Brakes suck hard core.

[hawkeye649]

Sokay...

1990 GMC F/S Jimmy 350/700/241/10bx2

So on monday the driver's side brake heats up, I assume that it's the flex line. It does it again on tuesday, and luckly my day off this week was to be today. So it decides to rain on me.

Anyways. I replace the flex line, bleeder screw, and hard line to the "t" in my truck (doesn't have a proportioning valve in the x-member like all my other rigs). Have my father start helping me bleed and one of the lines going to that t is now leaking. Guess it wasn't boiling liquid that made my pedal go to the floor....

So I replace that line, I happen to have a new flex line so I change that for fun too. Now I have two nice new lines to both front wheels and everything is peechy, right?

No... no pedal. Now the rear resevoir, for the front brakes, went empty when I lost my pedal. I have filled this up, and am getting no bubbles through the calipers. But the brake fluid is foamy in the resevoir. What gives? My GM shop manual doesn't mention this symptom, and I can only imagine that maybe the on-truck master cylender bleeding process could help? Should I bother bleading the rear cylenders?

 

[RootBreaker]

well I havent replaced one in a while.. but when you go empty on the resivour you need to bench bleed it... can be done on truck.. with new master cylinders they give you screws that screw into the line holes.. then you put the hose from the adapter back into the resivour.....pump the brakes if still on truck or push on piston in back to "Bench Bleed"... this gets all air out of master...... then bleed brakes normally... hopefully that points ya in a good start...

 

[hawkeye649]

It was ANOTHER burst line, this time going to the rear wheels. Then after a buncha bleeding (again in the rain---fun) I have a pedal and the truck stops well. It's kinda low and spongy, but I'm sure the front driver's pads are way lower then I was used to just 2 days ago, and I haven't adjusted my "self-adjusting" (ahem) rear brake pads in a long time....

 

[diesel4me]

rice krispies...

Don't know about NH,but here in MA,we are lucky to get a year or two out of steel brake lines and tranny lines,thanks to the calcium cloride the DPW dumps by the ton on our streets every time it even thinks about snowing..it has eaten holes in sheet metal in a few months time on all my trucks too..looks like battery acid ate it..

GM makes it a PITA to replace the lines too--they have different thread fittings than those that came on the replacement lines,forcing you to use an adapter or to chop off and re-use the rusted original fitting,and re-flare the tubing..not to mention how they are routed in inaccessable areas of the frame rails..

I have had to replace the brake lines on every vehicle I've ever owned here at least once..and every time I do,I usually pop another one during the bleeding process..I'd rather have them pop then though,than while trying to make a panic stop at 70 mph on the highway...

I've noticed the lines on the newer 88 and up trucks seem to rot much quicker than those in older years do..must be recycled crap steeel GM is using..sending units in gas tanks too..many of them cost 300+ bucks to replace..I feel stainless steel brake,fuel,and tranny lines should be mandatory,at least in the "salt belt" states,if not the whole USA..