Brake Master Cylinder?

[HammerDown]

Anyone have any feedback about 'Cardone' remanufactured or new master cylinders?

 

[Don Mason]

Anyone have any feedback about 'Cardone' remanufactured or new master cylinders?

I can't say about the master cylinder, but I just installed 4 of their rebuilt calipers on my 73 and they have worked fine so far with no problems or leaks.

 

[HammerDown]

Thanks for the feedback, Don.

*Bench bleed new MS in the vice, it hand-pumped up hard then installed it on the car...started at right rear, then left rear, front right and then front left > went around to each caliper a few times until solid fluid was coming out.

*Got in, started the car and the pedal went to the floor...nothing is leaking anywhere...WTF!

*Being the rear calipers were off and sitting for almost two months, maybe they just have a big air pocket in them???

*I've NEVER needed this tool before but, I went to Harbor Freight and purchased a Pneumatic bleeder...giving it a tryout tomorrow.
http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-f...der-92924.html

I'm ready for this 'work on the Corvette party' to be over!

Arggghhh...just again went around to all four calipers again, but this time used the above Pneumatic Bleeder that seemed to work very good...SOB...pedal went to the floor again!

MC again bolted to the bench vice and hand bleed it to where it's hard to depress the piston...all I can do is try again tomorrow.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Cardone is one of the better remanufacturers out there.

First, bench bleed the master by getting one of those bench bleed kits or making your own bleed tubes, one in each outlet running back up the each reservoir. Fill the MS, then slowly pump full strokes until there are no more air bubbles flowing out of the tubes into the reservoirs.

Reinstall the master then pressure bleed the rest of the system. Go RR, LR, RF, LF.

Do not use a vacuum bleeder on a C3.

 

[HammerDown]

Cardone is one of the better remanufacturers out there.

First, bench bleed the master by getting one of those bench bleed kits or making your own bleed tubes, one in each outlet running back up the each reservoir. Fill the MS, then slowly pump full strokes until there are no more air bubbles flowing out of the tubes into the reservoirs.

Reinstall the master then pressure bleed the rest of the system. Go RR, LR, RF, LF.

Do not use a vacuum bleeder on a C3.

Why no vacuum bleeder on a C3...Reason being???

RR LR RF LF is the sequence I've always used.

Just tonight I went to Pep Boys, bought two, 8" hard brake lines and bent the lines to come out of the exit ports and curve back up and deep into the fill-chambers. Once again, it appears to be air-free and the piston only compresses about 1/8".

 

[Hib Halverson]

The seal design on C2/C3 disc brake calipers works very well at keeping brake fluid in but it doesn't work well in keeping air out.

When you use a vacuum bleeder, you're applying a vacuum to the brake caliper. It doesn't take much below atmospheric pressure to suck air, past the piston seals and into the brake fluid. The problem comes in being able to use a hand vacuum pump well enough to feel when you've applied just enough vacuum to the caliper to only suck out brake fluid and not pull air past the piston seals.

With C2/C3 you're always better to use manual (foot) bleeding, pressure bleeding or even gravity bleeding rather than vacuum bleeding.

As for bench bleeding, you have the right equipment, but you should be able to bottom the piston in the bore when bench bleeding. You already know, once the MS is installed that you can bottom the piston in the bore so, when you have it in the vise on the bench, push harder because, when you only move the piston an 1/8-in, you're not getting a full stroke.

 

[HammerDown]

The seal design on C2/C3 disc brake calipers works very well at keeping brake fluid in but it doesn't work well in keeping air out.

When you use a vacuum bleeder, you're applying a vacuum to the brake caliper. It doesn't take much below atmospheric pressure to suck air, past the piston seals and into the brake fluid. The problem comes in being able to use a hand vacuum pump well enough to feel when you've applied just enough vacuum to the caliper to only suck out brake fluid and not pull air past the piston seals.

With C2/C3 you're always better to use manual (foot) bleeding, pressure bleeding or even gravity bleeding rather than vacuum bleeding.

As for bench bleeding, you have the right equipment, but you should be able to bottom the piston in the bore when bench bleeding. You already know, once the MS is installed that you can bottom the piston in the bore so, when you have it in the vise on the bench, push harder because, when you only move the piston an 1/8-in, you're not getting a full stroke.

Allow me to clearify...true, when bench bleeding I can indeed fully compress the piston/full strokes into its bore > as without anything to stop the fluid, it's simply exiting and reentering the MC.
However, when I remove the homemade bleeder tubes and plug the two ports, the piston becomes firm and only can be depressed about 1/8th inch.

Thanks for the info about the vacuum bleeder.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Ok. The cylinder has been bench bled.

Now, reinstall the MC and bleed the wheels.

 

[HammerDown]

UPDATE...
Pedal appears to be high and hard!

I believe it was the rear inner bleeders needed to be addressed. And I cant believe I over looked them (dumb ass)

By myself I bled the heck out of the system, I visited each bleeder over and over, then gravity bled and burped each caliper over and over.

Then, I finally got my neighbor to work the pedal as I went around and did it again.

***Great tip about the compressor operated pneumatic bleeding system...as I do think it was causing air to be sucked into the pistons.

Before lowering the car to driving to get it aligned, I need to remove the 'trany accumulator cover' o-ring as it's weeping. Hopefully I won't have to drop the front Y-pipe, but it sure is tight in that area. Maybe removing the pipe's heat-shield will give me just enough room to get it done.