have ABS, and i've read and heard about using a Tech1 on 94+ models to pump the abs cylindar, however i do not have such a tool, just a good bleeding kit.

Also how much brake fluid should i have? I got a big bottle, about 1 quart right now... I have my book on how to do it, just want to get some personal advice first!

Thanks!

I had to do mine when I replaced my Master Cylinder. nothing hard I did mine from the MC rather than the calipers just beacuse the air will rise to the top. just do it 2 more times than you think so you are sure to have everything purged

Hi 1993 SLE how do you bleed the calipers at the master cylinder?

Re: Bleeding Brakes
 

Start with the right rear wheel(the farthest from the MC), then the left rear, the right front and finally the left front. Refill the MC reservoir after you bleed each wheel. Also(and I'm sorry to those who have heard me say this before), NOW would be a good time to replace the front rubber brake lines if they have not been replaced in awhile. It will help give you a firm pedal.

To get a firm pedal you have to adjust the rear brakes too, they are what give you pedal 'feel'. Take off the drums and adjust them out until you have to use a rubber mallot to get the drums back on. Then spin the hub, you should be able to turn it but have to put some oomph behind it. Then repeat the other side. I have to do this about every 3 months or so, even tho I rebuilt them last year. I require that 'put your head thru the window' feeling at all times.

Also, not haveing the rears doing the right amount of breaking, will cause the fronts to have to pick up the slack, and with the inferior rotor dia on our cars, that is not a good thing.

Jay

Yeah i've heard that our rear brakes can have a big effect on our braking. But i'm a simple man who's only worked on discs so far :lol: I'll drag the repair manual home next time i'm up there and get to em. But after bleeding/swap of fluid the new stoppers are even better. Can't wait till i get the rear adjusted right.

EDIT: Ol Timer, I have read that starteing at the brake CLOSEST to the MC, (LF) then going further away (RF,LR,RR) is the optimum way to bleed brakes?

Just adjusting them isnt hard. Most drums have a plug you remove and turn the adjuster with a flat head screw driver, we are not that lucky.

Take the drum off. Then you will see a lever that pushes against a toothed wheel. In theory when you back up hard the pads shift causing the lever to push against the teeth and adjusts the shoes. This does not always happen, especially if not lubricated well. All you do is turn the adjuster so it pushes the pad out, atleast 5 clicks. Then try to put the drum on and spin the hub. You should have some decent drag, but its OK, because with the moment arm the wheel creates on the hub, it isnt that bad. That is all there is to it.

:)

Jay

Double post. :oops:

Do it the right way, Ol' Timers' way. Read a few of his posts, this man knows brakes.

The way i posted was listed in my service manual. What does the FSM say?

Page 5-14, Manual Bleeding, Step 4:

If you must bleed all the wheel cicuits, use the following sequence: Right rear, left rear, right front, and then left front.

Page 5-15, Pressure Bleeding, Step 6:

If you must bleed all the wheel cicuits, use the following sequence: Right rear, left rear, right front, and then left front.

Adjusting your rear brakes this way is setting them up to drag, overheating them and burning up the shoes not to mention dragging down your fuel economy. That's why you have to adjust them every 3 months.
The rear brakes only account for about 20% of the braking and thus should last a long time. My wifes '96 Bonneville has 110K on it and still has the original rear shoes. They won't last very long using this adjusting method.

It's been a while since I did drum brakes, but to adjust them, you get them close, then back up and stop a few times. They are made to adjust themselves whenever you stop in reverse.

If you need a mallet to get the drums on, they are set way too wide!

some info on traditional bleeding method here:

http://bonnevilleclub.com/forum/view...009&highlight=

Also, consider getting a set of self-bleeders like Fuddyduddy that work as check valves and let you bleed your brakes without a helper.

Ranger, Karfreek is mostly correct(although I do respect your opinion on this). I manually adjust my rear brakes about twice a year(yeah, every 3 mos would be better) I do this when I'm swapping rims for the snow or summer tires. I also will spray some brake cleaner in there to clean out all the brake dust that accumulates. And put a dab of grease on the back plate where the shoes touch. I adjust the brakes so that there is some drag when I put the drum back on. I might have to pound the brake drum on by hand but not with a rubber mallet. The amount of drag I'm talking about is exremely negligible when you talk about fuel economy. I have 80,000(mostly highway) miles on the rear shoes now and I will be happy with 100K.
MOS, I have NEVER owned a car where the self adjusters actually worked properly. Short of owning a car with four wheel disc brakes, I will always adjust the rear drums manually.

Though I have never had too much problems with self adjusters, I would not argue with a manual adjustment, even monthly if that's your thing. I guess we are all anal about one thing or another or we wouldn't be here, would we. The only thing I would argue with is adjusting them so they need a rubber mallet to reinstall the brake drum and needing "some oomph" to rotate the drum after instalation. You might as well just drive with the parking brake 1/4 applied. I would be curious to know how long his rear brake shoes last.

Oh i bought a nice old Mity Vac and the fronts went nicely already. Anyone in MN who needs to use it for bleeding or vacuum testing is more then welcome.

I still have the stock ones with 100,448 kmi on them. I have done this to all my cars with great success.

Im not saying you have to put the drum by swinging the mallot like a baseball bat, just a slight tap. I use the mallot so I don't fock my hand. I was shown this method by my brother who was a mechanic before becomming a airline pilot. He still does this methond when he does brake jobs on the side. Ever replace shoes and drums, it is a slip fit that is tight, that is how I I get them to after I adjust them. Also, if you are not changing your drums/pads there are slight hills and valleys that come with wear. You have to get over these to get the drum back on, hence a slight tap with the mallot. The last time I did this was on the lift at my brother inlaws who is a ASE Master Tech with a degree in auto tech and is now an auto tech teacher. I asked him about the amount of 'oomph' that I needed to turn the hub by the stud, he said it was perfect. Put the wheel on and turn it and it basicly feels like there is no drag, this what the car 'feels'.

I dont think my brakes are rubbing because I still get 21 in the city and 28 on the hwy. And, still have the stock shoes with 1/2 the material left. Also, i wouldn't mind a little drag as it feels lime my SSEi would coast for 5 miles from 60mph.

Jay

Ok, if you have over 100K on the rears then you are obviously not over adjusting or draging brakes. I guess it was just the way I interpreted your first post.

BTW, who does your brother fly for?

American. He is stationed out of Chicago.

Jay