RADIOTWO

Always have the mrs handy and lad gets in after 3pm. Ive had to take the motor for an MOT retest today... last day. The brakes are very firm for first couple of mins after start up but loses a little pressure about 5 mins after. I think a thorough bleed will do it when i get the Gal back... Ford TIS seems to state that bleed fronts one after another, then the rears one after another. If theres any other suggestions I'm all ears ! Hi No offence to your (mrs) but you need someone with a lot of foot presure for the brake pedal,you need to pump about 4/5 times (hard), but please when (as mentioned in the coppied text) you need to hold down the pedal till the valve is closed. Hope it passes the MOT But if the pedal is spungy they might not pass it ! Good luck Radiotwo

Is there two of you doing the job, or just you(on you own)? Radiotwo

To answer the question Avenger, You have air in the system ! it is poss lodged somewhere and that is why the pedel is spongy. but as littledaz & Dave say, they don't do it at a garage, and as far as going back into the ABS system, the amount of fluid is only small, it would only go back up the pipe about 6" at the most, so won't get to the abs bit, even with abs systems I have pushed back the pistons with the nipple closed, and then you don't have the problems you have. Just a point, which I did not read, but did you take the piston right out? Radiotwo

Hello Wolfie So where is the "crap" as you put it comming from? Radiotwo

Cheers Radio, "Just push the pistons in" Heres the thing.. to move the pistons in requires quite a bit of force so either (1) you need a piston pushing specialist tool or (2) gentle tapping on the old brake pads onto the piston with a little pin hammer or the like to force it back.... it would be great if you could force the brake fluid into the reservoir but if not, then opening the bleed nipple (with bleed pipes connected) is a good way to express the brake fluid which is displaced by the piston. How would you suggest pushing the pistons back in? (For the record, Ford TIS suggests a 12-014 Cailper Piston Expander) ... hence what Wolfie says does make a little bit of sense. If you have the tools it is better as you say NOT to risk allowing air or worse still debris into the system via the calipers / bleed nipple. According to the Ford TIS manual you take apart the whole system! Happy to post excerpts from the TIS if necessary. Either way, when I changed the pads I decided to connect the brake bleeding pipes to allow for the expelling of displaced brake fluid. It takes less than 5 mins per corner to then additionally bleed the brake... the old fluid really is baby nappy green so its no bad thing. Does anyone know about the brake fluid circuits.. .can you do each corner independantly, or fronts then rears or diagonals? Pressure is still low but the system IS NOT failing, the problem should not, I hope, be debris <_< Hi Again, First tell me ! Do you have to screw the pistons in, or do they just push in? (yes they are hard) If you need to screw them in, then yes you will need a tool,but if it is for the front, there is no need to screw them in, so remove the pads, turn the pads round, and get a "G" clamp and slowly screw the piston(s) back in.(don't use a hammer as that will poss mean they will not go in streight and jam. As you push them in, and the fluid will go back into the master cylinder tank,(don't forget as the pads wear the fluid level drops) As per the circuits as you put it, there are split circuits but not sure, but the rule of thumb Begin at the corner furthest from the driver and proceed in order toward the driver. (Right rear, left rear, right front, left front.) The master cylinder is divided internally into two sections, each of which pressurizes a separate hydraulic circuit. Each section supplies pressure to one circuit. Passenger vehicles typically have either a front/rear split brake system or a diagonal split brake system. A front/rear split system uses one master cylinder section to pressurize the front slave cylinders, and the other section to pressurize the rear slave cylinders. A split circuit braking system is now required by law in most countries for safety reasons; if one circuit fails, the other circuit can stop the vehicle. The diameter and length of the master cylinder has a significant effect on the performance of the brake system. A larger diameter master cylinder delivers more hydraulic fluid to the slave cylinders, yet requires more brake pedal force and less brake pedal stroke to achieve a given deceleration. A smaller diameter master cylinder has the opposite effect. Radiotwo

so how exactly do you push the pistons back without clamping off the flexi lines and releasing the excess fluid via the bleed nipples? do you advise back flushing the fluid through the ABS valve block to the reservoir and allow it to over flow? to quote Haynes, not the most technicall of manuals but it does the job THE ABS UNIT CONTAINS HYDRAULIC COMPONENTS THAT ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO IMPURITIES IN THE BRAKE FLUID, EVEN THE SMALLEST PARTICLES CAN CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO FAIL THROUGH BLOCKAGE. THE PAD RETRACTION METHOD DESCRIBED HERE PREVENTS DEBRI IN THE BRAKE FLUID EXPELLED FROM THE CALIPER FROM BEING PASSED BACK INTO THE ABS HYDRAULIC UNIT the method mentioned is to clamp off the lines and undo the bleed nipples to allow the fluid to exit the caliper as you retract the piston Wolfie First of all you don't clamp off the hozes, just push the pistons back in, the fluid will just go back into the reseroir, if you do just one at once then the fluid will only go back to the level as if the pads were new. if you have not opened the system then there will not be any debri in the system. when ever I have changed pads I have never had to bleed the system, and never had a problem Radiotwo

Hi chromedome You don't release the bleed nipples to replace the pads, as you might get air in the system, then you get the problems "Avenger" has got so unless you are doing a fluid change DONT let air in Radiotwo

Hello Avenger I don't know how you performed the bleeding bit, but why did you undo the hydraulics when just doing a pad change? But this is the way to bleed brakes: Pump and Hold Method: One person pumps the brake pedal to compress the air, then holds pressure on it. The other person opens the bleeder valve to let out fluid and air, then closes the valve after the pedal has landed (to prevent air being sucked back in through the valve on the upstroke). The process is repeated, sometimes many times, for each wheel. Usually a length of clear tubing is connected to the bleeder valve and run to a container during the process, both to collect the toxic brake fluid and to better view the fluid and bubbles. The master cylinder reservoir must be replenished frequently, for if it goes dry the entire process must be redone. The cover must be left loose so that the fluid may be drawn, but should be in place so that fluid does not squirt out on the return stroke. It may be a good idea to not let the pedal bottom out during this procedure, as the master cylinder seals may be damaged by encountering accumulated sediment and / or corrosion. Hope this helps? Radiotwo.

just rang them for there catalog,cheers tim-spam Hi Rockkeeper You can get Towsure on the net: http://www.towsure.com/ Radiotwo

Hi Stuby Just a point, if there are some problems with the wires, then sometimes they are cut off, but you will find that only one pad of each side will have a wire,so one pad could were down and not show on the dash. But you mention that it is down to 5mm then I would change them, as leave it any longer and you might end up having to replace the discs as well. Radiotwo

But the engine is at the front, so don't worry Maz Radiotwo

Hi again Air won't cause binding, if anything it would do the opposite, You say the mechanic had a look ! did he strip them down? or just look Radiotwo

Hi V1 when the brakes start binding, stop and see if any of the disc's are hot(becareful might burn) but it sounds like something is binding, and is poss the calipers that are seized. So find out which one is binding, then strip down the ofending one, and take out the pads, and carefully push back the pistons and make sure the sliders on the calipers are free, apply some "copperslip" grease on the moving parts, refit pads(with some copperslip on the back of the pads) and pump the brake pedel afew times. If you feel up to it do the rest of the brakes the same and that should cure it. If the calipers or calipers are not sized it might be a disc out of true, (do you get a slight pumping of the pedel as you slightly put a bit of presure on the pedel as you drive)? Radiotwo

Big Kev, I don't know who you are refering to to, but have you ever towed a trailer? Radiotwo

Hi Big Kev Can you not replace the Cat with a normal pipe? as you say its not a requirement for a cat on a diesel still need a track rod though, Not too expensive Radiotwo

Maz Don't do it online then! Radiotwo

Do it on-line Maz ! Radiotwo

Hi Maz You don't need a V5 to tax the car!, but you will need a MOT that does not run out before you have to tax it, but if you had a "new" type MOT then the mot station will have all the details on record. Then when you have your new MOT and you get the tax reminder through the post just go on line and get the tax via the Web. Easy !! Radiotwo

Whats a "Air-brake" Caravan? Radiotwo

Paying that amount, sounds like you live in a 10 bedroom Mansion ! I wish I had your sort of money ! Sorry Mumof4 could not resist that one! But joking apart, not sure why you are paying through the wages(and dont want to know) but all the rest of us who have to rough it and pay it (hi hi) the council only divides it by 10 months so I hope that has been taken into account! Radiotwo

Hi John, If it is just the carbon brushes, get some that are a bit bigger, and rub them down on a bit of "emery" till they fit ! Radiotwo

Sounds like it was ileagal then, check this site out : http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/number_pla...tion_marks.aspx Radiotwo

Hi Wazza Was it a old Porsche ? As I remember you can put these on a car that is of a certain age, not sure how old though ! Poss search on the DVLA site might produce a answer Radiotwo

That is not being Pompous as you put it, but if it was spotted while having another job done then it must be bad enough to be at least checked out by someone who does know ! Anything steering,Brakes, suspention related should be taken seriously ! If you drive on the roads you have a responsibility to others as well as yourself. Radiotwo