Technical Archives
Technical Archives
This page was last updated on $Date: 1999/01/07 02:00:49 $.
Recently had my BJ8 shipped up from Arizona. When in AZ my dad complained that the front right brake caliper was hanging a bit causing unwanted heat and brake dust. After some good advice, I pulled off the caliper and removed the pistons only to see some serious pitting and corrosion. After replacing the pistons, seals, and dust covers all worked fine...when the brake was not connected to the car. After replacing the caliper and bleeding the brakes they were locked tight to the disk. Hey...is this some sort of sick british joke????? Why would they move freely with no pressure when not on the car and not freely with no pressure when on the car? I released the bleed screw and a bit of brake fluid spurted out. Why should there be enough pressure in the line to make brake fluid spurt out when the car was not running and with no person pressing on the brake?
After an hour of two of head scratching, grumbling, thinking that it might be the dreaded servo, opening lines and pressing the brake I found out that the flexible line running from the caliper to the solid brake line had expanded and closed the line. My brake problem was solved!
Due to the pressure in the system when pressing on the brake, fluid could get pushed through the flexible brake line. However, when the brakes were released the fluid was not able to move back into the system to relieve enough pressure on the brakes to release them. When I opened the bleed screw the rubber in the brake line acted as a sort of ballon and forced the brake fluid out. This also explained why the brakes worked when off the car and not while they were on the car. Bought a new flexible line and the problem is now solved. Also bought a new line for the other side and one for the back. Still glad I changed the pistons and rubber...they would have caused problems sooner or later (probably sooner).
Editor's note: One can have the same problem with the clutch flex line.
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