[jncgitrdun]

my dad has a 1974 corvette with power assist brakes. the master went bad and leaked the fluid out. we put a new maste and new front hoses on it. the problem we r havein is gettin the pedal back. is there a special procedure or method to bleedin them? we bench bleed the master than bleed at the lines on the master than bleed every caliper but still nothing. the pedal hold the car but its very soft and at higher speeds it woukd never stop the car. if anyone has any answers we woukld be very greatful. thanks

[eloc431962]

First thing, You still have air in the lines somewhere, You need to get the fluid to the rear wheels first starting with the right rear then go to the left rear after that go to the right front then the left front. Make sure you DO NOT let the master cylinder run out of fluid while you are bleeding them. And you may not get them the first try.And do the pads look good or do they need new ones? And it would be nice to know the actual year of the car it's not a 1947. Hope this helps.......Cole

[wretched ratchet]

a 1947 Corvette ? - - - - I smell a typo

[eloc431962]

Yep WR, It's actually a 74 corvette. ..........Cole

[wretched ratchet]

Originally Posted by eloc431962

Yep WR, It's actually a 74 corvette. ..........Cole

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

[jncgitrdun]

sorry bout that it is a 1974 but i have tried to bleed the brakes twice from rr to lr, rf , lf but even though i get plenty of fluid there still no pedal. should i gravity bleed or try something else?

[eloc431962]

How was you bleeding them before? You need to check and see if all 4 - calipers are working properly .If you have plenty of fluid at the wheels hummm are you sure you have the right M/C? You need to check it all pads / caliper function / lines ....Cole

[jncgitrdun]

all calipers r fine all lines and hoses fine and the problem started when master cylinder started leaking the new one is an exact fit

[jncgitrdun]

the pedal stays solid until the car is running

[wretched ratchet]

Originally Posted by jncgitrdun

the pedal stays solid until the car is running

I had a brand new Master Cylinder go bad after a couple of weeks on my '55 - - - might wanna check that???? Just guessing here !

[HotRodMan]

I have a corvette and have had the same problem you did bleeding the brakes. I finally solved the problem by doing the following:

1. Pump up the pedal until you have pressure on the brake system and hold the pedal down so there is constant pressure on the entire system. Use a 2x4 or another person, to hold the pedal down. Get under the car with the best light you have and inspect every inch of the brake lines, fittings, connections, calipers, and look for any leaks. Repair as needed.

2. Get a one man brake bleed kit from the parts store. This consists of a small bottle and 2 feet of clear tubing, cost about 6 bucks. Connect the hose to the bleeder nipple, and then bring the bottle up high to a level that is higher than the caliper. I get a tall jack stand and connect to that. Get in the car and pump the pedal up and down slowly, making sure not to let the master cylinder run dry. Do each wheel in this order. Passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front. If you have two bleeders on the back wheels, bleed the inside first then the outside.

The key that has always made this work for me is to have that catch bottle up higher than the caliper when your pumping the pedal. Can't explain why that works it just does.

[Henry the 32nd]

You mentioned that it got soft when you started the car. Is the rod to the master adjusted correctly? Being a 74 more than likely it has power brakes, did the booster go bad ? You aren't using silicone fluid are you?

[jncgitrdun]

i know the brake booster is good and the rod is workin fine. next time im off work we goin to try to bleed them with the catch bottle. thanks for all ur help and ideas. ill let yall know how it works

[T-bucket23]

Make sure the connections to the calipers from the lines are all tight. It is possible it is sucking some air back in. It is also not unusual for teh pedal to be hard with the car not running. It sure sounds like you still have some air or you have a leak.

[SNTGreg]

Older vettes are probably the most aggravaiting to bleed. I have had to resort to power bleeding on several of them. There is a homemade one in the garage tools area that would work great, they are easy to build to.