Brake job

POWERSTROKE · Feb 16, 2019

I’ve done brakes in the 2002 golf several times. I need a refresher. I’m doing rear brakes today or tomorrow and also want to do a complete flush. How much fluid does the plastic overflow container hold? Basically what I’m asking is how many ounces can I bleed out before having to worry about that reservoir going empty? I know to check it often, but just wondering. Also, any tips or tricks I should recall she doing rear brKes possibly calipers?

Mongler98 · Feb 16, 2019

Typically you can do both rears fully flushed before you have to fill it up. ALwasy check after each wheel though. I use the pressure system and it has to be the best bleeding system in our human history IMO.

jmodge · Feb 16, 2019

If you do calipers and lose fluid, most likely the abs will have to be cycled to bleed properly, VCDS. The spanner for adjusting rear calipers and a method to hold them while torqueing on it.

POWERSTROKE · Feb 16, 2019

I replace both rear calipers. I’ve replaced calipers before. Then I did a complete brake flush. The pedal seems a bit mushy and sinks too far. I’m not sure what is going on here. Last time I changed a rear caliper it felt a lot better.

Metal Man · Feb 17, 2019

New pads will sometime make the pedal feel soft. If you have brakes and it is safe maybe drive it a week or so, see how it feels and bleed again.

And by if you have brakes I don't mean to say that if the pedal goes almost to the floor and they are barely working to drive it. I mean if the only fault is that if the pedal feels a little different there may be nothing wrong.

Mongler98 · Feb 17, 2019

you clearly have not finished bleeding the breaks. When you flush the system, you should flush all 4, not just the front or the rears. If the fluid needs changing (flushing) you do them all. However, if you are just bleeding the air out, you don't need to do them all.
One of the things to know is to put a block of wood behind the pedal, never put the pedal all the way to the floor if you can avoid it. the master never travels that far in normal use and with age comes rust (possibly) Putting the master all the way down can be bad.

I purchased 40 cans of ATE BLUE once i found out from a source that they were going to be banned. I still have them, im down to 37 now. Its fantastic to see the blue turn to amber/clear and know your done flushing or vice versa!

POWERSTROKE · Feb 17, 2019

Thanks guys. I did do all four originally. So clearly I did bleed them all.&#55358;&#56609; I re did them this morning. Pedal feels better. It helps when the wife understands that you need to keep pressure on the pedal. &#55357;&#56900;

Mongler98 · Feb 17, 2019

Next time, either get a fancy pressure bleeder, OR just loop a bit of hose into a bottle with a bit of old fluid in it. 1 person job.

JB05 · Feb 18, 2019

"Speed Bleeders" make it easier; stainless steel.

jokila · Feb 18, 2019

Mongler98 said:
you clearly have not finished bleeding the breaks. When you flush the system, you should flush all 4, not just the front or the rears. If the fluid needs changing (flushing) you do them all. However, if you are just bleeding the air out, you don't need to do them all.
One of the things to know is to put a block of wood behind the pedal, never put the pedal all the way to the floor if you can avoid it. the master never travels that far in normal use and with age comes rust (possibly) Putting the master all the way down can be bad.

I purchased 40 cans of ATE BLUE once i found out from a source that they were going to be banned. I still have them, im down to 37 now. Its fantastic to see the blue turn to amber/clear and know your done flushing or vice versa!

Do you go back to regular brake fluid the subsequent time so it goes from blue to clear?

tactdi · Feb 18, 2019

Yes, you alternate colors of the fluid each time you bleed. When I bleed the brakes on my race car, I would use the blue and amber colors. And use a designated turkey baster who's sole purpose was to extract the old fluid from the master reservoir. Extract the old fluid, then pour fresh fluid in before you start to bleed, that way you are not pushing a lot of the old fluid through the system.

Even though we don't have the "blue" stuff anymore, if you use a clear tube and a clear catch bottle, you can see the dirty amber fluid and see when it gets cleaner.

I found that typically, if you are only flushing and bleeding the brakes after a brake job (without an major caliper or master/slave cylinder work), a large bottle of fluid is more than you need. 15 to 20 pumps of the brake pedal is more than enough to push all the old fluid out.

jokila · Feb 18, 2019

tactdi said:
Yes, you alternate colors of the fluid each time you bleed. When I bleed the brakes on my race car, I would use the blue and amber colors. And use a designated turkey baster who's sole purpose was to extract the old fluid from the master reservoir. Extract the old fluid, then pour fresh fluid in before you start to bleed, that way you are not pushing a lot of the old fluid through the system.
Even though we don't have the "blue" stuff anymore, if you use a clear tube and a clear catch bottle, you can see the dirty amber fluid and see when it gets cleaner.
I found that typically, if you are only flushing and bleeding the brakes after a brake job (without an major caliper or master/slave cylinder work), a large bottle of fluid is more than you need. 15 to 20 pumps of the brake pedal is more than enough to push all the old fluid out.

I've got an unopened bottle of the unavailable blue and started thinking about how would I tell if i got the new stuff through the lines. I figured i would change out colors, but that blue stuff will just collect dust further.

Mongler98 · Feb 18, 2019

I use it very sparingly. Suck all the fluid from the res and fill with blue, bleed like 6" worth of fluid out of each caliper though a small 1/8" ID hose, its just about enough to drain the res to the point of filling again. I suck up the rest and store it in a separate container, fill with gold and go on as normal, Soon as i see the blue clear up, i know ive flushed. This saved like 80% of the blue i should otherwise use up. I only ever plan on using it to help flush when i need to flush a system that is clear enough to make it difficult to tell if its fresh in the lines.
also its not road legal so there is also that!
I tried a few times to use other things like shampoo and what not, dies ect to do the same thing. Heck, thats what they use in cuba, shampoo.

Brake job

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