Did you adjust the ebrake first before bleeding? if not the piston has a bit to make up before doing any good - using up pedal swing.
Gravity bleeding works on some and doesn't on some, I always do a final bleed with a helper working the pedal. I have found over the years that simply pushing the pedal down one time and holding works better than pumping the pedal multiple times during the final bleed.
Amen to that. After hearing horror stories about bleeding ABS modules on GM stuff, I happily found that out I'd left the front bleeders open on my '48 Pontiac 'vert (which has the complete ABS system from the donor '94 Caddy) overnight, and found puddles of brake fluid on the floor the next moring. I topped of the M/C, walked away, and the next day hit each bleeder with my vacume bleeder, and "VIOLA", perfectly functioning ABS brakes. No hassle. If you've got time, I guess it should work on almost anything. Provided of course that the M/C doesn't run completely dry in the meantime... Brian Brian
http://www.tsmmfg.com/Troubleshooting.htm#2 Go there and there is a quick and simple explanation of adjusting the e brake on a caddy caliper. There are a few things that cause a soft pedal. Soft is different than spongy. Soft.pedal Incorrect pedal ratio Mismatched master cylinder bore size Bad master cylinder Compromised rubber hoses. Incorrect adjustment of brakes. Mostly for drums but your caddy caliper applies too. Spongy is air. The air gets compressed in the system and forces back on the pedal.
Its the only way I can get good solid pedal on my dragster. It has rear brakes only so we just pull the slicks off put the rear on a box, lift the front end and let gravity do the work. Works great for us!!! I've tried the standard method and vaccum pump and neither works as good as gravity.
I always do one wheel at a time, with a clear hose from the bleeder UP over the wheel into a container on the other side of the wheel. Fluid drops back to the bleeder, air goes up. Excess fluid goes in the container. When done with a wheel I slide under, close the bleeder and move the setup to the next wheel. I know it sounds wierd but I've doen it for years.
Having a one-man shop for many years I seldom had anyone around to help me bleed brakes. I found gravity bleeding was my best way as no air is introduced into the system. Also, nobody pumping fluid until it areates [spelling] and having to re-bleed. Gravity bleeding only works where the master is physically higher than the wheel cylinders. I'd fill the master cylinder to full, start at the nearest wheel [to the master cylinder] and simply open the bleeder. If you think nothing is happening [and sometimes it isn't] just spit on your finger and wipe the saliva over the hole in the bleeder...it should make a bubble if the air is coming out. If not, I usta use a vacuum bleeder or just suck on a little vacuum hose connected to the bleeder until I got fluid..let it run 10 seconds or so to get all the bubbles out and close the bleeder...go to the next closest wheel and repeat. You'll never get any air into the system this way.
The Jalopy Journal
