Well, I just finished installing LS1 brakes on my 96 Camaro. Everything went together well. So, I took it for a test drive today. I noticed that the pedal was a little mushy, and it didn't brake too well. If I put my foot into it, it would slowly slow down, even slower than my LT1 brakes. And my pedal wasn't as hard as it was before. Could this be because of air in the lines? Is there any way to fix this problem? Any help would be great.

 

Yes it can, if you don't bleed the brakes (DS first, then PS) and get out every last bubble, you will experience soft peddle. Just to make sure you didn't miss anything, here is a handy guide to look over. http://www.fbody.com/tech/details.cgi?id=30 I would re-bleed the brakes, and if it's still going on you have other problems, but first thing's first, eh?

 

I thought you did the passenger side first then the driver side. I always thought that you started from the furthest away from the master cylinder, ie passenger rear, driver rear, passenger front, driver front.

Are there any other problems that it could be? I always thought that a soft/mushy pedal meant air in the lines.

Also, I just found out that I should bleed my ABS unit, is this true. I only worked on the calipers. So maybe I have air trapped in my ABS unit. Is this possible? Thanks.

 

Thats your problem, but first, do you have traction control? If you do you have to have the dealership use a T-100 scan tool to properly bleed the brakes. If you dont, just worry about bleeding the modulator first. Bleed the rear one, then the front. Now it's time for the 4 calipers. Start at the right rear wheel and so on, until your done. The alternate will also work (DS then PS), I didn't mean it to sound to important in my post.

 

So do I bleed the ABS, then the calipers, then the ABS again? What's the best way to bleed the ABS? Do I just unscrew the two screws on the front and push on the brake pedal? Or is there some other method? Thanks again.

 

Your Welcome!


You want to bleed the ABS modulator first, then the calipers second. No other bleeding is needed after that.

When you bleed the modulator, (it has 2 bleeder screws total, 1 front, and one rear) start with the rear bleeder screw, loosen it 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn and bleed. Then when/if no air, do the front bleeder screw next. Then bleed the calipers last, and your set.

You also want to make sure your ABS light stays on for no longer than 3 seconds after you start it for the test drive.

 

You've been a great help. But one more question. Which one is the front and which is the rear?

 

Sorry, forgot to elaborate on that. The ABS system has two "channels", one front and one rear.

The "Rear" screw is the one that's closest to the engine. (it's also threaded in at an angle) The "Front" is the one closest to the front end, and is threaded straight in.

Naturally, the one at an angle (Rear) goes first. Hope this helps, and check back later if you still have problems.

 

I have a related question. My brakes are mushy and even after a bleed it didn't help too much.

You mentioned "other problems". With the car off, I can pump the brakes 3 times and it hardens to the point where I can't depress the pedal again. After I turn the engine on the pressure is released. With the engine running I can never get the pressure to build up again and also, the pedal can be depressed to the floor with a little bit of effort.

Am I getting air into the master cylinder? I just don't know enough about the brake system to troubleshoot it.

95 T/A