Hey, so I'm trying to replace a front brake line that's rusted out, and I know I'll have to bleed the line when I'm done. It appears to me that the bleed screw is in the side of the brake caliper. Is that true? if it is completely rusted shut, does that mean that I need to also replace this caliper to change the line, or can I just replace a brake piston or something like you can in the rear with the drums? I can't tell if it's all one piece in there or if there' s a removable piston in the caliper that can be replaced by itself.

 

if the bleeder screw is rusted shut try opening it... if you break if you need a new caliper.

 

A new caliper is around 16 bucks.Very cheep to replace if needed.

 

really? so it's probably not worth digging around in a junkyard for one. I'll bet the caliper doesn't include pads??

 

are you kidding me? where the hell are you getting a caliper for $16? more like $160 plus core charge!

 

X2...unless hes talking about a rebuild kit

 

u can get a caliper at advance auto for 50 some + core charge. remans of course.

 

even with my dealer discount i still cant get a caliper that cheap. and they are remans...


if the op doesnt know how to bleed his brakes i dont think rebuilding a caliper would be a good idea for him

 

lol sorry double post!

 

good point...and hardly anybody rebuilds those things anymore...

 

thats why they charge core. they rebuild them and clean them properly. there are a lot of makes and models of vehicles they dont even sell rebuild kits for anymore

 

back to the brake bleeding...IMO i would bleed the WHOLE system out...then you will have brand new brake fluid in your system and it wouldnt take much longer to do

 

x2 its super easy to do. i did mine last weekend when i did my rear brakes... but i cheated and used a pressure can. just start at the wheel furthest from the master cylinder and work your way around the truck

 

oh, so I don't have to use some special tool and bleed directly from my master cylinder like my chilton manual said? that sounds good to me. and I'm really only trying to replace one lousy rusted line. I'm in no mood to make this project bigger than it needs to be.

 

no it helps to have two people. all you need to do is crack open the bleeder screw about 1/4 turn and have someone step on the brake pedal. fluid will come out. close the bleeder before they release the pedal and repeat until there is no more air bubbles coming out

 

Thanks! I did just that after replacing the line, and it worked well. Got the valve open with very little trouble. a little PB blaster goes a long way. only bled the one wheel that I replaced the line to and the brakes feel fine. work well. they said the air bubbles could get back to the rear brakes through the proportioning valve, but I can't even find a proportioning valve on the truck!

 

there will be a proportioning valve for the rear brakes

 

oh, so that's what that box with the wiring harness is. I thought that was the ABS module. maybe it's both things in one?

 

While I can understand why someone doesn't want more work, bleeding brake lines is an often overlooked and easy to do maintenance item. Probably the reason the line rusted out was because it wasn't bleed. So that means the other lines are probably going to rust out too (if the rusting out was internal - not external). Also contaminated fluid is also going to cause problems with the calipers and cylinders. The brake fluid absorbs moisture (hygroscopic) during its life which causes rust to form in side the brake system as the moisture content increases. Bleeding it out cleans it out and you will have much few problems with your brakes. How many times have you had your brake pads/shoes replaced and they tell you you need new calipers/cylinders? Bleed them every 2 years and your problems will be much less.
Just my opinion.

 

Never, haha. I change my own on personal vehicles, but I can say the same for work vehicles too.

 

Yes - doing maintenance or replacing parts that are not needed is a real money maker(for Mtce guy)/loser (for the owner) - especially if 'the company' is paying for the repairs - it must be needed!

 

X2 ... I paid $45 for one at the salvage yard when one of my pins froze up.

 

No one gets down to the nitty gritty here but all of us are guilty of that..just replacing what needs to be replaced....Its a ***** but they should be looked at or bled once a year. I know I get my wheels off at least twice a year so having another dozen tools out wont make a difference. You should bleed them just to crack the bleeder valve to keep it from rusting shut. Remove the cap on the master cylinder and start with the furthest wheel form the master cylinder ( rear passenger and then to the rear driver) just crack the bleeder and allow it to drip for a few minutes, after the fluid seems to be clearer the when you started it, close the bleeder valve and reopen it just a bit ( 1/4 turn ), have some one push the brake pedal slowly while you use your index finger to apply a little pressure to the the flow of brake fluid. Don't allow the pedal to come back up till you cover the bleeder valve with you finger, you might suck a bit of air back into the brake cylinder. Do this at least 3 times. On the fourth time have your closed end wrench on the bleeder valve ready to close it. Make sure the pedal is still on the way down before you close the bleeder valve. The fronts are almost the same but easier, you can turn the wheels to get a better look at the bleeder valve. Top off the master cylinder after each wheel and fill to proper level when the truck is back on the ground. Thats how I go about doing it, its has to be done so we don't get those $400 dollar estimates when the brake shop calls....

Good Luck...