Low / Soft / Mooshy Brake Pedal

[gearhead313]

Just finished up a full 5 lug conversion, new pads, rotors, calipers, SS brake lines. Got it all done, went to bleed it, no problems, seemed to get all the air out... Well after it was finished, we had a crappy pedal. It didn't really pump up, but stayed mooshy the whole time. So, since it wasn't that great before the 5 lug swap, we concluded that the master cylinder was bad.

So tonight, just a little while ago we get a new 1" master cylinder installed, bench bleed, brake bleed... Same Fing thing, soft pedal. We bleed it a good while after, used almost a whole quart of fluid. The fluid is brand new at the calipers and i have good pressure.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why we can't get a good pedal. This is a 92 ex car, so we already had discs in the back, so no proportioning valve should have been needed. It is an abs car though. Does something need done with the abs? it seems like it passes it right up when we bleed it with no problems.



If anyone has some insight to this, it would be mega appriciated. I really dont know what to do with the car. I dont want to go to the extreme of an adjustable prop. valve and new lines to bypass the abs. There has to be a way to cure it.

Thanks for reading guys.

[NAiL05]

well ABS can only be bled by honda by a special tool. I would say keep on goin with the bleeding unless the MC you got with bad. And yes sometimes you get bad new parts might wanna check that. Should still be under warranty anyway if you bought from parts store. Double check the lines make sure they are secure and such.

[gearhead313]

Still nothing so far after re-bleeding the master cylinder per different instructions.

Might go to a 40/40 prop valve next...

[bruno8747]

Are you bleeding with the car on or off? I believe you can bleed the ABS system why the car is on.

[gearhead313]

I've bench blead the MC, then installed it and blead it with the car off first. it didn't do anything, so i did it once i believe with the car running. no difference.

I have no idea how you bleed the abs, from what i understand you need a factory honda tool to bleed it were you can activate the abs manually. It doesn't appear to be abs, but if anyone knows how to shadetree bleed it, then im all up for that.

[93twodoorLX]

i was told that you CANT under any circumstance, bleed an ABS system at home, once you get air in that system, its not like regular bleeding, i was told that honda or capable shop MUST bleed it cuz it simply isnt the same

-sean

[cornerkid322]

wow i got the same problem and replace my M.C. and rotors, and calipers and pads, and still the same problem.the only difference between me and you is that i have a dx, so no ABS. and yes i bench bleed and bleed the brake system with the car on and off. WTF?!

[gearhead313]

We worked on it a little more tonight. Exchanged the MC for a new one and it got worse.

I read through some of my factory service manuals laying around and you do need a special honda tool to bleed the abs. It plugs in under the pass. seat and simulates an abs stop. while you run the tool, your supposed to have some one holding the brakes on. I was able to run solenoids and hte pump and actually got some frothy fluid out of it. But its still a crappy pedal.

I dont know what else there is to do. I've done everything, i've bleed it 80 times... there has to be something im missing.

Thanks for the responses guys.

[10thcb7]

Maybe its the rear calipers that are leaking from either their piston seal or brake hoses. Have you tried driving it around a bit; consistantly checking the fluid? Maybe you need a brake booster, which ,, however I doubt you do. Check all the fittings once twice three four times over again. Check you calipers make sure they are not leaking they are new but shelf life matters. If all else fails go to honda for a brake bleed and flush. Keep us updated on this Im interested in a 5 lug really soon so well see. All else fails sell me you conversion J/K get that thing working Y0! its all about the SPORtK

[gearhead313]

What sucks is that the new MC never bled enough to get to where the old one was... that really aggrivates me.


Everything is tight. I've checked all the connections a couple times over now. I can try at least tightening everything one more time. I'd have to clean everything off and mash the pedal to see if i get any fluid. If there really is any, its extremely minuet.. which i dont think will cause this problem.

We have driven it, burning the pads in etc. Two times we went out was normal driving. I want to say the rotor temps were around 180f, 110r. The next time I had my buddy really work them and he came in with 450f and like 150r.. so it would seem that the rears arn't getting the pressure. I've heard its supposed to be within 20% of eachother? I'm not positive on that.

So maybe its the rears.. which maybe its the abs modulator that has the prop valve in it? Thats a big job to change... especially since everything else abs related seems to be working. Ideas?

[gearhead313]

anyone know about diagonal bleeding?