Replacing Brake lines. Urgent!

[vasman]

I am replacing my brake lines with stainless steel ones. is there any writeup on these? Alternative any tips on installing them? Thanks

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[avengence]

Im not sure how it exactly looks down there since I have never messed with the brakes on mine but its pretty straight forward. Make sure you dont run the maser cylinder dry because if you do they say you need to bleed the ABS system and that requires a scan too, meaning you will have to take it somewhere. Also when you replace the lines try to make sure you dont just let the lines hang when they are disconnected because the fluid will just pour out and you have to bleed it even more.

I am guessing you know how to bleed the brakes too right, like which order?

Also if you try to bleed the brakes and it doesnt firm up the pedal also try bleeding the master cylinder if nothing else works. I had that same problem on a new edge I helped with. The pedal was mush till we bled the master cylinder.

[vasman]

Originally Posted by avengence

Im not sure how it exactly looks down there since I have never messed with the brakes on mine but its pretty straight forward. Make sure you dont run the maser cylinder dry because if you do they say you need to bleed the ABS system and that requires a scan too, meaning you will have to take it somewhere. Also when you replace the lines try to make sure you dont just let the lines hang when they are disconnected because the fluid will just pour out and you have to bleed it even more.

I am guessing you know how to bleed the brakes too right, like which order?

Also if you try to bleed the brakes and it doesnt firm up the pedal also try bleeding the master cylinder if nothing else works. I had that same problem on a new edge I helped with. The pedal was mush till we bled the master cylinder.

no unfortunately, no I do not know how to bleed them. please advise fully.

[cegha]

Originally Posted by vasman

no unfortunately, no I do not know how to bleed them. please advise fully.

+1 any taco bill guides on this? I would like to upgrade to new lines, brake pads, and higher temp brake fluid in the near future.

[vasman]

Please can any one describe with detail how to do this (remove old hoses replace with steel hoses and bleed procedure? Thanks

[vasman]

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The idea behind bleeding the brakes is to remove any air and old fluid from the system. Good brake fluid should be a "honey" color and should have the consistency of light oil. It should NOT be "watery" or look like coffee! Generally the more water the fluid has absorbed the more "coffee-like" its appearance.



TOOLS SECTION
One Man Brake Bleeder Kit or 1 Liter Soda Bottle with cap
3' of 1/8" inside diameter clear plastic tubing
Adjustable Wrench
Jack
Jack Stands
Breaker Bar or Lug Wrench for removing wheels
Three Cans of Ford Heavy Duty Brake Fluid
First you'll want to pick up a few items. If you are planning on doing this yourself, you'll need a one man brake bleeder kit, which you can get from your local auto parts store for about $10-20. If you've got help you'll need some clear plastic tubing, about 3' should be more than enough. It will need to be about 1/8" inside diameter, big enough to fit on to the bleeder screw nipples, but tight enough to keep fluid and air out.

Next you'll need lots of brake fluid. Ford Heavy Duty Brake Fluid is HIGHLY recommended and you can get it from any Ford parts counter. We've used it in race cars and in street cars, it has a high boiling point, provides relatively long life before it needs to be changed, and best of all it is CHEAP. Performance is about as good as some of the more expensive racing brake fluids and you can get this for about $5/container at the dealership. Get at least three.

You'll also want some kind of container to drain the old fluid into. 1 Liter soda bottles work great because they have a screw cap. Get a couple of these. PLEASE DISPOSE OF USED BRAKE FLUID PROPERLY!

Make sure that when you're doing this that YOU DO NOT GET BRAKE FLUID ON THE PAINT!!!! It will eat the paint off your car! Also be sure not to let fluid get on the brake pads.

First, put the car up on jack stands on a LEVEL surface.

Remove all the wheels.

The order of bleeding should go like this:

Always start bleeding from the wheel that is FARTHEST away from the master cylinder. On a Mustang this is the Passenger side rear wheel.
Next, do the Driver's side rear wheel
Now do the Passenger side front wheel
Finally bleed the Driver's side front wheel.
There are two procedures that you can follow, one is if you've got a brake bleeder kit, the other is if you have a helper.

ONE MAN BRAKE BLEEDER KIT

Remove the brake fluid reservoir cap.

Fill the kit's refill bottle with fresh brake fluid and install it's cap. You will put this on the master cylinder once most of the fluid has drained out of the master cylinder.


Attach the bleeder hose and catch bag unit to the passenger side rear bleeder screw.

Slowly and carefully open the bleeder screw until brake fluid begins to seep out into the tube.

Pump the brake pedal until the master cylinder reservoir is ALMOST empty, BUT DO NOT LET IT RUN OUT OF FLUID! There should be about 1/4" of fluid above the bottom of the brake fluid reservior.

Quickly and carefully invert the refill bottle and set it into the neck of the reservoir. It should balance OK, but you may need to secure the bottle in its inverted position with tape. As the fluid from the reservoir drains, the refill bottle will replenish the supply until the brake fluid reaches the top of the reservoir. At that point the refill bottle will stop filling automatically.

Pump the brake pedal until the refill bottle is empty, BUT DO NOT LET THE MASTER CYLINDER RUN OUT OF FLUID! If you do you'll have to start all over again!

Refill the brake bleeder kit refill bottle and continue the process until CLEAN, CLEAR, "honey" colored fluid starts coming out of the rear caliper.

When this happens, close the bleeder screw and remove the catch bag and hose. Make sure not to overfill the catch bag! If you need to empty it, CLOSE THE BLEEDER SCREW FIRST, then lower the bag below the caliper and remove the bag's hose.

Repeat steps 4 - 8 on the driver's side rear wheel, then the passenger side front wheel, finally on the driver's side front wheel.

When you have completely bled all the brakes, reinstall the master cylinder cap, install and torque all wheels, and dispose of brake fluid properly. Check with your local shop for this, they may have a recycling bin that you can depost used brake fluid into. PLEASE DO NOT simply throw away your old fluid, or dump it on the ground.

BLEEDING WITH A HELPER


Remove the master cylinder cap.

Attach your clear hose to the brake caliper bleeder screw.

Put end of bleeder tubing into 1 liter bottle on the passenger side rear bleeder screw.

Pump the brakes five times and hold pressure on the pedal.

Your helper should slowly and carefully open the bleeder screw until brake fluid begins to seep out into the tube.

When the pedal reaches the floor, keep it pressed to the floor and tell your assistant to close the bleeder screw.

When the screw is closed, go back to step 4.

Continue this process until the Brake Fluid Reservoir is nearly empty, BUT DO NOT LET IT RUN OUT OF FLUID! If you do you'll have to start all over again! If you have ABS this can let air into the ABS module and then you'll have to go to the dealer to have it removed.

Refill the brake master cylinder, and continue steps 4 - 8 until CLEAN, CLEAR, "honey" colored fluid starts coming out of the rear caliper.

When this happens, close the bleeder screw and remove the tubing.

Repeat steps 4 - 10 on the driver's side rear wheel, then the passenger side front wheel, finally on the driver's side front wheel.

When you have completely bled all the brakes, reinstall the reservoir cap, install and torque all wheels, and dispose of brake fluid properly. Check with your local shop for this, they may have a recycling bin that you can depost used brake fluid into. PLEASE DO NOT simply throw away your old fluid, or dump it on the ground. When you have finished either of these processes, be sure to start the car and pump the brake pedal a few times with all bleeder screws closed. Check for leaks and make certain that you have good pedal feel. If the pedal is even more spongy than before you have let air into the system and will have to bleed the brakes to get the air out.

This process should take you no more than a couple of hours for your first time. It is a maintenance item that you should do at least once every two years to ensure that your braking system will be up to optimal operating capacity the next time you really need to use it. This two hour investment could save the front end of your Mustang.

[avengence]

The way I bleed them is I have someone get inside the car. They pump the brake pedal and then hold it all the way down. The the person on the outside opens the bleed nipple and holds it open for a few seconds then closes it and then the person inside the car releases the pedal. Repeat till the fluid comes out clear of any bubles.

The order you bleed them is bleed the one furthest from the brake booster, which if I remember right should be passanger side rear.

Let me know if you need more info!

[vasman]

should i use dot4 or dot 5 fluid? how much is necessary (3 x 12 once bottles?)

[avengence]

Umm, im actually not sure. I would look in the manual or ask someone at the store.

Just get a big bottle of it and use it to keep the tank full. Make sure that the tank where it stores the fluid never gets empty!

[157db]

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