Bleeding Brakes With Endless Amounts Of Air Bubbles :/ (r33 Gtst)

[deva0o]

Hey sau,

I'm having an issue while bleeding the brakes on my r33 gtst. I have gone through 3 bottles of dot 4 brake fluid already (system is now clear and no dirty fluid anymore). The method I'm using is a combo of the 2 man method and 1 man method with the brake bleeder kit you get with the small bottle etc. I've been using the 2 man method on the front calipers but for the rears I've been using the one man kit and can clearly see so many air bubbles coming out of the rear calipers down into the clear tube.

I haven't left the bmc to run dry, been careful to keep filling when getting low. The air bubbles won't stop. I'm about to go try the gravity bleed method and see what happens.

Things to note are that there wasn't any bubbles at all in the system until I had to change my front caliper mid way through the bleed as I accidentally cross threaded the bleeder nipple hole on my caliper so I swapped it over for another 33 gtst caliper in the garage, after that I've been having the issue with constant air bubbles and a spongy brake pedal that wont stiffen up at all... I thought that all those new air bubbles would disappear just as quick due to having to change a caliper over mid way and the loss of fluid etc would be causing it but I don't know anymore the bubbles on the rear calipers are endless and only started appearing after I changed the front caliper...

Anyone have a similar experience or any ideas? Also I've read different things about gravity bleeding and how people do it one by one or cracking all four nipples at the same time and just waiting.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Does your car have ABS?

If so.. you may have air pockets in the ABS unit, just crack the top bleed points and do what you were doing before.. pedal down, open/close, pedal up.. then bleed the rears...

Once you're done, go on to a quiet area and when safe try to kick in ABS.. to get the pump going. Then back home and bleed some more, that should do the trick.

[deva0o]

Does your car have ABS?

If so.. you may have air pockets in the ABS unit, just crack the top bleed points and do what you were doing before.. pedal down, open/close, pedal up.. then bleed the rears...

Once you're done, go on to a quiet area and when safe try to kick in ABS.. to get the pump going. Then back home and bleed some more, that should do the trick.

Yes it does have ABS. I may try bleeding that then and see how I go. Thanks for the suggestion.

This may be abit of a silly question but the caliper I put on last night had a damaged piston dust boot so I removed a good one from a spare caliper and put it on the newer caliper. However another one next to it looks like it had a small split but I didn't replace that one. Was wondering how bad a little tiny split could be on a dust boot if anyone here knows? I may go back downstairs and change it just to be safe if suggested.

[dermy]

Are you bleeding your brakes starting from the furthest point back and working forward?

[dyl33]

Here's a guide that might be helpful?

[32GTRB]

sounds like you're bleeding them in reverse. should be bleeding from furthest point from the bmc to the closest

[deva0o]

I am bleeding them Rear passenger/Rear driver/Front passenger/Front driver. Not in any other order.

[D.I.Y. Mik]

I had a problem with one of those suction bleeders. When you suck fluid, it leaks air past the nipple thread.

So i never could tell if it was done properly.

The two man method uses pressure and is the best way.

[deva0o]

I had a problem with one of those suction bleeders. When you suck fluid, it leaks air past the nipple thread.

So i never could tell if it was done properly.

The two man method uses pressure and is the best way.

Yeah I'm going to try the 2 man method on the rear when I can get a helper tonight as I think it's the best way. Has anyone here tried the gravity method?

[deva0o]

So abit of an update. Two man bled the brakes all around. No more air bubbles and pedal feels stiffer now. Haven't taken it for a drive but feels a lot different now... I think I will be chucking that one man bleeder kit in the bin.

[75coupe]

My one man brake bleed kit is a simple clear hose into a clean tin, hose goes from nipple over top arm and into tin, done cost $2 been using it for 8yrs... Never fails

[warps]

Sounds like you may have found the problem.

To answer your earlier question, the dust boots have no bearing on the sealing of the piston. They just keep dust and moisture out, which protects the piston assembly from corroding and getting jammed. It's there for longevity of the caliper, rather than performing any sealing / operational function.

Edited January 27, 2015 by warps

[deva0o]

Sounds like you may have found the problem.

To answer your earlier question, the dust boots have no bearing on the sealing of the piston. They just keep dust and moisture out, which protects the piston assembly from corroding and getting jammed. It's there for longevity of the caliper, rather than performing any sealing / operational function.

Cheers thanks for the info