HELP - Brakes won't bleed AT ALL!

[Mopewbie]

Hi all, another cry for help here...

I'm so frustrated and upset. I decided to bleed the brakes and made everything worse...

1970 Coronet DRUM/DRUM

Here's what happened so far:
-I started bleeding the brakes and it stopped bleeding. I decided to try an air suction and managed to suck some old fluid but then stopped again.
Went to master cylinder to complete and decided to suck all the old fluid from there as well....
Result is no fluid coming from anywhere...

I realized I made a mistake sucking the master cylinder and "bench bleed" it in place, connected the lines back but still nothing...
Now I removed it....


SO FAR:
-I replaced ALL wheel cylinders.
-New flexis on the front
-Master cylinder has a new repair kit and it has been bench tested and it has a good pressure.

I'm thinking of sucking the lines from there it attaches to the master cylinder, would that make any difference? Or the opposite, suck the line from rear wheel?
When I reinstall the master cylinder should I bleed just pumping ONCE or the usual 3 times and hold?

Any possibility the distribution block is stuck somehow? Anbd if so, what should I do?

Can't bleed any of the cylinders...

I've been trying to sort this for the past 3 days, don't know what else to do...

THank you so much,.

 

[66Newport]

What's the pedal doing (hard/soft/going all the way down or stuck at the top of its travel)? Perhaps crack some lines and see where you have flow and where you don't. Start from the master and work back.

 

[Mopewbie]

What's the pedal doing (hard/soft/going all the way down or stuck at the top of its travel)? Perhaps crack some lines and see where you have flow and where you don't. Start from the master and work back.

Soft all the way down.

I thought about it but everything is in such bad condition I don't want to touch it.
If I do touch it I know I'll have to at least reflange it.

 

[66Newport]

It's very possible that you uncovered a problem that was going to happen anyway. Better to happen in the garage than on the road. Can you at least crack the lines on the master to see what is going on there?

You originally said you wanted to bleed the system. Why? because of the wheel cylinder replacements? If so, you should be able to crack those lines as they were just off.. no quick fix here. Gotta to do some digging.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

You will be OK.
1. Bench bleed master cylinder (in a vise, etc) so you can get the full stroke of the master cylinder piston & install it.
2. Bleed one brake for a long time & possibly “gravity bleed” it. Bleed in this order - pass rear, driver rear, pass front, driver front.
3. When bleeding back brakes, look for a small “hold off valve” just downstream from the brake distribution block where the brake warning light sensor is located. You need to pull the little valve open slightly (1/8”)
4. When bleeding, push down with wheel cylinder open, close wheel cylinder, let off if brake pedal, repeat until no more bubbles coming out of wheel cylinder

If it absolutely bleed, look for an air leak somewhere

 

[turbine68rt]

Several years ago I had a clogged rear axle flex hose that caused headaches. Everything got replaced including stainless lines.

 

[LowBikeMike]

Flex lines are collapsed, replace all 3, attempt to bleed and report back.

 

[Mopewbie]

It's very possible that you uncovered a problem that was going to happen anyway. Better to happen in the garage than on the road. Can you at least crack the lines on the master to see what is going on there?

You originally said you wanted to bleed the system. Why? because of the wheel cylinder replacements? If so, you should be able to crack those lines as they were just off.. no quick fix here. Gotta to do some digging.

Master is out of the car with a new repair kit, seems to be all good.

I thought the brakes weren't great, just wanted to make it better and check for possible air... that was before replacing everything.

Flex lines are collapsed, replace all 3, attempt to bleed and report back.

Yes, forgot to mention that I replaced the front flexis, didn't touch the rear yet.

You will be OK.
1. Bench bleed master cylinder (in a vise, etc) so you can get the full stroke of the master cylinder piston & install it.
2. Bleed one brake for a long time & possibly “gravity bleed” it. Bleed in this order - pass rear, driver rear, pass front, driver front.
3. When bleeding back brakes, look for a small “hold off valve” just downstream from the brake distribution block where the brake warning light sensor is located. You need to pull the little valve open slightly (1/8”)
4. When bleeding, push down with wheel cylinder open, close wheel cylinder, let off if brake pedal, repeat until no more bubbles coming out of wheel cylinder

If it absolutely bleed, look for an air leak somewhere

Step one done.
I'll let gravity bleed for some time, do I touch the pedal before doing it or just reinstall the master, open all four and leave it?

 

[Don selleck]

have had flex lines plug before, my guess. sounds like you need to remove brake lines at those points one at a time and see if fluid is flowing, when pumping the pedal.

 

[493 Mike]

If you leave the bleeders open too long the fluid may drain out the master-start over! Read post #5 again.
Mike

 

[maxwedgechar]

I worked on a '55 Chrysler that had brake work done in the mid-Nineties. ALL new parts. We were getting the car ready for the new owner to take it and the rears wouldn't bleed. I started cracking lines and the new hose to the back was blocked. I talked to a friend and he said there were problems with hoses back in the Nineties!

 

[Mopewbie]

I worked on a '55 Chrysler that had brake work done in the mid-Nineties. ALL new parts. We were getting the car ready for the new owner to take it and the rears wouldn't bleed. I started cracking lines and the new hose to the back was blocked. I talked to a friend and he said there were problems with hoses back in the Nineties!

But the frustration here is that no cylinder is bleeding. I'd be happy if only the front or rear were bleeding, but none of them.

 

[1967coronet]

I think your 55 year old steel lines are plugged with rust inside.
Once you started working on the system you have knocked rust loose inside them.
You need to unhook each line and replace if it twists or blow / flush them clear.
Apply heat to the flare fittings before unscrewing.
Also like mentioned above replace flex lines.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Soft all the way down.

I thought about it but everything is in such bad condition I don't want to touch it.
If I do touch it I know I'll have to at least reflange it.

If the steel lines are that rusty REPLACE them. They sell nice kits that are all pre-bent and look like OE lines. What good is new wheel cylinders and a master cylinder if you total the car? Or worse yet kill someone due to brake failure... Take your time and do it right the first time.

https://www.classicindustries.com/product/all-years/dodge/charger/parts/RKT6804R.html?gclid=752c0911ef361db3f6b96ed454682af7&gclsrc=3p.ds&&gclid=752c0911ef361db3f6b96ed454682af7&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=752c0911ef361db3f6b96ed454682af7&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BL - Microsoft - Classic Industries - Shopping - CatchAll&utm_term=4576992030664402&utm_content=All Products

Brake Lines

 

[Don selleck]

I would replace all of them, you're life may depend on it. or you can do one now, re-bleed and one in a few months and rebleed or a few years and re-bleed, or have a piece of mind. brake lines and stock brake parts are pretty cheap compared to most parts on these cars.

 

[maxwedgechar]

@Mopewbie Sorry, I missed that. Yeah, I think that you need to start cracking lines from the M/Cyl all the way down.

 

[Don selleck]

in line tube has a complete kit for lines

 

[Fran Blacker]

Junction box clogged or brake warning light switch jammed.

 

[Mopewbie]

Junction box clogged or brake warning light switch jammed.

Ok, I had no idea a brake warning light existed in the brake line until now...

Can I fix it or needs to be replaced, if that's the case?