Bleeding My Brakes

[93Ranger4x4]

Alright fellas, just installed new calipers and rotors and brake pads on my diesel. Only problem is, i cant seem to get the brakes bled. When i try the back brakes, i get nice fluid coming out, then i try the front and i get like a milky almost mountain dew looking color coming out of the bleeders and it barely comes out. After a couple tries of bleeding the front brakes it got a litle better where as it would shoot the fluid out, but still a wierd color. So i gave it a shot down the road up and back a few times, and my brakes are grabbing, like the calipers are literally pushing and grinding the pads into my rotors(part of the reason my calipers crapped out on me, they were sticking really bad on the way to work one day and pretty much fried the calipers), Anyone have any thoughts? i believe the truck has 4 wheel abs, i was reading somewhere about the abs valves needing to be opened with a scanner, but i still dont see why you couldnt bleed them without the scanner. Also read to have someone pump the brakes and open the bleeder and just leave it open for about 20 seconds or so since the abs is a slow brake system so it might take a couple seconds to push stuff out, idk.
Please lend me some help!!

Thanks,
93ranger4x4

 

[Downey]

get a big bottle of brake fluid and flush your brake lines and run all new fluid. start at the farthest away brake and work for farthest to closest. bleed the first like till nice new clean fluid comes out then move to the next closest. and so forth its a time consuming process but worth it in the end. just make sure you dont let your resovor get to low keep it full.

 

[93Ranger4x4]

Thanks downey, i tried to bleed the passenger side yesterday and ended up breaking the bleeder off, so i went to take the old caliper off and the pistons literally fell apart as soon as i took it off. Got a new caliper and installed it and new pads, proceeded to bleed the brakes, got a little bit of air from the passenger side, then nothing but good clean fluid, moved to the drivers, clean fluid. Then i moved to the front and started to bleed them, i did not get anymore air, and the nasty looking fluid was no longer coming out, looked like nice clean brake fluid. Took it for a test run a couple times up and down the road, didnt seem to grab anymore like they were, even stopped and stuck my head in between the tire and wheel well and looked for smoke and smell of brakes, I did not see any smoke and i didnt smell hot brakes like i could before so im thinking that rear caliper was causing all my problems.

 

[Downey]

alright you can try bleeding the brakes with it running but you need 2 people one to pump and hold. because you have a hell of a lot more pressure and may be able to unplug the front lines if they are clogged.

 

[93Ranger4x4]

Well u thought it was good to, I decided to bleed them again with the truck running. Took it for another test drive today and bang the front calipers are still locking up. Got back to the house and hurried up and crawled underneath and cracked both front bleedets and the truck rolled forward and fluid came out. When I bled it with the truck running I did not have any air come out at all. I'm kind of at my wits end here bout ready to just roll it over a hill, any suggestions?

 

[Pt_Ranger_V8]

It sounds like your caliper pistons are sticking.

Grab a couple of rebuild kits, and rebuild them. It's a lot easier if you have an air compressor, but you can do it by hand as well.

 

[93Ranger4x4]

Brand spankin new calipers pt, actually on the second set of new front calipers for the front. Idk what the problem is, its driving me insane wondering what it could be.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Replace your front flex lines, Sounds like they have collapsed, not allowing the fluid to return after the pedal is pressed.

 

[93Ranger4x4]

Replaced the lines when i put the second set of calipers on along with new pads and rotors.

 

[Downey]

you still having problems?

 

[93Ranger4x4]

I believe so, im not too sure tho, last time i parked the truck i cracked the front bleeders and it sat for about a week or so. i figured maybe they would gravity bleed. Went out yesterday, closed the bleers and saw that a little bit of fluid had come out. So i started the truck, took it up and down the road and the pedal felt squishy but didnt feel like it was trying to lock up the brakes all on its own. I dunno, i'll take it for another spin today or tomorrow and see if it worked. the calipers didnt feel like they were hot at all, just the rotors after my 15min test drive yesterday.

 

[Downey]

hmm sounds like a pain in the ass lol

 

[wvfarmboy]

back in the summer i bought a 85 f250 dieselwhen i got it running i went for a ride the futher i went the slower it got front brakes draging bad put on a new master cyl works great now the brake fulid has to return back to master cyl when brakes release

 

[Totalled]

Yep. Sounds like time for a master.