I had the same problem after a caliper rebuild. You want the pistons to be pushed up tight to the pads prior to bleeding. Use a spacer thinner than the pads and pump the brakes to allow the piston to move forward a bit. Force the pads back in and bleed. Without doing this you'll never get a good pedal.

The $45 for a Motive bleeder is money well spent. I wouldn't waste any more time (and $$ Super Blue) bleeding the way you are currently doing.

Paul,
I have read on this board that it is possible to damage the Master Cylinder seals by bleeding by foot, by extending the pedal travel more that driving conditions would do. I suppose that if the seals have been damaged, you should be able to build pressure with the pedal, but when you keep your foot on the pedal, you would be able to feel it losing system pressure, as the fluid leaked past the seals. Could this be your problem?

two tihings,

did you bleed the inside nipple on the rear calipers, often missed

plus, rebuilt caliper seals will sometime take time to seat, the seal is so good that the calpiers get pulled back into the housing some and the pedal feels soft for a while. One reaon never to re-build all the calipers at once, but rather do the fronts one week then do the rears the next week.

Jim

Pushing on pedal too far when bleeding brakes can damage the rubber gaskets in Master Brake Cylinder...they will travel much further then usual and get ripped and hemmorage brake-fluid internally.

There is certain possibility you did just that...tap on MBC and all calipers to dislodge eventuall air-bubbles, re-bleed and try again. If you still have the problem I suggest you to dissassemble MBC and change gaskets.

THEY WORK!! I have fixed my brakes at last have to admit though it was a bit of user error, it turns out that when I had the calipers off to clean and paint them I got them mixed up and accidently put them back onto the wrong sides of the car Doh! so after 2 days of trying to bleed them I have sorted it in under 2 hours!!. Thanx for all the input from everyone but look as if it's a roll over as there was no winner this time we will just have wait and see what I f@#k up next and see if anyone can guess it right!!. :D

a member profile in your signature location will aid in diagnosis ?

A what in where???

:confused: :confused:

Paul

Yes, bleeder screws work a lot better when they are at the top of the caliper. ;)

Hey Paul..
any coconut trees, or whatever you call them, in the south coast.

ron you even confused me with that one...............but a swallow could've carried it

No coconut trees just a ropey lookin palm tree in my front garden and ur run of the mill ye olde english oaks!

Wow that was my 100th post!