Ah that explains it.
My bleed system is a sprung bb valve in a tube that goes on the bleed nipple. This stops th need to hold the foot on the brake and be down at the bleed nipple at the same time.
This works very well as long as the nipple isn't undone so far as to allow air down the threads.
Never tried the vac type.
Interestingly the older pre ABS brakes officially stop cars faster in an emergency [I guess this is assuming that the driver doesn't panic and completely lock up the wheels]
I know Clarkson is always moaning about ABS
"I'm not here to help... I'm here to Pro-Volke"
Be like meeee...Drive a Quantum TD
...The best work-horse after the cart...
Quantae grow on you...but Rabbits are like roses...
... girls like em ;o)
Only one Darwin, Einstein, Poe and Verne.
That is why if you listen, you will learn:
From the one and only Quantum-man,
Who sees the worms from outside of the can.
7 Quantae in 20 years; 4 dead and 3 TD's still alive [2 wagons & 1 fastback] oh and a GTD )
IIRC, the bellows were an unvented seal, as they would be drawn down into the reservoir by the fluid. When fluid needed replacing, I always had to collapse the folded section back to the flat(ish) position.
But I slightly digress... My point is that it seems VW systems I have owned ('80s, '90s) have allowed the atmosphere into the reservoir as brakes wear and fluid level drops. That atmosphere will, in time, contaminate the fluid.
Perhaps that is why VW stipulates total fluid replacement at 30Kmi and 60Kmi; and replenishment as needed between.
Have a nice day.
'91 Jetta ECOdiesel TD - clean & complete (less motor/tranny) for sale
One bit of bodgery that i have used in the past. Drill out the mess and re-tap to the next size up bleed screw. The usual problem is that the nose of the bleed screw now won't coincide with the taper seat and seal. Cut the taper off so the bottom of the screw is flat, and drop a suitable sized ball bearing down the hole. When the bleed screw is wound on to it, the ball will seat itself and seal. In an emergency a ball bearing and a male brake pipe fitting will work.
Note......You are all old enough to know better, and I have no money, if it all goes tits up, I don't wan't to know.
my brakes are so squishy that it is virtually imposible to lock them, but she still stops quicker than my grandpa's 57 chevy, so not dangerous or anything. would have been nice to change the fluid but I think I'll wait till I need pads and just change the whole mess at once.
I rounded off my bleeder nipple trying to change out my brake fluid. Went to a pullapart junk yard and pulled two calibers off a a donor fot $10 each. Soaked them in parts cleaner and bought rebuild kits for about $20 each. Also bought a set of new speed bleeders to make doing the job easier next time around. Painted the calibers just for the fun of it.
texcl wrote:my brakes are so squishy that it is virtually imposible to lock them, but she still stops quicker than my grandpa's 57 chevy, so not dangerous or anything. would have been nice to change the fluid but I think I'll wait till I need pads and just change the whole mess at once.
Sounds like air in your lines. If I were you I'd just have someone stomp the pedal while you crack the bleeders.
Up here in Canada.. I've never had a bleeder break.. or maybe once off a 92 golf.. but at least it was the rear.. so only needed a wheel cylinder.
texcl wrote:my brakes are so squishy that it is virtually imposible to lock them, but she still stops quicker than my grandpa's 57 chevy, so not dangerous or anything. would have been nice to change the fluid but I think I'll wait till I need pads and just change the whole mess at once.
Try adjusting the rear brakes, so that the parking brake works in about 2 clicks, and will not reach 4 clicks. This can make all the difference to the starting position of the foot brake.
Do the adjustment from the hub, before the adjuster nut by the parking brake.
A simple test initially, is to apply the parking brake a notch or 2 (if many available) and then apply foot brake
"I'm not here to help... I'm here to Pro-Volke"
Be like meeee...Drive a Quantum TD
...The best work-horse after the cart...
Quantae grow on you...but Rabbits are like roses...
... girls like em ;o)
Only one Darwin, Einstein, Poe and Verne.
That is why if you listen, you will learn:
From the one and only Quantum-man,
Who sees the worms from outside of the can.
7 Quantae in 20 years; 4 dead and 3 TD's still alive [2 wagons & 1 fastback] oh and a GTD )
While we are talking about parking brakes.. My e-brake doesn't work since I bought my car.. found the cables weren't attached to the lever.. so I attached them and find now that while I pull up on the lever they the e-brake works fine.. the ratcheting part of the lever seems to not engage. I have to hold it to keep the ebrake on and if I let go it disengages.. Is there suppose to be a spring in there?
Yes there is a spring and a ratchet pawl arrangement. When they wear out enough the brake handle can get side play or end play around the pivot shaft not to mention other places and pieces can get out of alignment and even fall out. You may be able to find a junkyard car to pull a decent replacement out of. All the Rabbits are the same regardless of gas or diesel, probably the cabriolets too.
reason for stuck bleeders is water ... it gets in the end of the bleeder... then rusts up the threads ... VW used to put a small rubber cap over the ends of the bleeder screws to keep the water out ..... many an old beetle had the original bleeder screws and calipers after years of use even in the RUST belt areas....
use a piece of rubber tubing with a screw in the end ( to make a plug or cap ) then slip them over the bleeder screws......
most mechanics don't replace the factory bleeder caps when they do work on your brakes ....
If you can spray some PB blaster or screw loose in the bleeder a couple days before you are going to turn them;
it will soak the threads from the inside.
You can't tap on them or they get weak where they meet the caliper/wheel cylinder,..
but if you can stick a thin punch down inside the bleeder you can hammer on it without them getting weak.
I haven't tried freeze-off on these yet.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
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