Thank God I found this video!! I've been fitting my bad brakes for months after rebuilding the front axle on my jeep. I mixed up the calipers and never thought about it. THANK YOU
Been there and done that!!! I'm at the 2.00 minute mark! Many, many years ago I got tripped up working on a Chrysler Lebaron. I spent 3 days trying to bleed the brakes before someone asked me if the bleed hole was on the bottom or the top of the caliper. I will never forget how stupid I felt when I meekly answered "On the bottom".
Yankee.......... I got to bow to you Sir, thanks to your video I got my BMW cult model E36 328i going again because I made that HUGE mistake to put rear left caliper on the right side and the right caliper on the left so the air was trapped in the pistons and the brake were not hard and working. I am very grateful to you for you great work, Thank you I really mean it.
This was probably one of the best lessons for the weekend mechanics out there! Thank you for giving us the chance to figure it out before just telling us what was wrong. Thumbs up and subscribed!
Stick a several foot length of clear hose on the bleed niple with a loop higher then the caliper. You can crack the bleed niple and sit in the cab to pump the brakes until all the air is out. It will waste some brake fluid but the hose prevents air from getting back in. It is also cleaner because you can catch the fluid in a bottle for disposal.
Thanks for the information man. I was sold a passenger side caliper and needed a driver side. I noticed the bleeder was one bottom but didn’t know it made a difference. I bleed brakes 4 or 5 times and never got air out. Even replaced my master cylinder. All this over a 2 week span. Happen to come across your video this morning. Thanks for your time much appreciated.
If you want to stop the reservoir from emptying itself when the lines are disconnected, depress the brake pedal with a stick and this will shut off the reservoir from the lines thus stopping any fluid leak.
Indeed. There'll be a little more fluid when you first loosen the bolts, but just catch that with a rag or something... but after that, the continous dripping/flowing will be almost zero. MBC won't get drained, so there'll be a lot less bleeding to do too.
@@bleachinuri If you pick up one of the irwin quick grip clamps, you can turn it around so it can expand instead of tighten. With that you just put it in and start squeezing the handle until its tight. Works great.
Thank you so much for this video, i own a 1994 Nissan 300zx and after rebuilding all four calipers my brake pedal went all the way to the floor, after bleeding the air out of the system...I read a lot online so the first thing i did was replace the master cylinder and it did not work, after that i replaced the brake booster and still the pedal went all the way down to the floor, finally after a lot of research i found this video, i went to check my calipers and yes my rear calipers were on the wrong side... I relocated them and bled the air out and Voila!, my brake pedal no longer sinks to the floor... Thank you for this video and good luck!
I did this once with a Malibu. They put a right in a box marked right and a right in a box market Left. took me a while to figure it out but lesson learned in the end.
also an easier method for bleeding alone. a 600ml bottle, clear hose from the hardware store that fits snug onto the bleeder. drill hole in bottle cap, put brake fluid in bottle so hose end is submerged, put one hose end in bottle, the other on bleeder , open bleeder, pump brakes til no air seen in tube. refill master as needed. quick and no mess or tired arm from pumping
@Richard McCormack get out and look. Put hose coming out above bleeder then down into bottle. If there is air you will see it in a clear hose...no bubbles in tube you should be good. Set up camera then review the footage and repeat process for other three brakes.
June 12, 2002. Thank you, thank you. I went to Auto Zone and told the kid I needed a passenger side caliper for my 2004 Silverado. I had my core with me. He had it in stock. He took it out of the box and did a comparison and says, yep this is the one. I installed it on the truck, tried to bleed the brakes and could not get the brake pedal to stop going all the way to the floor. Tried many times with no luck. I went to You Tube and try to find some info on the problem. The only video that solved the problem was yours. Sure enough, when I look at the bleeder valve it was on the bottom. I had no idea the bleeder valve made that much of a difference. How you explained it, I can see that it makes sense. Luckily Auto Zone replaced it with no problem. So thanks again.
saw it right away. Brings back memories of the first time I experienced this problem. I was searching for the problem for so long, never even thinking of the calipers being switched side to side.
I done the same thing with my rear calipers and never gave it a thought about the bleeder valve was on the bottom and not the top. Switched the calipers around and now everything is good again. Thank you for that tidbit of info!
Some people should NOT work on their own vehicles. I've seen this before, with a dude I worked with, that replaced calipers on his four wheeler. Calipers were on the wrong side. I switched them around, re-bled them and they were great. I also had a Corvette come in the shop with a brake noise. The customer's brother replaced the brake pads in the rear putting the steel backing plates facing the rotor. Like I said, some people should NOT be working on their own vehicles.
Lmfao I bet that corvette braked great with some good old SCREAMING OF DEATH from the metal grinding. I bet he was happy about having to replace that rotor too. Lol
Great information for us backyard mechanics who don't have your experience. This video came just in time. I am replacing calipers on my daughter's car tomorrow. I'm hoping I wouldn't have put them on the wrong sides but now I know I won't. Thanks.
@@kentuckyyankee The calipers were marked "L" and "R". It's hard to screw that up. I got everything on the rear. 2013 Elantra. I bled the brakes using a tube in a bottle with fluid in it. I'm not sure it's right. The brakes are up but when I start it, the pedal goes to the floor. It comes back up. I drove it around and it seems ok but I don't want to give it back to my daughter if that's a problem. Any ideas?
@Kentucky Yankee, right @ 1:44 I about spit out my drink. That bleed screw at the bottom gets em every time. Hey, at least they were consistent with all 4 calipers. I'm a ASE master tech, and working in the field along time. I've seen that many times, but never more scary then when its another "technician" that does it. Wait until you see wheel cylinders done like that, really makes you scratch your head.
50 plus yrs of turning wrenches and I never knew this, I googled my brake problem and found your video and fixed a. Ford pick up with the same problem, Keep going with your video s. Your dang hood man
I'm so glad I stumbled on your video! I have been spending so much money on my trucks brakes trying to bleed them and viola, I go out and look at my new calipers, and they are upside down. Thank you sooo much! I'm in Radcliff by the way.
Great video , something so simple can cause so much trouble ! This should be common knowledge but most people don’t know that the bleeder must be on top ! Thanks
Thank you! I was about to bleed my rear brakes and noticed the bleeder screws on the rear calipers were on the bottom! This video just popped up in my feed. There was a reason! Subbed
I did the same mistake last year. I called a garage and he told me to check bleeders. Yep I had them on the wrong side. Happens to everyone at some point I bet.
Thank you so much I put a disk brake conversion kit on my 67 Impala and no one could figure out the problem and I spent hrs on line looking for info and thank God I came across your video I would of never figured it out 👊🏽
Dude! You rock man! Thank you so much for posting this. You saved my ass. Could not figure out where I screwed up and stumbled across this. God bless brother and thanks again for looking out for the shade tree guys.
Thank you for your great help, after watching your video I found my mistake when I installed the calipers on my 2000 jeep Cherokee, I made exactly that mistake, Bleeder screw downward, it drove me crazy trying to find the problem, until I saw your video, again thank you so much, keep up the good work
Thanks for this video, i fixed my own car, saving me money... I have my bleeder valve pointed down... after i watched your video.. i swapped it from left to right like what you did.. and it worked... 2 thumbs up mate...
Had to do this the other day. Good tip for ya I’d like to add, after disconnecting the brake line pull the banjo bolt and grab some ear plugs, put a plug in the hole and the brake fluid will swell the plug stopping the leak. Helps with the mess. Cheers.
A few years ago I bought a used dodge truck from a dealer. The brake line on the front brakes uses a banjo fitting that bolts to the caliper. Sure enough it's possible to put in on backwards, which stretches it on a full right turn. And it tore off just as we were arriving home. Fortunately our driveway is steep, so no harm done. I called the dealer and asked him about their "100" point inspection on new arrivals from the wholesale auctiion. Then I bought a hose/line from NAPA.
Kentucky Yankee My guess would be when they were installing the calipers, they thought the right side of vehicle was drivers and left was the passenger side. Seems to be a common mistake.
So who actually put those brakes on in the first place. That's why if you are a DIY'er, you replace things one caliper at a time and put things back exactly like you removed them. lol
Kentucky Yankee- I'm sure you know this but for the edification other less experienced mechs out there; The fitting at the end of the brake line at the calipers is called a banjo fitting. Not only are 2 copper washers required but the bolt is hollow. Very important that the washers and bolt are clean and not damaged and as you mentioned, start the banjo fitting bolt with fingers as far as you can. They have "fine" threads and are hollow so don't get too aggressive with torque. Good video.
@@kentuckyyankee Hey Kentucky, since my last comment here I got one of those Harbor Freight vacuum bleeders. What a dream. Will never want to bleed brakes any other way. $35. If you do brakes regular, especially if you work alone, do yourself a favor.
should have used new copper washers. when they get camped by the caliper bolt, they "squish" down to help seal the hose to the caliper, but, when they get compressed, they harden, making them less able to seal more effectively.
Yep, I have done several brake jobs in the past but, my dumb ass did just that. Bleeders on the bottom. My manual, for my 05 Dakota ,. Just referred to abs module could be bad, booster is bad, and master cylinder is bad. Even online that's the first thing that came up. Then I found your video. Fixed it right up and I learned something new. Thank you!
I got one for you. Cusfomer did brakes and couldn't get them to bleed. Turns out they took the bleeders off the new calipers and wrapped them in teflon tape, covering the bleeder holes.
I'm 61 and seldom ran into a caliper that went bad on my own cars, mostly wheel cylinders on drum brakes. It does make sense that the bleeder screws should be on top, to let the air out.
Don't feel stupid, that's how most of us learn. Now repeating the same mistake...........that qualifies as stupid! I think the way we really learn is when things don't go exactly as planned.One thing I would advise, it's kind of a cardinal rule in brake work, that is work on one side at a time, that way you have the other side for reference.Good Luck, and don't be so hard on yourself.
It doesn't hurt to consult a manual but now one is perfect I kNow I have done stuff wrong who hasn't. I read in a barber shop that I whent to many years a go know; that was on his wall THAT said THOSE THAT DON'T MAKE MISTAKES Don't DO ANYTHING!
Always good practice to lube the sliders every time you take the calipers off. They like to rust and seize. Also, to keep fluid from running all over when you take the hose off GENTLY clip a pair of vice grips on the hose.
Working on another Dodge with a double whammy brake issue. 17 year old vehicle that had mushy pedal when it was below 50F. Seals in master-torn and causing internal leak. And replacing the vacuum booster. It has a small leak in the diaphram, big enough to cause engine stumble, off idle poor performance. Check valve and hose were good Just stepping on the brake in park, would drop it 200 rpm Interesting is that only new master cylinders are available, but the booster can be a rebuilt. Plus $50 core. Remanufacturers will not warranty their booster if you resuse an old master cyl and it develops a leak out the back seal.
Are you kidding me? 😡 I been trying to figure out what was I doing wrong. I even changed calipers at the auto parts and still couldn't figure it out. Smh thank you for this lesson.
Saw it right away! I turn wrenches for a living now but I used to be in the parts business. You'd be surprised how many people put them on the wrong side and blame the calipers! Omg! Made the comment, clicked play again, screw up x 4 even!
I don't know whats worse.... Calipers on wrong side or the use of a 12 point wrench when a 6 point socket could've been easily used. With that said excellent quick diagnosis
Funny. I watched a South Main Auto repair video with Mr. O when he worked on a Dodge and found that the Dodge factory put two left calipers in the back. Remember when the news expose came out about Detroit workers having liquid lunch hours in the park every day? lol!!
Ok I mst add, I learned something very important today. I didn’t realize there was a difference between the left and right side calipers. I am doing a brake job on a friend’s car . I was in my bed when I came across this video. I then rushed downstairs to the garage to check the front calipers that I had replaced earlier. They were in the correct position. I’m thanking the Lord because I always call on Him before doing important things like. Thank you too for pointing this out.👍🏽👍🏽
You are intellegent my friend. I experienced that trouble whe i was in california.because of the bleeder at the bottom you can not bleed properly.you are absolutely correct.
Faster way, get a little check valve that fits in 1/4 id tubing and orient the check valve so that you can pump fluid out from the bleeder valve when you press down on the brake pedal, but fluid (and air) can't flow back in when you let the brake pedal back up. Put tubing on the bleeder valve, attach the check valve to the tubing, attach tubing to the out-bound end of the check valve. Then open the bleeder valve, and pump the brake pedal until you cannot see any more bubbles coming out of the clear vinyl tubing attached to the out-bound side of the check valve. Just use a long enough piece of tubing from the out-bound side so you can bring the tubing over to where you can see it when you are pumping the brake pedal. This simply automatically duplicates the activity of opening and closing the bleeder valve with a wrench. If you are concerned about air being drawn in past where the bleeder valve threads into the caliper or wheel cylinder, when you lift up the brake pedal, and the check valve closes, then after opening the bleeder valve 1/4 turn and before pumping, snugly wrap some teflon tape around it where it screws into the caliper. Remove the tape when you are done bleeding, and before you tighten the bleeder valve.
Get a spare bleeder valve, solder up the original hole in the side of the valve, drill a 3mm hole through the centre of the spare valve, screw the spare valve in to the calliper tight, then no air can escape through the threads, now when you bleed the brakes no air can be drawn back through the threads of a loosened valve when you take your foot off the pedal, then pull the bleed pipe off and refit the original bleed valve, a few drops of fluid will drip out while refitting the original valve but no air can be drawn back into the calliper, I always keep a modified bleed valve in my brake bleeding kit.
@@Kensclassics Hmm. Sounds like a good idea. I am trying to picture everything that is going on here. With the new 3 mm hole allowing a route for fluid to travel through the valve without opening the valve, you don't have to loosen the valve to allow fluid to flow out when you press the brake pedal down. However fluid can flow back in when you take you lift your foot up and let the brake pedal come back up. It has occurred to me that if you have the outlet of your bleeder tube above the height of the bleeder valve, air will escape, and facing up, it seems to me that there won't be bubble of air in the tube that can be sucked back in as the brake pedal comes back up. Is that correct? Otherwise you can use a check-valve in the bleeder hose, which will also have the advantage of not allowing rake fluid to be drawn back in. If you are just bleeding the brakes I think probably the check valve would be a better idea. If you are pumping out brake fluid until clean, new fluid is being pumped through the bleeder tube, and the end of the tube is submerged in a clean jar with clean fluid in it, above the level of the bleeder screw, I suppose it doesn't matter if brake fluid is sucked back in, as it will be clean brake fluid. Am I picturing this correctly?
Thank you for the vidéo. My right front calliper was installed with a calliper for the left side causing the bleed screw being on the bottom. Never was able to get a good brake peddle
The brake pedal is not airy when the vehicle is at rest but super spongy when it's running. Despite sinking almost right to the bottom, it actually works super well and the grip sets in just right in the middle. It seems to me that this does not match with the description of this video. I wonder if it is the master cylinder issue, or something else, but what can that be?
lol..I'm not too proud to admit I've done this before on my '97 K1500 Silverado front calipers. My little brother was helping me on one side and he just grabbed one out the box and bolted it up without comparing the old one. I'm not putting all the blame on him though, I was just as guilty for not paying closer attention to what we were doing. We bled over a quart of fluid through and finally realized something wasn't right. Lesson learned..make certain you put it back the way it was!
Check the brake line-caliber bolt for proper torque. they might have hung the caliper on the line when changing stuff. Bleed air out of brake bleeder ball/can by releasing all air pressure from ball/ or unscrew cap from can to allow air bubbles to expand, rise to top and pop, takes 20 minutes. Then bleed brakes starting at farthest bleeder.
Don't always assume as well that pads go back on the way round they came off. I fitted new pads the same orientation as the worn came off. Turns they had been fitted wrong way around by previous owner. New pads jammed on.
That's helpful. Butmight I suggest the bleeder scews should have a cap of sorts on them to stop water and dirt getting into them and causing them to corrode.
was told to start bleeding from the further wheel from the master cylinder , RR to LR then to RF to LF . keeping an eye so the fluid don't empty in the master cylinder .
learn something new every day....lol I just learned something I didn't know about brakes. apparently whoever did the brakes before didn't really pay attention to how it looked before they replaced them
two things could be wrong, one the person who replaced the master cylinder didn’t bench bleed it properly or even bleed it while it’s on the car with the hoses disconnected, also the calipers are completely opposite on either side, the lefts are on the rights and the rights are on the left, if the bleeder isn’t facing upwards then you can bleed them properly and you’ll get insufficient break pressure
My 96 ram 1500 has spongy brakes and doesn't build pressure till you rev the engine. But the whole brake line has been replaced. And when you press the pedal quickly. It makes a air sound
I have carefully done my own brakes for years and have never seen or had this upside-down caliper problem. But another issue: I did not know you are to use 2 copper washers - one on each side of the banjo bolt, when replacing the calipers. The few times I have replaced calipers, only 1 washer has always been on the old part, so I have assumed it was right and put 1 washer on the new one, thinking the parts supplier gave me an extra washer, in case I dropped and lost 1! lol - But I've never had a caliper leak.
no offence but bleeding brakes should be done from the farthest caliper first then work your way to the closet caliper. when replacing parts you should always work on one part at a time not remove all the calipers then install new ones that is a bad practice. one last thing is anyone who wants to do their own repairs and if they have a phone or camera should takes pictures of the item to be fixed so they have a record of how it was installed. as a heavy duty mechanic/welder I myself take take pictures of every item i fix for record and proof of repairs and damages.
love having my own lift too . enjoyed this video . you know why ford put hand warmers on the tailgates. . to keep your hands warm while you push it home. .
The pump kit I bought says that you start at the caliper closest to the master cylinder. I was always told to start at the furthest from the master cylinder. And this Blazer does have ABS, so the closest first. This could be the problem with the spongy brake pedal... Great video by the way...
It works either way whether you start at the back or the front, I start at the front if I am doing brake hoses etc and a flush since most of the gooped up fluid can be pumped through the wheel by the driver, then work your way back you are just flushing out the lines -don’t rush it and use gravity as your friend to keep everything full of fluid at all times, you may go through 1/2 gallon of fluid or more but all gets flushed out. If any of the lines got empty, such as a blown out tube, then you may need to apply pressure to fluid in the master cylinder and go around cracking bleeders until all are clear of bubbles
The easy cheap way to bleed brakes yourself is with a bottle with a piece of hose that goes to the bottom of the bottle that sits in some brake fluid so when you pump it it pushes the fluid and air out but wont suck air back in because the hose is submerged in brake fluid
I love watching videos that are not from Minnesota cause every single bolt is easily turned.... No luck with that in Minnesota. 5 minute job takes 5 hours lol
I got some rubber plugs that are convenient for swapping out calipers they just slide through the banjo fitting and stop it from dripping all over while swapping parts you can get them at auto parts store makes life easier
Does that pickup need to have the calipers disconnected from the hose to replace the pads? I usually just hang the calipers with a hook and change the rotors. Bolt the calipers back on and install the pads.
Bleeders on the bottom??? Reminds me of the ‘ roller coaster ‘ clutch hydraulic line on my Escort. To get good bleed you had to hold a finger over the bleeder and pump the pedal about 10 full strokes fast to shoot all the air bubbles out. Reminds me of some people I have known back in the day.
Thanxx a lot, i've the same thing with a Ford Mondeo. I didn't know that(bleeders at the top. I had good pressure with engine off,but with engine on, the pressure was gone.
@@kentuckyyankee ,I also had the wrong caliper at the wrong place.(this one was for rear-left,but sold to me as rear-right) i didn't knew about the bleeder at the top of the caliper.. This morning the old caliper(rear right;with the bleeder at the top) "refurbished" ; cilinder and cilinderhole cleaned and lubricate, rubber ring was okay. Caliper with wire brush derusted,mounted, bleeded(with help from a friend on the brake-pedal) and the brakes are good. Enough pressure! Love my Mondeo III(18 years!!) 2.5 V6.. Is this an American engine? Because same engine as Ford/Mercury Cougar of those years(2000/2007),strong engine they told me,with timing-chain instead of timing-belt. Great info, thanxx again from Holland.
They must've taken everything off and put everything back on at once. Didn't think to look for a problem I'd never create. I always work with one part of the car at a time, especially if I'm replacing several identical parts that need to go in different places. Also, that's why it's a good idea to take pictures before ripping everything apart.
Thank God I found this video!! I've been fitting my bad brakes for months after rebuilding the front axle on my jeep. I mixed up the calipers and never thought about it. THANK YOU
As a every so often part time youtube mechanic this video was very helpful.
Been there and done that!!! I'm at the 2.00 minute mark! Many, many years ago I got tripped up working on a Chrysler Lebaron. I spent 3 days trying to bleed the brakes before someone asked me if the bleed hole was on the bottom or the top of the caliper. I will never forget how stupid I felt when I meekly answered "On the bottom".
Yankee.......... I got to bow to you Sir, thanks to your video I got my BMW cult model E36 328i going again because I made that HUGE mistake to put rear left caliper on the right side and the right caliper on the left so the air was trapped in the pistons and the brake were not hard and working. I am very grateful to you for you great work, Thank you I really mean it.
This was probably one of the best lessons for the weekend mechanics out there! Thank you for giving us the chance to figure it out before just telling us what was wrong.
Thumbs up and subscribed!
Thank you!
😊
Stick a several foot length of clear hose on the bleed niple with a loop higher then the caliper. You can crack the bleed niple and sit in the cab to pump the brakes until all the air is out. It will waste some brake fluid but the hose prevents air from getting back in. It is also cleaner because you can catch the fluid in a bottle for disposal.
Thanks for the information man. I was sold a passenger side caliper and needed a driver side. I noticed the bleeder was one bottom but didn’t know it made a difference. I bleed brakes 4 or 5 times and never got air out. Even replaced my master cylinder. All this over a 2 week span. Happen to come across your video this morning. Thanks for your time much appreciated.
If you want to stop the reservoir from emptying itself when the lines are disconnected, depress the brake pedal with a stick and this will shut off the reservoir from the lines thus stopping any fluid leak.
Your right SilverCap. Odd so many mech's don't know that trick.
Indeed.
There'll be a little more fluid when you first loosen the bolts, but just catch that with a rag or something... but after that, the continous dripping/flowing will be almost zero.
MBC won't get drained, so there'll be a lot less bleeding to do too.
That's an old trick, but I just cap the lines so I don't have to walk around the vehicle and find something to prop the pedal with
@@bleachinuri If you pick up one of the irwin quick grip clamps, you can turn it around so it can expand instead of tighten. With that you just put it in and start squeezing the handle until its tight. Works great.
Finally Someone figured it out.
Thank you
I'm glad somebody actually pointed that out with the parts. And I definitely agree 120%.
I'm an amateur and didn't spot that but learned and appreciate the video, especially the part of bleeding your brakes on your own, thank you.
Thank you so much for this video, i own a 1994 Nissan 300zx and after rebuilding all four calipers my brake pedal went all the way to the floor, after bleeding the air out of the system...I read a lot online so the first thing i did was replace the master cylinder and it did not work, after that i replaced the brake booster and still the pedal went all the way down to the floor, finally after a lot of research i found this video, i went to check my calipers and yes my rear calipers were on the wrong side... I relocated them and bled the air out and Voila!, my brake pedal no longer sinks to the floor... Thank you for this video and good luck!
I did this once with a Malibu. They put a right in a box marked right and a right in a box market Left. took me a while to figure it out but lesson learned in the end.
also an easier method for bleeding alone. a 600ml bottle, clear hose from the hardware store that fits snug onto the bleeder. drill hole in bottle cap, put brake fluid in bottle so hose end is submerged, put one hose end in bottle, the other on bleeder , open bleeder, pump brakes til no air seen in tube. refill master as needed.
quick and no mess or tired arm from pumping
And you're supposed to bleed the caliper farthest from the master cylinder which would be the passenger side rear
Robert Cox unless it’s a 1996 generation Honda Accord then it’s the opposite order.
@Richard McCormack get out and look. Put hose coming out above bleeder then down into bottle. If there is air you will see it in a clear hose...no bubbles in tube you should be good. Set up camera then review the footage and repeat process for other three brakes.
June 12, 2002. Thank you, thank you. I went to Auto Zone and told the kid I needed a passenger side caliper for my 2004 Silverado. I had my core with me. He had it in stock. He took it out of the box and did a comparison and says, yep this is the one. I installed it on the truck, tried to bleed the brakes and could not get the brake pedal to stop going all the way to the floor. Tried many times with no luck. I went to You Tube and try to find some info on the problem. The only video that solved the problem was yours. Sure enough, when I look at the bleeder valve it was on the bottom. I had no idea the bleeder valve made that much of a difference. How you explained it, I can see that it makes sense. Luckily Auto Zone replaced it with no problem. So thanks again.
Glad to hear you got it fixed!
saw it right away. Brings back memories of the first time I experienced this problem. I was searching for the problem for so long, never even thinking of the calipers being switched side to side.
I done the same thing with my rear calipers and never gave it a thought about the bleeder valve was on the bottom and not the top. Switched the calipers around and now everything is good again. Thank you for that tidbit of info!
Some people should NOT work on their own vehicles. I've seen this before, with a dude I worked with, that replaced calipers on his four wheeler. Calipers were on the wrong side. I switched them around, re-bled them and they were great. I also had a Corvette come in the shop with a brake noise. The customer's brother replaced the brake pads in the rear putting the steel backing plates facing the rotor. Like I said, some people should NOT be working on their own vehicles.
amen
Lmfao I bet that corvette braked great with some good old SCREAMING OF DEATH from the metal grinding. I bet he was happy about having to replace that rotor too. Lol
@@saturnmedia1 Luckily I was able to skim chip the rotors and still be in spec. She didn't drive very long on it. Replaced the pads.
Great information for us backyard mechanics who don't have your experience. This video came just in time. I am replacing calipers on my daughter's car tomorrow. I'm hoping I wouldn't have put them on the wrong sides but now I know I won't. Thanks.
Thanks! Good luck tomorrow I'm sure it will go smooth
@@kentuckyyankee The calipers were marked "L" and "R". It's hard to screw that up. I got everything on the rear. 2013 Elantra. I bled the brakes using a tube in a bottle with fluid in it. I'm not sure it's right. The brakes are up but when I start it, the pedal goes to the floor. It comes back up. I drove it around and it seems ok but I don't want to give it back to my daughter if that's a problem. Any ideas?
@@waltp3373 Possibly still air in the system
@Kentucky Yankee, right @ 1:44 I about spit out my drink. That bleed screw at the bottom gets em every time. Hey, at least they were consistent with all 4 calipers. I'm a ASE master tech, and working in the field along time. I've seen that many times, but never more scary then when its another "technician" that does it. Wait until you see wheel cylinders done like that, really makes you scratch your head.
I saw that too!!! Started laughing my ass off. Who worked on this!?! Eric the Car Guy??? Lol
50 plus yrs of turning wrenches and I never knew this, I googled my brake problem and found your video and fixed a. Ford pick up with the same problem, Keep going with your video s. Your dang hood man
Thank you!! I appreciate that!
I'm so glad I stumbled on your video! I have been spending so much money on my trucks brakes trying to bleed them and viola, I go out and look at my new calipers, and they are upside down. Thank you sooo much! I'm in Radcliff by the way.
Thanks, I'm glad to hear you fixed your car! You live in a nice part of Kentucky for sure.
I never knew this, I fixed the same problem by watching this video, Thanks so much
Great video , something so simple can cause so much trouble ! This should be common knowledge but most people don’t know that the bleeder must be on top ! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Thank you! I was about to bleed my rear brakes and noticed the bleeder screws on the rear calipers were on the bottom! This video just popped up in my feed. There was a reason! Subbed
Bleeder screws should be on the top Calipers are on the wrong sides
I did the same mistake last year. I called a garage and he told me to check bleeders. Yep I had them on the wrong side. Happens to everyone at some point I bet.
I think I just found the problem!
Thanks to your video
Thank you so much I put a disk brake conversion kit on my 67 Impala and no one could figure out the problem and I spent hrs on line looking for info and thank God I came across your video I would of never figured it out 👊🏽
Great I'm glad you got it fixed! Thanks for watching!
Yep, bleeder screws pointing down. I caught it. Thanks
Dude! You rock man! Thank you so much for posting this. You saved my ass. Could not figure out where I screwed up and stumbled across this. God bless brother and thanks again for looking out for the shade tree guys.
Awesome that's great to hear! Glad to help!
Thank you for your great help, after watching your video I found my mistake when I installed the calipers on my 2000 jeep Cherokee, I made exactly that mistake, Bleeder screw downward, it drove me crazy trying to find the problem, until I saw your video, again thank you so much, keep up the good work
Thanks for watching!
I like the "Can you see it?" format. Causes better learning to happen.
Thanks for this video, i fixed my own car, saving me money...
I have my bleeder valve pointed down... after i watched your video.. i swapped it from left to right like what you did.. and it worked... 2 thumbs up mate...
Awesome!
Great tips. Don’t forget to lube the caliper pins with synthetic grease.
Loud and clear I love this guy
Very helpful. I also liked your commentary to your dog. Glad you gave your dog some treats too.
Easy fix. Flip the car upside down, bleed and flip the car back up. Done.
Seen
I have thought this before. Wish we could do this sometimes.
Nope you got it wrong correct way to fix car drive down a steep cliff , jump from door before cliff over ocean and then the jobs completed
Had to do this the other day. Good tip for ya I’d like to add, after disconnecting the brake line pull the banjo bolt and grab some ear plugs, put a plug in the hole and the brake fluid will swell the plug stopping the leak. Helps with the mess. Cheers.
A few years ago I bought a used dodge truck from a dealer. The brake line on the front brakes uses a banjo fitting that
bolts to the caliper. Sure enough it's possible to put in on backwards, which stretches it on a full right turn.
And it tore off just as we were arriving home. Fortunately our driveway is steep, so no harm done. I called the dealer and asked him about their "100" point inspection on new arrivals from the wholesale auctiion. Then I bought a hose/line from NAPA.
I used to curse my driveway while taking out the trash with the steep slope until that happened. The Lord has a funny sense of humor.
I put 2 new front calipers on my truck, had the same problem with no pedal. Thanks Kentucky Yankee, I had the calipers on backwards. All good now
Great! Glad to hear it!
Great! Glad to hear it!
This video just saved my ass after I too foolishly installed my calipers upside down, now I can get to work tomorrow, thanks!
I did not know this, never thought this was a thing or ran into this. Thanks for sharing!
Kentucky Yankee My guess would be when they were installing the calipers, they thought the right side of vehicle was drivers and left was the passenger side. Seems to be a common mistake.
So who actually put those brakes on in the first place. That's why if you are a DIY'er, you replace things one caliper at a time and put things back exactly like you removed them. lol
Kentucky Yankee- I'm sure you know this but for the edification other less experienced mechs out there; The fitting at the end of the brake line at the calipers is called a banjo fitting. Not only are 2 copper washers required but the bolt is hollow. Very important that the washers and bolt are clean and not damaged and as you mentioned, start the banjo fitting bolt with fingers as far as you can. They have "fine" threads and are hollow so don't get too aggressive with torque. Good video.
@@kentuckyyankee Hey Kentucky, since my last comment here I got one of those Harbor Freight vacuum bleeders. What a dream. Will never want to bleed brakes any other way. $35. If you do brakes regular, especially if you work alone, do yourself a favor.
should have used new copper washers. when they get camped by the caliper bolt, they "squish" down to help seal the hose to the caliper, but, when they get compressed, they harden, making them less able to seal more effectively.
Yep, I have done several brake jobs in the past but, my dumb ass did just that. Bleeders on the bottom.
My manual, for my 05 Dakota ,. Just referred to abs module could be bad, booster is bad, and master cylinder is bad.
Even online that's the first thing that came up.
Then I found your video.
Fixed it right up and I learned something new.
Thank you!
Glad you got it fixed!
I got one for you. Cusfomer did brakes and couldn't get them to bleed. Turns out they took the bleeders off the new calipers and wrapped them in teflon tape, covering the bleeder holes.
I didn't catch the problem. Never changed calipers before so that was new to me. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I liked the ending made lots of sense u still get a treat
I'm 61 and seldom ran into a caliper that went bad on my own cars, mostly wheel cylinders on drum brakes. It does make sense that the bleeder screws should be on top, to let the air out.
I watched your video off top I noticed the plug was on the bottom. That's was my problem 😂 great video 5 Star
Thank you!
That's funny I had the same problem and I felt so stupid when I realized I put calipers backwards. Left on the right and right on the left
Don't feel stupid, that's how most of us learn. Now repeating the same mistake...........that qualifies as stupid! I think the way we really learn is when things don't go exactly as planned.One thing I would advise, it's kind of a cardinal rule in brake work, that is work on one side at a time, that way you have the other side for reference.Good Luck, and don't be so hard on yourself.
It doesn't hurt to consult a manual but now one is perfect I kNow I have done stuff wrong who hasn't.
I read in a barber shop that I whent to many years a go know; that was on his wall THAT said THOSE THAT DON'T MAKE MISTAKES Don't DO ANYTHING!
Always good practice to lube the sliders every time you take the calipers off. They like to rust and seize. Also, to keep fluid from running all over when you take the hose off GENTLY clip a pair of vice grips on the hose.
Working on another Dodge with a double whammy brake issue. 17 year old vehicle that had mushy pedal when it
was below 50F. Seals in master-torn and causing internal leak. And replacing the vacuum booster. It has a small
leak in the diaphram, big enough to cause engine stumble, off idle poor performance. Check valve and hose were good
Just stepping on the brake in park, would drop it 200 rpm
Interesting is that only new master cylinders are available, but the booster can be a rebuilt. Plus $50 core.
Remanufacturers will not warranty their booster if you resuse an old master cyl and it develops a leak out the back seal.
Are you kidding me? 😡 I been trying to figure out what was I doing wrong. I even changed calipers at the auto parts and still couldn't figure it out. Smh thank you for this lesson.
Saw it right away! I turn wrenches for a living now but I used to be in the parts business. You'd be surprised how many people put them on the wrong side and blame the calipers! Omg! Made the comment, clicked play again, screw up x 4 even!
you know if you do one side at a time oh wait you still have to pay attention
I don't know whats worse.... Calipers on wrong side or the use of a 12 point wrench when a 6 point socket could've been easily used. With that said excellent quick diagnosis
Thanks for a simple explanation the weekend warrior can understand.
Funny. I watched a South Main Auto repair video with Mr. O when he worked on a Dodge and found that the Dodge factory put two left calipers in the back. Remember when the news expose came out about Detroit workers having liquid lunch hours in the park every day? lol!!
Ok I mst add, I learned something very important today. I didn’t realize there was a difference between the left and right side calipers. I am doing a brake job on a friend’s car . I was in my bed when I came across this video. I then rushed downstairs to the garage to check the front calipers that I had replaced earlier. They were in the correct position. I’m thanking the Lord because I always call on Him before doing important things like. Thank you too for pointing this out.👍🏽👍🏽
You are intellegent my friend. I experienced that trouble whe i was in california.because of the bleeder at the bottom you can not bleed properly.you are absolutely correct.
Faster way, get a little check valve that fits in 1/4 id tubing and orient the check valve so that you can pump fluid out from the bleeder valve when you press down on the brake pedal, but fluid (and air) can't flow back in when you let the brake pedal back up. Put tubing on the bleeder valve, attach the check valve to the tubing, attach tubing to the out-bound end of the check valve. Then open the bleeder valve, and pump the brake pedal until you cannot see any more bubbles coming out of the clear vinyl tubing attached to the out-bound side of the check valve. Just use a long enough piece of tubing from the out-bound side so you can bring the tubing over to where you can see it when you are pumping the brake pedal. This simply automatically duplicates the activity of opening and closing the bleeder valve with a wrench. If you are concerned about air being drawn in past where the bleeder valve threads into the caliper or wheel cylinder, when you lift up the brake pedal, and the check valve closes, then after opening the bleeder valve 1/4 turn and before pumping, snugly wrap some teflon tape around it where it screws into the caliper. Remove the tape when you are done bleeding, and before you tighten the bleeder valve.
Get a spare bleeder valve, solder up the original hole in the side of the valve, drill a 3mm hole through the centre of the spare valve, screw the spare valve in to the calliper tight, then no air can escape through the threads, now when you bleed the brakes no air can be drawn back through the threads of a loosened valve when you take your foot off the pedal, then pull the bleed pipe off and refit the original bleed valve, a few drops of fluid will drip out while refitting the original valve but no air can be drawn back into the calliper, I always keep a modified bleed valve in my brake bleeding kit.
@@Kensclassics Hmm. Sounds like a good idea. I am trying to picture everything that is going on here. With the new 3 mm hole allowing a route for fluid to travel through the valve without opening the valve, you don't have to loosen the valve to allow fluid to flow out when you press the brake pedal down. However fluid can flow back in when you take you lift your foot up and let the brake pedal come back up. It has occurred to me that if you have the outlet of your bleeder tube above the height of the bleeder valve, air will escape, and facing up, it seems to me that there won't be bubble of air in the tube that can be sucked back in as the brake pedal comes back up. Is that correct? Otherwise you can use a check-valve in the bleeder hose, which will also have the advantage of not allowing rake fluid to be drawn back in. If you are just bleeding the brakes I think probably the check valve would be a better idea. If you are pumping out brake fluid until clean, new fluid is being pumped through the bleeder tube, and the end of the tube is submerged in a clean jar with clean fluid in it, above the level of the bleeder screw, I suppose it doesn't matter if brake fluid is sucked back in, as it will be clean brake fluid. Am I picturing this correctly?
Old Sling Blade fixin your lawn mower, Great video, Thanks Yankee
Lmao. Nice video. I caught the problem at 3:49 bleeder valves at the bottom.
Thank you for the vidéo. My right front calliper was installed with a calliper for the left side causing the bleed screw being on the bottom.
Never was able to get a good brake peddle
Glad you got it fixed!
The brake pedal is not airy when the vehicle is at rest but super spongy when it's running. Despite sinking almost right to the bottom, it actually works super well and the grip sets in just right in the middle. It seems to me that this does not match with the description of this video. I wonder if it is the master cylinder issue, or something else, but what can that be?
lol..I'm not too proud to admit I've done this before on my '97 K1500 Silverado front calipers. My little brother was helping me on one side and he just grabbed one out the box and bolted it up without comparing the old one. I'm not putting all the blame on him though, I was just as guilty for not paying closer attention to what we were doing. We bled over a quart of fluid through and finally realized something wasn't right. Lesson learned..make certain you put it back the way it was!
Thank you so much, just realized why I have no pedal. Changing sides on my calipers now
Saw the same problem in another shop video, very helpful. But you did NOT replace the copper washers with new ones.
Check the brake line-caliber bolt for proper torque. they might have hung the caliper on the line when changing stuff. Bleed air out of brake bleeder ball/can by releasing all air pressure from ball/ or unscrew cap from can to allow air bubbles to expand, rise to top and pop, takes 20 minutes. Then bleed brakes starting at farthest bleeder.
Don't always assume as well that pads go back on the way round they came off. I fitted new pads the same orientation as the worn came off. Turns they had been fitted wrong way around by previous owner. New pads jammed on.
True ... good call!
That's helpful. Butmight I suggest the bleeder scews should have a cap of sorts on them to stop water and dirt getting into them and causing them to corrode.
Great video 👍🏻
You're welcome ! :)
That's exactly how I bleed brakes by myself. A crow bar or 2x4 against the front of the seat.
Bleeder open-close. Repeat until no air is expelled.
This dude just solved my problem
was told to start bleeding from the further wheel from the master cylinder , RR to LR then to RF to LF . keeping an eye so the fluid don't empty in the master cylinder .
Nothing is that easy that you can't screw it up. Did it today and your video showed me.
You're right!
learn something new every day....lol I just learned something I didn't know about brakes. apparently whoever did the brakes before didn't really pay attention to how it looked before they replaced them
two things could be wrong, one the person who replaced the master cylinder didn’t bench bleed it properly or even bleed it while it’s on the car with the hoses disconnected, also the calipers are completely opposite on either side, the lefts are on the rights and the rights are on the left, if the bleeder isn’t facing upwards then you can bleed them properly and you’ll get insufficient break pressure
My 96 ram 1500 has spongy brakes and doesn't build pressure till you rev the engine.
But the whole brake line has been replaced.
And when you press the pedal quickly. It makes a air sound
I have carefully done my own brakes for years and have never seen or had this upside-down caliper problem.
But another issue: I did not know you are to use 2 copper washers - one on each side of the banjo bolt, when replacing the calipers. The few times I have replaced calipers, only 1 washer has always been on the old part, so I have assumed it was right and put 1 washer on the new one, thinking the parts supplier gave me an extra washer, in case I dropped and lost 1! lol - But I've never had a caliper leak.
Don Fisher the other washer was stuck on the bolt and you didn't notice. If there was no washer on one side it would leak for sure.
Thanks man you just fixed my problem....
Very very informative! Thank you!
You're Welcome !
And when the break press down then the bar drops I have done that a couple times. Quite effective.
Must be endemic I'm working on a 2006 SL (No rear Discs) same dam thing! WTF!? Basic physics Thanks there, Mr. Yankee!
caliper is upside down...caused by putting right caliper on left side or vise versa.
no offence but bleeding brakes should be done from the farthest caliper first then work your way to the closet caliper. when replacing parts you should always work on one part at a time not remove all the calipers then install new ones that is a bad practice. one last thing is anyone who wants to do their own repairs and if they have a phone or camera should takes pictures of the item to be fixed so they have a record of how it was installed. as a heavy duty mechanic/welder I myself take take pictures of every item i fix for record and proof of repairs and damages.
the#1, most important safety item on all cars and trucks BRAKES. would you let your local butcher replace your heart valve?
Not always, my Xterra is rr, lf, lr, rf
love having my own lift too . enjoyed this video . you know why ford put hand warmers on the tailgates. . to keep your hands warm while you push it home. .
The pump kit I bought says that you start at the caliper closest to the master cylinder. I was always told to start at the furthest from the master cylinder. And this Blazer does have ABS, so the closest first. This could be the problem with the spongy brake pedal... Great video by the way...
Thanks Good Luck!
It works either way whether you start at the back or the front, I start at the front if I am doing brake hoses etc and a flush since most of the gooped up fluid can be pumped through the wheel by the driver, then work your way back you are just flushing out the lines -don’t rush it and use gravity as your friend to keep everything full of fluid at all times, you may go through 1/2 gallon of fluid or more but all gets flushed out. If any of the lines got empty, such as a blown out tube, then you may need to apply pressure to fluid in the master cylinder and go around cracking bleeders until all are clear of bubbles
The easy cheap way to bleed brakes yourself is with a bottle with a piece of hose that goes to the bottom of the bottle that sits in some brake fluid so when you pump it it pushes the fluid and air out but wont suck air back in because the hose is submerged in brake fluid
I love watching videos that are not from Minnesota cause every single bolt is easily turned.... No luck with that in Minnesota. 5 minute job takes 5 hours lol
great work mate it also worked on a Suzuki Liana 205 model
I only knew that it was probably the calipers on the wrong side because I read a UA-cam comment in a different video talking about it LOL
thats why today we have picture phones...you take a pic before you take it apart....great vid
I got some rubber plugs that are convenient for swapping out calipers they just slide through the banjo fitting and stop it from dripping all over while swapping parts you can get them at auto parts store makes life easier
I could use those will look for them. Thanks!
Does that pickup need to have the calipers disconnected from the hose to replace the pads? I usually just hang the calipers with a hook and change the rotors. Bolt the calipers back on and install the pads.
I understand why you had to remove the hose lines. I'm wondering if the original guy who did the work was going to rebuild the calipers.
Bleeders on the bottom??? Reminds me of the ‘ roller coaster ‘ clutch hydraulic line on my Escort. To get good bleed you had to hold a finger over the bleeder and pump the pedal about 10 full strokes fast to shoot all the air bubbles out.
Reminds me of some people I have known back in the day.
Thanks for watching!
Thanxx a lot, i've the same thing with a Ford Mondeo. I didn't know that(bleeders at the top. I had good pressure with engine off,but with engine on, the pressure was gone.
You're welcome!
@@kentuckyyankee ,I also had the wrong caliper at the wrong place.(this one was for rear-left,but sold to me as rear-right) i didn't knew about the bleeder at the top of the caliper.. This morning the old caliper(rear right;with the bleeder at the top) "refurbished" ; cilinder and cilinderhole cleaned and lubricate, rubber ring was okay. Caliper with wire brush derusted,mounted, bleeded(with help from a friend on the brake-pedal) and the brakes are good. Enough pressure! Love my Mondeo III(18 years!!) 2.5 V6.. Is this an American engine? Because same engine as Ford/Mercury Cougar of those years(2000/2007),strong engine they told me,with timing-chain instead of timing-belt.
Great info, thanxx again from Holland.
@@louisdefunes8952 Not sure but I think it's an American engine
Those are those upside down power calipers! Sweet 👑
They must've taken everything off and put everything back on at once. Didn't think to look for a problem I'd never create. I always work with one part of the car at a time, especially if I'm replacing several identical parts that need to go in different places. Also, that's why it's a good idea to take pictures before ripping everything apart.
As well as comparing new parts to put on with the old ones taken off
If you push the brake pedal some it will not let fluid drain out. I use the pedal compressor from our alignment machine.
YOU, good sir saved me a helluva headache! Great post. Subscribed, shared, liked and would love to buy you lunch! Thank you!!!!