bully

As a part of the preparations for the coming track season I did some minor upgrades to my brake system (my Z is a daily driver so I could not go real crazy). Complete brake fluid flush (using tech II, changed to super blue), PFCz pads, SS brake lines and installed new brake cooling ducts. I was expecting to get a much stiffer brake pedal feel but…. nothing. The pedal feels pretty soft even softer then before with the OEM set up. I tried to bleed the brakes again and still no real change. I expected some decrease in cold brake performance which happened but not a soft pedal feel, is that normal??? If not, what should I do??? Thanks

Bill Dearborn

What do you mean by soft pedal feel? Is it spongy with no real feeling of ever getting hard until the pedal bottoms out? Or do you just have more brake pedal travel now and when the brake finally starts to engage the pedal gets hard but just a lot lower than before?

Bill

bully

Thats it! once the brake padal gets to a point the car stops very well but until then it has a long way to travel

z060ntrack

Welcome to the C5 brake system! Everyone here has at one point experienced the same thing.

I'm not sure you needed to use the TechII but Ii'm sure it didn't hurt. Make sure you have the correct sequence RR,LF,LR,RF and bleed slow and deliberate (pedal all the way to the bottom and slowly release it). Make sure you re seat the pistons by slowly pumping up the brke pedal in between each corner you bleed. I use speed bleeders and have had good luck with them.

You'll get it it just takes a few times, also try bleeding with the ignition on which opens the ABS controller and tap the calipers with a hammer to dislodge any air. :chevy

dmtnt

Try this:

Get the brakes good and hot
tap the calipers with a rubber mallet
bleed w/ the ignition off
bleed again w/ the ignition on
bleed again w/ the ignition off

The off/on/off method is supposedly a GM bulletin not in the manual. Good luck! :thumbs:

larryfs

that happened to me once. although I didn't believe it at the time, I somehow got air in the MC. I was doing it in a dark driveway which was my mistake.

DKTZ06

Make sure your hose/line has a good seal on the bleeder valve. If if does not seal properly, you WILL get air in your brake lines. I'll bet dollars to donuts that you managed to get air in the lines ... hence the spongy pedal feel. A friend of mine taught me a little trick when bleeding your brakes ... use some axle grease around the bleeder valve after you've attached the hose. It will keep it air tight. It's a little messy, but it sure as heck beats having to bleed the brakes twice. When you start bleeding the brakes, you should NOT see any bubbles in the hose. If you see bubbles, you're getting air in there ... again! :banghead:

-Don

bully

Thanks guys, i'll try to rebleed and this time use the off on off method, I will also recheck the ss line to make sure that they are sealed proparly. Thanks for all the help!!! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

Oyishdog

You should not get any air into the system if you close the bleeder valve before you release the brake pedal. I just bled my brakes last week, they feel more responsive now :thumbs: the pedal "feel" is great...I can;t wait to see how the ATE super blue fluid works at VIR this coming weekend :yesnod:

Bill Dearborn

Wow, I have been bleeding the C5 brake system for 7 years now and did not know about turning the ignition on. It pays to stay in touch.
Bill