Brake problem...not getting fluid to front passenger wheel.

[Tantrix]

It's getting close to road time for my '76 C10, so today I bled my brakes. All wheels bled fine with the exception of my front passenger side. Pedal was being pressed with 2 feet as hard as possible, and when I loosened the bleeder valve...not a single drop would come out.

Is this most likely the ribber line going to the caliper, or worse yet the metal line coming from the proportional valve?

Thanks.

[powerdriver 1958]

Two things to check,see if the bleeder screw is plugged up.have had to drill them out.2cd the brake hose could be bad.try loosening the line before the hose to see if you have pressure.

[Tantrix]

Originally Posted by powerdriver 1958

Two things to check,see if the bleeder screw is plugged up.have had to drill them out.2cd the brake hose could be bad.try loosening the line before the hose to see if you have pressure.

I loosened the brake line that going to the caliper and nothing came out there either, and the brake pedal didn't go down. It seems as though brake fluid just won't go to that wheel for some reason.


I'll still try your 2 suggestions though...no such thing as checking too many things.

[fast75]

change the brake lines out. they get old and crud starts building up, when it breaks loose, it will lock up on you. mine did it at a stop light, wasnt good. now the fun part, after market brake lines need a little tweaking at the caliper end. my suggestion is to check the bend in the metal end where the banjo bolt goes thru to make sure its going to line up right BEFORE you hook up the other ends under the radiator area. they are a ***** to bend too, use a vise and be careful not to crimp it. sorry for the long winded reply, but talking from experience here. you'll see what i'm talking about........Fast75

[Tantrix]

Originally Posted by fast75

change the brake lines out. they get old and crud starts building up, when it breaks loose, it will lock up on you. mine did it at a stop light, wasnt good. now the fun part, after market brake lines need a little tweaking at the caliper end. my suggestion is to check the bend in the metal end where the banjo bolt goes thru to make sure its going to line up right BEFORE you hook up the other ends under the radiator area. they are a ***** to bend too, use a vise and be careful not to crimp it. sorry for the long winded reply, but talking from experience here. you'll see what i'm talking about........Fast75

I was hoping I wouldn't have to change the brake line, as the one going to the front passenger wheel is almost impossible to get to in several places. Looks like I might be hitting up NAPA tomorrow.

[dammitmitchell]

i would reccomend a "flare nut wrench" aka "line wrench"
stops ya from "slipping off" and screwing up the brass fitting
http://images.lowes.com/general/b/B1...5901822900.jpg

[Tantrix]

Originally Posted by dammitmitchell

i would reccomend a "flare nut wrench" aka "line wrench"
stops ya from "slipping off" and screwing up the brass fitting
http://images.lowes.com/general/b/B1...5901822900.jpg

I seem to remember last time I changed the metal brakes lines years back, I just cut the lines with wire cutters about 1/4" below the fittings then slipping a socket on the fitting and unscrewing it. But, in that situation I was scrapping the old line completely anyway so cutting it off at both ends didn't really matter much. Those wrenches would be a lifesaver if you wanted to unscrew the fitting with the line still attached though.

[grinch4om]

I would crack the hard line where it connects to the rubber line, chances are the rubber line to the caliper has failed. hard lines rarely do without leaking. In fact, after my truck sitting for 2 years, the drivers side rubber line would not let any fluid pass, advanced auto, 22 bucks, on the road.

[Tantrix]

Originally Posted by grinch4om

I would crack the hard line where it connects to the rubber line, chances are the rubber line to the caliper has failed. hard lines rarely do without leaking. In fact, after my truck sitting for 2 years, the drivers side rubber line would not let any fluid pass, advanced auto, 22 bucks, on the road.

Good idea...so far I've just opened the bleeder valve, nothing, then I took the end of the rubber line off the caliber and my old brake fluid spilled out...but still nothing. That's with 2 feet pressing hard as I could on the brake pedal. It's either that rubber line or up farther than that (which is all metal from there up). I'll try disconnecting the rubber line at the top where it first meets metal line and seeing if I can get any fluid out. Hopefully you're right...I'd much rather pick up a new rubber line and be done with it in no time than run an entire new metal one.

[fast75]

Originally Posted by Tantrix

I was hoping I wouldn't have to change the brake line, as the one going to the front passenger wheel is almost impossible to get to in several places. Looks like I might be hitting up NAPA tomorrow.

Tantrix, listen up Bud. you want to change BOTH brake lines. keep in mind, your truck is a 76........those brake lines are 33 years old. its just a matter of time before the other gives way. they can be an absolute pain in the a$$ to change out so might as well get them both. not to mention the chance of the other locking up on you while you're out and about. don't scrimp on your brakes buddy. wish you were closer, i'd do it for you..........good luck.

[slugish]

Iwas having the same problem with fluid not getting where it is supposed to or either not enough. I replaced the rubber sections only with stainless & it fixes the problem . Of course you can replace the rubber with rubber from a auto parts store also . Either way I WOULD try that 1st before Iwould consider replacing the metal lines as well . In other words Ithink the rubber part of the lines is almost always the problem . Inever understood what could go wrong in a metal line , unless they just gummed up because the fluid had been in there so long.

[silvereagle07]

Change the rubber lines. Over time they will collapse and deteriorate. The stainless flexible lines are still rubber on the inside. Remove the old lines, let system gravity bleed, install new lines, bleed all wheels to eliminate air in lines.

[Tantrix]

Update:

You guys were right...it ended up being my rubber line, but:

I tried to take off just the rubber line that runs from caliper to metal line on frame, but somebody had apparently changed it before and used some type of pliers on the metal side fitting instead of a 3/8" open-end wrench so I couldn't get the lines separated the normal way. I used some wire cutters and snipped the metal line off there, then pulled the rubber line through the hole. I was able to get the other end of the metal line off the proportional valve using a 3/8" wrench so off I went to NAPA to get my replacement rubber line and replace the metal one that was all screwed up.


The damage:

40" straight metal brake line pre-flared at both ends with fittings = $4.89
Replacement rubber line = $21.99

Total: $29.30


Took about 10 minutes to bend the line sort of close to the original, then finished the bending after getting the line in place. After tightening the rubber and metal lines up at all connections, I added some brake fluid and bled the hell out of that front passenger wheel...at first lots of air, then eventually paydirt when nothing but fluid was coming out.


Took it on a road test, and pumped the brakes for about a 1/2 mile or so working that caliper out. On the way back, going about 30-35mph I hit the clutch and locked the brakes up with my other foot to see how the truck would do on a 35-0 complete stop during a rainstorm. I heard my tires screech like I was doing a burnout and the truck slid maybe 5-10 feet to a stop, perfectly centered in the road...no pulling hard to the driver side like it was when my front passenger wheel was getting no fluid.

It stopped exceptionally well considering it was pouring rain and it has old tires on it.

[fast75]

good to hear that...........