VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics

  #1  
Old 07-09-2014, 11:27 PM
tx_jayhawk tx_jayhawk is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Olathe, KS
Posts: 374
Default Difficulty Bleeding Brakes Up

I'm rebleeding my brakes from the bottom up. On the left side, for some reason, no matter how much pressure is applied, it just "barely pushs the fluid up to the reservoir. It ultimately made it to the top, but then the brakes were still spongy (despite no visible bubbles). Anyone else run into this where the brakes won't bleed up? The right side worked pretty well, but the left really wouldn't. The valve was definitely fully open.

As of now, I don't see any notable bubbles, yet both sides feel spongy yet I cant seems to bleed one side.

Thanks,
Scott
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-09-2014, 11:30 PM
Dbro172's Avatar
Dbro172 Dbro172 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Fargo, ND
Posts: 1,073
Default

Reach down in the floor of the cockpit and pull back on the break pedals by hand so they are fully retracted. The slightest depression on these pedals will stop flow
__________________
Derek Hoeschen
EAA Tech Counselor
RV-9A #92103 - N803DK
G3X, Superior XO-320, Dual Pmags, Catto 3B
www.mykitlog.com/dbro172/

1974 Bellanca Super Viking - N16AW - Flying
RV-8 #83565 - N184DK - building
1968 Mooney M20C - N6801N - Sold
1956 C-182 - N744W - Sold
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-10-2014, 03:36 AM
N941WR's Avatar
N941WR N941WR is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: SC
Posts: 12,887
Default

Also, what are you using to push the fluid?

My first pump was a small modified yard sprayer. The problem was that the end of the air pump was in thre brake fluid and when I would pressurize the tank it would pump air into the fluid.

The fix was to get a bigger (taller) tank that moved the end of the pump up, out of the fluid.
__________________
Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-10-2014, 09:42 AM
Mike S's Avatar
Mike S Mike S is offline
Senior Curmudgeon
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbro172 View Post
Reach down in the floor of the cockpit and pull back on the break pedals by hand so they are fully retracted. The slightest depression on these pedals will stop flow
Pretty sure this will make things better for you.

You might consider doing a little research about adding springs to the master cylinders and maybe long pivot bolts-----all been discussed here many times.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909

Rv-10, N210LM.

Flying as of 12/4/2010

Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011

Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.

"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-10-2014, 02:35 PM
BillL BillL is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Central IL
Posts: 5,516
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dbro172 View Post
Reach down in the floor of the cockpit and pull back on the break pedals by hand so they are fully retracted. The slightest depression on these pedals will stop flow
Yep, probably have partially covered the return hole in the master cylinder. If pulling back does not fix it then you should check, otherwise the line would fill from reservoir.
__________________
Bill

RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-10-2014, 07:10 PM
Berchmans Berchmans is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 457
Default What others said

Yep, if the cylinder isn't fully open you will find it hard to push. I used a turkey baster syringe and clear plastic tubing. since everything is clear you can see any air bubbles before they get into the brake system. No spillage at all...
__________________
Burke Wick
Flying RV 8
Anchorage, Alaska
VAF Dues Paid for 2020
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-11-2014, 10:44 AM
VETE76 VETE76 is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: syracuse ny/venice fl
Posts: 623
Default

We just used a plastic hypo needle. You can get em at a drug store, they are used to clear ear wax. Plastic tube and filled from bottom up. we did 3 rv7's only one gave us trouble and after we pulled the brakes back they filled fine. no mushy peddles either! worked great. if you assemble the system correctly you wont need return springs. the pivot bolts have to be loose and the peddle has free travel. we had to adjust one of the 3 RV's
now the important thing is check your brake fluid more than once a year. an rv6 didn't, and his leaked down and when he landed he applied brakes and only one grabbed the other side didn't so off the runway, right in to an immovable object. $30,000 later and 1 yr of rebuild............. he wrecked it on 1st flight. he forgot to put the cotter pin in the castle nut holding the throttle cable on. he flew 45 min decided to land and was too fast so he pushed the throttle to full open to go around.....nothing, went off, end hit tall weeds and flipped it. he has now switched his hobby to playing checkers and moved to NC. his wife made sure of that. this guy was a 20 yr military pilot!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-11-2014, 11:22 AM
rocketbob's Avatar
rocketbob rocketbob is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: 8I3
Posts: 3,564
Default

The Matco master cylinders have a return spring internally, so there's no reason to add an external one. Two days ago I bled the brakes in the RV after rebuilding a leaking Matco master cylinder. It was simple. Pull the snap ring, the piston comes out and you replace two o-rings. Bled with my little pump oil can from the bottom up, and I normally run the whole can thru to get all the air bubbles out. I screw a hose fitting to the top of the reservoir and have a hose draining back into the quart of ATF I use.
__________________

Please don't PM me! Email only!

Bob Japundza CFI A&PIA
N9187P PA-24-260B Comanche, flying
N678X F1 Rocket, under const.
N244BJ RV-6 "victim of SNF tornado" 1200+ hrs, rebuilding
N8155F C150 flying
N7925P PA-24-250 Comanche, restoring
Not a thing I own is stock.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-18-2014, 05:56 AM
Tango Mike Tango Mike is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 190
Default

I use a pressurized bottle from Spruce and had variable results until I began using a bungee cord from a pedal on one side around the fuel selector valve to the corresponding pedal on the other side to make sure they are fully aft. It seems that even the slightest depression of the pedal closes the check valve.

At the reservoir end, I use a 90-degree fitting in place of the cap so there's room to screw in a bleed fitting connected to a hose and run that into a water bottle with a little fluid in it. The bubbles are easy to see. With nothing but fluid flowing, switch to the other side and repeat.
__________________
Tango Mike
Bucket List Builder Wannabe
RV-6 N221P (sold)
RV-4 N221TM (sold)
RV-7 N7721P
Dues Current through July 2017, double the minimum gladly paid in spite of DR's offer to waive them for veterans.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-18-2014, 07:30 AM
tx_jayhawk tx_jayhawk is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Olathe, KS
Posts: 374
Default

To close the loop on this, it ended up being the pedal was ever so slightly depressed. I grabbed it and snapped it back, and it seemed to bleed OK. Thanks for all the help.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:35 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.