Front Brakes Stuck

[tbrewer]

Ok. I just installed a new caliper on the passenger side because it was dented and would not slide back in. When I tried to bleed the brake line, I found that my master cylinder was bad, so I replaced it as well. I bled the brakes and all seemed to be working fine.

3 days later, both front brakes completely seized up and will not spin. Can anyone give me some help with this? According to the directions on the master cylinder, I extended the pushrod on the brake booster because the pedal seemed to be traveling too far. Could this have caused my problem?

I never had an issue with the driver's side before I installed the new master cylinder. But now both sides are completely stuck.

Please help!

 

[a31ford]

It sounds like the culprit is the space BETWEEN the actuator rod on the booster, and the new master cylinder's internal puck (the thing that pushes fluid out)

It needs to be an exact amount (1 inch if memory serves me, BUT you should find out for sure).

What happens is, if the rod is just a touch too long, it doesn't allow the fluid to return (at least not all of it), so slowly the brakes get tighter, and tighter, (every time you use the brakes) exactly what has happened to you.

The test: Loosen off the two nuts that hold the master to the booster, the brakes should loosen off, proving the rod is too long,

Greg

 

[tbrewer]

So I need to shorten the pushrod? I tried over and over again to get it right, but according to the instructions that came with the master cylinder, I was supposed to adjust the pushrod until I could see the fluid move when the pedal was pushed no farther than halfway. I tried forever and never saw the fluid move.

I appreciate the help. I'll shorten the pushrod.

Thanks

 

[a31ford]

I know the pushrod can be an issue, plain and simple, the exact length, unknown.

Did you get the brakes to back off with the two nuts that hold the master to the booster ? ??

Greg

 

[tbrewer]

Haven't tried yet. It's dark and cold and I wouldn't want to wake the neighbors with excessive cursing. I'll let you know tomorrow when I get a chance to work on it.

 

[a31ford]

LMAO !!

Try here, it's dark, and currently Minus 5 (-5), it was so cold this morning (how cold was it), It was so cold this morning, that when I went down the barn to feed the horses, I had to go around and "jump-start" all the mice, so the cats would have something to play with....

As George Carlin once said... " tonight's weather forecast, DARK, with widely scattered LIGHT, in the morning...."

Greg

 

[doorgunner]

I'm just guessing that you didn't have all the air bled out of the system....and like a Member said-once the air worked it's way out-you had to adjust the actuator rod to be longer.....then more air worked out & you had to keep adjusting the rod longer for the brake pedal to "feel" right.

I hope it made sense to you......sometimes bleeding brakes can be a REAL pain....the same thing happened on my motorcycle....just glad that I was only doing 30mph when the back brake locked up!!

 

[Mark_88]

Unless you use a Master Cylinder that was different from the original equipment (like say mixing and matching different model years or even different vehicles) that push rod adjustment should never be touched...ask me how I know this...lol

Anyway...sounds like you are on the right track...I was going to say flex lines as I had them cause my front brakes to lock up on me (but at least they let go after a few miles down the road)...

The spongy pedal could have been air in the lines like was mentioned...took me a few bleeds to get mine all out...and a few runs around the lines where I found my shoddy joint work was leaking...

Hope you find and fix it fast!