Help!, Almost no brakes after fitting new kit

[Stoned]

Right hope some of you can help

I have just fitted a Hi-Spec 4pot/300mm front brake kit. It was already fitted to a Pulsar and presumably worked fine.

Anyhow it all fits fine and we have bled the system, but there is some kind of pressure loss in the system. Basically when the car is stationary the pedal is rock hard. Start the car and it softens up but still works.

Drive it a bit and there's no braking power at all!
You have to frantically pump the brake pedal to restore any braking effect

We have checked and double checked the bleeding and we are positive there can be no air locks. but just to be certain I have a few questions and am then open to suggestions

First up the Hi Spec calipers have 2 bleed nipples, one at the back and the front. Do you need to bleed both?
2 my car has ABS, is this a problem, do I need to do anything differently?

Finally now the new brakes are on the caution light is on constantly down the bottom right of the dash. I believe this is usually on when the handbrake is engaged. However in this case the handbrake is not engaged but the light is on anyway. How is this likely to be significant?

Please help!

 

[Fast Guy]

Check your fluid level and everywhere around the kit you've just fitted for leaks.
Failing that bleed the brakes again as there could be air in the system.

 

[MarkTurbo]

First up the Hi Spec calipers have 2 bleed nipples, one at the back and the front. Do you need to bleed both?
!

Not familiar with Hi specs but if theres 2 bleed nipples (i take it you mean they're both at the top and 1 each side of the caliper) then you need to bleed them both

I'm guessing you havent :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Stoned]

Yeah thats the one. At first we didnt bleed both as my friend told me he didnt need too on his AP's

But then after a hair raising drive down the road we took it back and did them all. Not the rears though.

Pain in the arse as i'm gonna have to try and do them tomorrow on my own now

 

[zia]

if you,ve let the master cylindar empty of fluid while bleeding it you,ll have to do the rears as well.

zia

 

[rayman75]

i have just fitted my wilwoods 4-pots last weekend, and i think i made the same mistake as you did how did you bleed the brakes??????? did you do it with the engine running???? i bled the brakes up but without running the engine and had the same prob as you, mine are still a little spongy gonna get my mechanic friend to bleed it properly.
also you gotta bed them in they will become firmer with more mileage.

hope this helps as i have just made a right plonker of myself.

 

[jasegould]

Are the calipers on the right side...?? Is the bleed nipple at the top?? If the calipers are on wrong and the nipple is at the bottom youll have trouble bleeding them as you wont br able to remove the air from the top of the caliper.....sounds stupid but I have seen it done before
Jay

 

[GTIR-LOZ]

i think usually the handbrake light doubles as a brake fluid level warning light, i.e you have not enough fluid, prob because you have not bled the rears

 

[Stoned]

Cheers lads. Me and my friend compleatly bled the whole system again including the rears this time and double checked every pipe and every level. The calipers were the right way up

End result is they now work a treat. The pedal is still quite spongy, but I wasnt expecting to use larger calipers and have the same feel. The important thing is the front of the car now tries to bury itself in the ground when you press the pedal

The difference between the old and new system is like night to day. Overall I am really, really happy with them and can only recommend them to anyone not happy with their Pulsar's standard brakes.

 

[MarkTurbo]

The pedal is still quite spongy

You've probably still got some air in the system then

 

[Olly]

seriously, check your rear pads are copper slipped on the edges and move freely in there guides cos if there stuck it will just make the pedal softer. 8) made my wilwoods feel alot stronger.

 

[Stoned]

The pedal is still quite spongy

You've probably still got some air in the system then

I'm getting a garage to do it properly with their vacumn bleeding system

Also they say unless you leave the igntition on for the ABS system it's impossible to get all the air out so thats another mistake I made, whoops!