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Full Version: need a knowlagable chevy guy to help with my brakes
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turboL

my 91 chevy pickup isnt getting any fluid to the rear brakes at all. i recently had to replace the shoes, pads, and drivers side front caliper and rear wheel cylinder. i tried to bleed the system normally and then with a vacumm bleeder, and the vehicle was off both times. i really need help with this asap its my daily driver and the front brakes are dragging really bad. im also broke but would be able to pay for used parts when i get paid on the first
Try getting a buddy to bleed the brakes the old fashioned way. Start with the right rear, left rear, right front, then left front.

I have never had decent luck with the vacuum bleed. You definitely have air in the system though with your symptoms.
I could give you a hand tomorrow after 6pm, but we'd have to make it quick.

turboL

ok where abouts do u live
Less than 2 miles outside Badger gate.

Go straight out Badger gate about a mile. Take a left on Lakloey Dr, take 2nd left (2 short blocks) on Airline drive. (If you go up a hill, you went too far) Take a right on Cordelia Way (the edge of the fence not 400 feet from when you turned on Airline Dr) and follow it around the float pond, 3rd place on the right. Has two oversized garage doors, we're the 2nd garage door, the human door on the far end of the building leads to the living quarters.
Bleed the master cylinder first. In these cases that is the best way to do it. Actually you should always bleed the master cylinder first. It will also help determine if that is the problem.

turboL

master clyinder wasnt the issue, and the proportioning valve wasnt ethier. we tried to bleed the back brakes and deterimed that they are probaly frozen cause my master cylinder cap was ripped. then we bleed the front brakes and it was working great for about 30 miles then they started dragging worse than ever, so bad i can hardly get it moving now. im about ready to put the truck on craigslist and start over, i just dont have the patience for this thing. its one thing after another im bout ready to just blow it up and say it was stolen. thanks is in order for mark thougth, he very graciously oppened his garage and time to me thanks for the help that is in my eyes what the benift of being in this club is about

turboL

so when i open one of the bleeder valves on the front the brakes unlock. i was thinking of taking a propane tourch to the back lines since they are metal and tryna melt the ice cube outa it. any idea if this is a good idea
What happened to putting it in the garage?

turboL

the garage i have in fox currrently has the landlords suburban in it and its dead,but i got offered the use of the other garage in town for a few hours and was wondering if that would be a more expediant way to do it
Don't use a torch. It'll boil the fluid and don't forget your gas tank runs right where it's probably frozen.

You gotta find a garage to park it in for a day or so.
Another thing to consider, get new brake lines, the soft portion. We had a chevy dually used for farm use and the front right brake kept locking up, We would bleed all the brakes and it would be good for a bit then lock up again. The problem turned out to be a bad brake line. It was weak and would collapse on itself. Just a thought for the fronts.
His front lines are fine. The only spot that is unknown is from the master cylinder to the rear T-fitting.

The fronts are steel reinforced. He almost found that out the hard way with what it has done to the sidewall of one of his tires.
They can collapse as well believe it or not. I'm not saying this is the problem but something to look at. I don't see the frozen rear lines causing this issue with the fronts.
You never worked at a dealership. Had it happen several times there, of course that was working on Fords.

turboL

thank you for the tip on boiling the fluid, i was about to fire up the tourch but decided to see what the more knowlagable people had to say to say about it first. itll be going into a garage this weekendend and then ill bleed the rear atthe t-fitting to see if im gettn fluid there.
What about the craft shop, it would only take a hour or so to start the thawing process, what condition are the back cylinders, I can help you for a while on friday if you want to try and figure it out.
One back cylinder is new, the other one has a stripped bleeder, but otherwise looks fine.
Have you verified that the proportioning valve is operating correctly? Could explain the fronts sticking and then releasing when the bleeder is cracked.

turboL

we cheacked it and mark said it seemed to be ok., for the cost of the new wheel cylinde and caliper in thinkn bout just replaceing the ones on the other side.