Brake bleeding

[Milstad]

Having replaced all the brake pipes up to the joining block in the engine bay, I am trying to bleed the brake system. I've used the old fashioned way of up, down, up, down with the help of an assistant in the driver seat while I open and close the bleed nipples.

Rear brakes were bled first and were completely fine, now operating with a firm brake peddle.

For the fronts, I get no fluid at all coming out, so ended up undoing the pipes at the engine bay joining block, still with no fluid coming out for both front brakes.

Fluid level is full, so it seems not to be going through the master cylinder somehow.

I've just bought an Eezibleed from Halfords, so will try that next, but any ideas would be welcome.

[magpies]

I presume you have confirmed the front brakes are working by jacking up and trying to rotate the wheel while gently pressing the brake pedal.

Have you completely removed the calliper bleed nipple and pressed the brakes?

You could undo the flexi into the calliper and try pressing the brake?

[blitzracing]

Don't you have a split brake system? If it's split front / rear it will be impossible to bleed both systems at the same time unless you have open bleed valves on both circuits at the same time, as pressure in the closed circuit will stop the pedal movement for the one you are trying to bleed.
Other wise you need to draw fluid through the nipples with a vacuum tool, so you don't need to pump the pedal.

[Belle427]

Isn't there a bleed nipple on the master cylinder too?

[Milstad]

Thanks for swift replies.

to magpies - no front brakes at all - no fluid getting to the calipers! I chased the pipe circuitry back to the alloy joining block by the front bulkhead, with no fluid coming out of either front brake circuit when brake peddle pressed, but good rear brake pressure.

to blitzracing - it is the split brake system. I also wondered about the ability to bleed the front and rear circuits at the same time so opened the bleed nipples on both front calipers and one of the rear calipers. Push the brake peddle down and no fluid to the front circuit, while fluid came out of the rear circuit bleed nipple.

I can only think there must be an airlock at the front circuit master cylinder somehow preventing fluid from entering? Both are fed from the same reservoir, so its odd. If so, I hope the Eesibleed will give the fluid a bit of help to get to the calipers.

[blitzracing]

You can get airlocks that a jab on the pedal will shift and you can use a fuel pump to pull fluid through if the Easybleed fails.

[Milstad]

Thanks for the help. Eesibleed sorted it - must have been an air lock and I now have front brakes too.