Some people may recall I was frustrated by the same problem on my TR6
last fall. As it turned out I parked it without brakes for the winter
and only this weekend returned to the source of my frustration. Well it
turns out that I had neglected to bench bleed the master cylinder and
this is what caused the
"spongy-pedal-no-matter-how-much-I-bled-the-system" syndrome for me.
Erik, you say you bench bled yours but perhaps you may want to double
check this. I had all the same sypmtoms you are describing last year (of
course I did not bench bleed). This year after a bench bleed. I was
getting a firm pedal almost immediately! You cannot believe how much
relief this gave me. All I did was buy a bench bleeding kit from a local
perts store for $8.00 (Canadian). Much less than a new MC which is what
I was considering last year!
Hello Ken Streeter:
Is there any chance we can add a bit about bench bleeding then MC to the
brake bleeding article (http://www.vtr.org/maintain/brake-bleeding.html)
at the VTR site? I was using this article to assist me and until I asked
a mechanic here in Calgary I had no idea I was supposed to bench bleed
the MC, much less what bench bleeding is. I found a good description at
http://xp8.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?recnum=12433674&server=db97p2&CONTEXT=
862678409.4737&hitnum=1
I am willing to rewrite this to describe what I did on my TR6 - I think
it might help someone down the road who will, like me, be completely
ignorant of the mystical bench bleeding process. Or if people want to
see the article but don't have web access, I can post it here.
Let me know,
Peter Zaborski
76 TR6 (CF58310 UO)
Calgary AB Canada
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Kieboom [SMTP:ekieboom@xs4all.nl]
Sent: Friday, May 02, 1997 11:33 AM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Problems bleeding Spitfire brakes
After a long, enjoyable time lurking here, I'm finally coming
out: I've got
a problem....
I'm sure it's been around the list before, as I seem to recall
it being
discussed about a year ago. However, I didn't pay attention then
:-(
My father and I have just finished overhauling my '77 Spitfire's
brake
system: new rear cylinders, new seals in front cylinders, new
front pads,
new seals in master cylinder, new hoses, new front-to-back brake
pipes.
Now the system won't bleed properly and the pedal remains soft.
We keep
getting tiny bubbles and foam, even after we've pumped three
litres of fluid
through the system. We primed and bench-bled the master cylinder
and bleed
by the book: nipple open - pump in - nipple closed - pump out. I
can see
there's foam coming out as I use a length of silicone tube in a
jam jar.
Additional info:
* standard double brake system
* small brake reservoir
* no visible/noticeable leaks
* handbrake off while bleeding
* DOT 3 brake fluid
We're getting kinda desperate, as it's been three bleedin' days
now and I'm
getting married next Tuesday... :-)
Any ideas *very much* appreciated!
Eric Kieboom
The Netherlands
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