Trouble bleeding rear brakes

[Mystic ZR-1]

Using the Mighty Vac backwards, as a pump. With flex hose disconnected
from the caliper.
Back fill thru the the bleed screw to ensure the caliper
is full. Reconnect hose and bleed normally after you're happy that the
caliper is full. You'll have to put the stock bleed screws back in to do this
as the Speed Bleeders have a check valve that may not let you do this.
FWIW: a friend once bought new calipers for his C3 and the holes for the
bleed screws weren't drilled thru...

[JimZRyd]

Originally Posted by Mystic ZR-1

Using the Mighty Vac backwards, as a pump. With flex hose disconnected
from the caliper.
Back fill thru the the bleed screw to ensure the caliper
is full. Reconnect hose and bleed normally after you're happy that the
caliper is full. You'll have to put the stock bleed screws back in to do this
as the Speed Bleeders have a check valve that may not let you do this.
FWIW: a friend once bought new calipers for his C3 and the holes for the
bleed screws weren't drilled thru...

Wouldn't that method, if the caliper has air in it, force the air further up the system and into the lines requiring more of a bleed procedure in order to draw that air back through the caliper and out the bleed screw?

[Mystic ZR-1]

Not if you disconnect the flex hose and bleed normally after you reconnect the hose.
True, the vent screw is on the top, but if you flush enough, you'll know
if there's restriction in the caliper.
Here's the best advice:
Worse comes to worse... maybe follow the instructions in the FSM?

[JimZRyd]

Now I got what your saying! Take off the brake hose from the caliper. That Definately would be a way to refill the caliper. Thanks! It'll be Friday before I can get back to it. Very well might try that! Thanks again!

[mbabbitt]

I've bleed my brakes probably 40 times doing track events over 6 years. I've boiled my fluid many a times. I gone thru brake pads like butter. Whatever you do, NEVER use CarboTech pads. They cost a lot and wear like butter. I went thru one set a weekend.
Get rid of the Mighty Vac and speed bleeders. They are a waste of money. The Motive is all you need. Make sure the caliper is floating on the pins. Get a piece of plastic tubing long enough to hit the bottom of your favorite empty bourbon bottle. Fill the bottom of the bottle enough to cover the end of the plastic tube. Keep the end covered with fluid. Make sure the reservoir is full, pump up the Motive to 30 lbs (make sure it is holding the pressure) and crack the bleeder until you see new, bubble free fluid You need to keep an eye on the reservoir at all times after that first crack of the right rear bleeder.
Good luck,

Mark

[Billy Mild]

I would try to gravity bleed it for a few hours. Maybe crack the bleeder and wait a while.

[gbrtng]

Originally Posted by mbabbitt

I've bleed my brakes probably 40 times doing track events over 6 years. I've boiled my fluid many a times. I gone thru brake pads like butter. Whatever you do, NEVER use CarboTech pads. They cost a lot and wear like butter. I went thru one set a weekend.
Get rid of the Mighty Vac and speed bleeders. They are a waste of money. The Motive is all you need. Make sure the caliper is floating on the pins. Get a piece of plastic tubing long enough to hit the bottom of your favorite empty bourbon bottle. Fill the bottom of the bottle enough to cover the end of the plastic tube. Keep the end covered with fluid. Make sure the reservoir is full, pump up the Motive to 30 lbs (make sure it is holding the pressure) and crack the bleeder until you see new, bubble free fluid You need to keep an eye on the reservoir at all times after that first crack of the right rear bleeder.
Good luck,

Mark

What he said - except my Motive is Wifey on the brake pedal - push, hold, release while I open and close the bleeder. tres simple ...

[-=Jeff=-]

Originally Posted by gbrtng

What he said - except my Motive is Wifey on the brake pedal - push, hold, release while I open and close the bleeder. tres simple ...

That is what I do too, except my son on the brake pedal

[JimZRyd]

Thanks guys. I actually have been trying all the above suggestions, except trying to back fill the new calipers. Might try that if I continue to have problems. Billy might have it pegged as I might not be waiting long enough. In all the brake jobs I've done it's never taken much time and I always have seemed to get much better flow when bleeding. Ill get back on it by the end of the week and update then.

[JimZRyd]

Finally got the rears to bleed well! Found a thread on another site where guys were having a problem with their C4's brakes leaking from the bleeder screws. They were all using speed bleeders, as was I, and the speed bleeder screws weren't seating right in the caliper allowing them to leak. I wasn't having any leakage problems, just couldn't get them to bleed. So I compared my Russel speed bleeders with the oem ones and sure enough the speed bleeders were longer and had a more pointed tip. So I removed the speed bleeders and replaced them with the oem and BAM! That did it! They both bled fine. The right rear was a little sluggish but the left rear flowed fine. Bled approx 50cc through each and buttoned them up. Firm pedal! Now to move on to the fronts!