Mushy Brakes...FIXED!!!!

JDwhite98gt · Sep 20, 2010

So my back 2 calipers were leaking, most likely due to blown seals and the previous owner had ripped one of the slider boots off the front brakes and the pin was stuck. So I had 2 extra stock front calipers and bought 2 new rear calipers (along with 2 big bottles of DOT 3 Brake Fluid) on saturday. My pads are still about 75% all around so I did re-use them and I had my all of my rotors turned. I replaced all of the calipers one at a time and crimped the brake line with locking pliers (Is this bad to do?) so the line wouldnt leak with the caliper off. After putting everything back together I proceeded to bleed the brakes (in the correct sequence) with the help of my pops. He pumped and held the pedal while I bled each caliper with a clear hose and a clear bottle with fuild in it to see the air bubbles. I did each caliper until a steady flow of fluid came out of it and repeated twice, just for safe measure. I get in the car to drive back to my house and i have no preassure on my pedal. Everytime I start my car I hold the brake pedal and once the car is started the pedal will bounce back up at me...this time it did not. Well I ran out of time, borrowed his car and decided to return on sunday to bleed again. On sunday, I bled the master cylinder in the car, I stood on the brake pedal, while my father opened up the bleeder screws with a hose attached and dipped into a bottle of clean fluid. Some air came out of the MC and then I bled each caliper again twice. I still have a mushy pedal. I bet I wouldnt even be able to lock up the brakes if I tried. What in the hell am I missing here? This has never happened to me before and I've done this job on a stang a million times (never had to bleed the MC though). Can anyone give me some insight into what I have missed?

So took it to the shop yesterday so they could put a vaccum bleeder on the car. After the owner test drove my car he came back and said, "Wow, I wasn't expecting this type of feeling" We then took off the front driver's side wheel after being able to slide a screwdriver between the pad and the rotor with the brake pedal depressed. The inside pad had slipped past the groove in the caliper bracket and was sitting crooked. Half of the pad was peeled like a banna (Looked like a V). It was too late in the evening for me to order new pads so we put the pad in the press, pressed it back together, bolted her back together and brakes feel amazing now. Yes, I will be ordering a set of new front pads soon lol

JDwhite98gt · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

Please help before I die lol

MadStang · Sep 20, 2010

Mushy Brakes

only thing I was going to recommend was bleed the master cylinder but it looks like you did as such.

Did you just reuse the banjo bolts when you change the calipers? if so I hope you put new crush sleeves in otherwise you've got a leak.

got enough fluid in the master cylinder?

If all of that is good, then your brake booster took the worst time to take dump haha.

JDwhite98gt · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

I did not change the crush washers in the front, the new rear calipers came with all the hardware. Even if I had a small leak i would still have pressure. My rears were leaking so bad that i would practically run the MC dry in 3 days, I travled with a bottle of brake fluid everywhere i went. I had better brake pressure with a low MC a day before I cahnged everything, now its all new parts, proper bleeding and no brake pressure. When the car is running and I stomp onthe brake pedal I can hear the MC/booster sucking...or hear it call for vaccum. Not a hiss like a leak or anything, I can hear it "working"

MadStang · Sep 20, 2010

Mushy Brakes

always change crush washers.

As far as the no pedal pressure, I dunno man, like I said you've done everything you need to....

JDwhite98gt · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

Yea I'm going to change out the front brake lines with another pair that I have, then I'll change out the crush washers and bleed again.

JDwhite98gt · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

Anyone else have any suggestions before I start throwing parts at the car?

ivan12 · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

Did you do both hoses on the MC at the same time?

2slo95fiveoh · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

hmm... I have had some brake jobs that, even after "buddy bleeding" the brakes, and getting a solid stream of fluid, still had air in the lines.
Try filling the master cylinder, leave the master cyl cap off, and crack both rear bleeders loose, and let the lines "gravity bleed" for 5-10 min.
Close the rear bleeders, then do the fronts, making sure that the M/c always has plenty of fluid. Then after all bleeders have been gravity bled,
do them all individually again with a friend. I'm not for sure what method you use with a bottle and fluid, not saying it doesn't work, I just let the
fluid from the bleeder piss on the floor.. If you are absolutely sure that you have gotten all the air out, and there is still a mushy pedal, then
I would have reason to believe that all the bleeding took it's tole on the inner M/c seal, and you'll need to replace the m/c.

JDwhite98gt · Sep 21, 2010

Re: Mushy Brakes

The method is the same with or without the bottle of fluid and hose. You put a clear hose on the bledder adn dip the hose into a clear bottle of new fluid (just incase the "buddy doesnt hold the brakes down...it sucks in fluid not air) Anyway, its just a way to actually see the air bubbles. The air travels down the tube and you see air bubbles in the fluid bottle. Once the bubbles stop and only fluid is going down the tube then supposedly there is no more air. I'm going to a shop on thursday to have them bleed it with a vaccum bleeder. If it doesnt solve the problem then i now the MC is bad.