Ack! Brake Fluid Everywhere!

[blitzkraig]

I'm trying to bleed the brakes on my Z. The rear went ok, albiet a little slower than I'm used to. The fronts are not building up any pressure to bleed. So to be sure the lines weren't blocked I took my air blower and blew a small amount of air down the bleeder valve and fluid came bubbling out of the master cylinder all over my new engine bay paint! ACK! I poured about 2 gallons of hot soapy water on the area and then hot clean water. Will this be enough to save the paint??? If the paint is peels I'm seriously going to sell this car the second I have it running again.....sad but true. I need some assurance here!

[ZmeFly]

i dont see you having a problem.

if your having trouble bleeding the brakes though it might be that your rubber brake hoses have collapsed.

its a hard thing to tell but then again new lines arent that expensive and niether is the assurance.

[blitzkraig]

Ok, so now that I'm past the peeling paint issue, I need to raise the other. THe brakes won't bleed! Not even from the master cylinder! I have new steel braided lines and I reused the original metal lines. Everything worked before I tore the car apart, so I don't see the mastervac or mastercylinder being broken. Could I have screwed up the connection from the pedal? Just when I thought I was about to get the car on the road this thing is fighting me to the very end......grrr....I need a drink....

[justaZcarguy]

And I could use a drink too...

You may want to see my current thread titled "Braking Issue..Help!!"

It somehow is sickeningly lke your sitch, AND with a '71.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I am starting to think something is in the wind here...

If you want my home number, PM me and I will give it to you, maybe we can compare notes?

Good luck...

~Brian

[blitzkraig]

Ok, so I slept on it and approached it again this morning. I didn't rebuild any part of the brake system since it all worked perfectly about 6 months ago when I tore the car apart. I just found out part of the problem. The rod in the MC wasn't moving (the pedal only went halfway to the floor). A good kick and the pedal went all the way down (probably got stuck from sitting for so long) and I started bleeding the brakes. I bled the MC first until no air was coming out of the bleeders and then proceeded in the std order. THe front brakes work fine now, but the rears dont work at all. Bubbles are coming up in the reservoir for the rear when I pump the brakes and I've bled the MC and rears again and again. No air bubbles are coming out of the bleeders but air is coming up in the reservoir. Any ideas where it could be sucking in air? I haven't found anything leaking brake fluid yet.

Thanks for all the help so far!

Craig

[LanceM]

Sounds like the master cylinder crapped out. Climb under the dash and see if you have brake fluid coming out of the rubber boot sticking through the firewall.

Since it was stuck, when you punched it all the way down you may have torn a seal on whatever was holding it up.

[blitzkraig]

No fluid leaking anywhere but there's still bubbles coming up out of the reservoir. Any other ideas besides replacing the MC? I get the nagging feeling that it is the MC, but of course the second I decide to shell out the cash for a new one that it will mysteriously become another reason(murphy's law). And now to make matters worse when I tried to bleed the clutch lines, all the air seems to be out but the rod in the slave cylinder is going no where....yeah........I think I'll need another drink

[zed240au]

sounds like you need to rebuild or replace your master cylinder and clutch cylinder if they where stuck sure suggests they will have rust and crap inside them you might get away with pulling them apart and cleaning out the bore not a big job once there out of the car

think you will be ok with the brake fluid if you cleaned it off straight away only really a problem when you leave it on paint work for a while it has to eat in

Could be worse had to respray my engine bay 6 months after 2 year rebuild battery over charged and sprayed battery acid all over the engine bay not happy

Your car sure looks sweet top shade of blue keep up the good work

Mick

[HKSZ]

You said you have braided lines so I don't know whether this will work but try vise gripping all four flexable lines to the brakes. This will definately give you a hard pedal, if not then your M/C is rooted!

I bought an old race car that had been sitting around for years and the brakes were shot. First thing I did was replace both M/Cs on the pedal box and over next 12 mths in and out of brake shops, bought new pads, rotors,caliper kits balance bars etc and still had no confidance in the anchors, thats when a mate gave me this tip.

thats when we found one of the M/C was faulty, ie the first bloody thing I replaced :stupid: