2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Pressure bleeding

[SMalafy]

I tried to pressure bleed my brakes after I changed the rear shoes and drums and now the ABS and brake light is lit on the dash. I did have a helper hold down the front brake metering valve when I did the front brakes but have these 2 warning lights lit. Anyone know what it could be that would trigger them. Do I need to use a scan tool to shut them off ?

 

[rstorrey]

Hello SMalafy,
what did you find out about getting your ABS light to extinguish?
I will be flushing complete brake system and bleeding my brakes this weekend. New front calipers, L & R front brake lines, pads and new L & R rear wheel cylinders. DOT 4 fluid. I bought a pressure bleeder however it looks like i may have better luck staying old school w/a hose and a mason jar.
97 2500 4WD/club cab/Stock/150K
RS Torrey 5/1/24

 

[SMalafy]

Hello SMalafy,
what did you find out about getting your ABS light to extinguish?
I will be flushing complete brake system and bleeding my brakes this weekend. New front calipers, L & R front brake lines, pads and new L & R rear wheel cylinders. DOT 4 fluid. I bought a pressure bleeder however it looks like i may have better luck staying old school w/a hose and a mason jar.
97 2500 4WD/club cab/Stock/150K
RS Torrey 5/1/24

I did not find out how to shut them off yet. The truck stops OK though

 

[SMalafy]

I did not find out how to shut them off yet. The truck stops OK though

 

[GAmes]

I don't know if it really makes a difference but I once read that stroking the MC piston fully in can cause problems. For that reason I put a 2X4 on the floorboard under the pedal so that my helper can't push it all the way down. Several brake flushes behind me and the MC is the original.

 

[petersonj]

I don't know if it really makes a difference but I once read that stroking the MC piston fully in can cause problems.

I think there is merit to that, but not necessarily as much of a concern with modern brake master cylinders of the last 20 years. In my earlier years of turning wrenches, it seemed that the consensus was that if a master cylinder piston working seal/s stroked farther than its normal operating distance, damage to the seal could occur from a contaminated cylinder bore (pits, silting, deposits, etc.).

I think that materials and brake fluid are of much better quality today than 40 years ago. I personally have never worried about stroking the master cylinder too far and I have never had any bad experience from doing so. For example, I still have the original master cylinder on my truck today (387,000 miles). I have always purged the system of old fluid or bled brakes by manually operating the master cylinder and I do the work without a helper. I have never used pressure bleeding tools.

Good idea with the 2 x 4. I imagine that you have many miles on your master cylinder, as well.

- John

 

[SMalafy]

I don't know if it really makes a difference but I once read that stroking the MC piston fully in can cause problems. For that reason I put a 2X4 on the floorboard under the pedal so that my helper can't push it all the way down. Several brake flushes behind me and the MC is the original.

That is what I did the 2nd time when I had my helper bleed manually

 

[rstorrey]

ok, I post my results after this wknd's brake bleeding job.
97 2500 4WD/club cab/Stock/150K
RS Torrey

 

[rstorrey]

Hello SMalafyI tried using a pressure bleeding tank & adapter cover for the master cylinder however the rubber gasket seems a bit small -not enough overhang from the reservoir and i could not get it to hold pressure - tried multiple repositioning's without success, so i gave up on that idea.
I used some clear vinyl tubing over the bleeders and into a clean plastic bottle. I opened the right rear and pumped about pint through, then the left rear another pint, same with the right front and finished with the left front, and the pedal is very firm. Probably used a total of about 3 qts. Because i wanted to flush out my system, i pumped until the vinal tubing was completely filled from each bleeder to the bottom of the bottle. I started my truck and no brake light or RWAL light.
Thanks
97 2500 4WD/club cab/Stock/150K pricol EGT & boost gauges
RS Torrey

 

[CRodi]

I ended up replacing the brake light switch to extinguish the ABS light. I can't understand the connection or theory behind it, but as weird as it sounds it worked for me. Curious to see what you find.

Good luck

 

[Matt42]

Hello SMalafyI tried using a pressure bleeding tank & adapter cover for the master cylinder however the rubber gasket seems a bit small -not enough overhang from the reservoir and i could not get it to hold pressure - tried multiple repositioning's without success, so i gave up on that idea.
I used some clear vinyl tubing over the bleeders and into a clean plastic bottle. I opened the right rear and pumped about pint through, then the left rear another pint, same with the right front and finished with the left front, and the pedal is very firm. Probably used a total of about 3 qts. Because i wanted to flush out my system, i pumped until the vinal tubing was completely filled from each bleeder to the bottom of the bottle. I started my truck and no brake light or RWAL light.
Thanks
97 2500 4WD/club cab/Stock/150K pricol EGT & boost gauges
RS Torrey

I also used to use a second person to pump the brake pedal. That was usually my wife, with the instruction to not push all the way to the floor, while I manipulated the bleeder screw with a wrench. My retired neighbor took pity on me in 1978 and lent me his pressure bleeder that had been purpose-built for when he worked at a Cadillac & LaSalle dealer in the 1940s. It was basically a steel canister into which we poured about a quart of brake fluid. We used shop air to keep it pressurized using an on-board gauge to about 10 PSI. The brake fluid line fed a circular screw-on master cylinder adapter that was commonly used for single-cylinder master cylinders of the 1940s to the 1960s. (I inherited it when he died and still use it, with suitable maintenance.)

I needed to adapt it to the Delco (GM) style rectangular style reservoirs that were introduced in the 1960s. Regardless of their price, I could never, ever get the flat plate adapters to seal. They would leak air and brake fluid al over the place. The mess was astounding. Even now, I still have that problem. So I found a twin-post kind with rubber seals that jam into each of the twin cylinder's feed ports. It would adjust to any spacing. That worked great. It looks something like this Branick G310, but what I have is a K-D 3353. I still use it. Since that time, I bought brake fluid reservoir caps for different cars and affixed quick connect fittings to them, by drilling holes and using O rings.

Edit: What I bought was this model 3353 from K-D tools, although it was complete. This image is from an eBay listing, current as of today.

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