Garbage Spongy Brakes.

subawhatsubawho · Post by **subawhatsubawho** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:15 pm

Laurel, If you go with a new MC just be sure to bench bleed it properly or you will be facing the same problem.

I failed to do this on my 86 celica and I had to take it off and redo it.

Post by **Legacy777** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:49 pm

You shouldn't need to bench bleed it.

I've swapped out MC's twice. The first time I tried to "bench" bleed it. I successfully ended up just creating a massive mess....that's all.

The second time, I put the MC in dry, did a thorough brake bleed, and never looked back.

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:27 pm

I have done TONS of brake jobs on all sorts of different cars, and NEVER bench bled anything, and my brakes have always been good...

I really don't see the point in bench bleeding, because I figure you can get that air out in the system with a good bleed...

I am thinking about investing in a MityVac to bleed brakes in the future...it seems like such a better/easier method

subawhatsubawho · Post by **subawhatsubawho** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:35 pm

I have a mityvac and I don't know what I would have done without it.

My only advise when buying one is to get the metal one. The one also bought the MC cap adapter so I can bleed the entire system from the MC. Sure beats the old way.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:26 am

Hmmm. . . Laurel will be getting my brakes in another few months anyway. . . I wonder if we should just include my MC with the swap and call it good?

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:24 am

Art - Doing the RacingBrake 4-pots? We did a set of those with 2-peice rotors on an LGT Wagon. That thing was sick.

It also made 330whp and looked almost entirely stock. It was fucking GANGSTA!

Post by **Legacy777** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:46 am

Yukonart wrote:Hmmm. . . Laurel will be getting my brakes in another few months anyway. . . I wonder if we should just include my MC with the swap and call it good?

Your MC is actually smaller in diameter then the one on laurels. The LGT has a 1" bore MC, while the turbo legacy has 1-1/16". The LGT has a significantly stiffer booster, which helps with pedal feel, and such. The caliper are also probably stiffer, which is why they can probably use the smaller bore MC.

Personally, I'd just do the brakes and see how things feel/stop. If she's happy, leave it at that.

93forestpearl · Post by **93forestpearl** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:59 am

Nobody has mentioned bracing the MC. I thought that was an issue with subarus.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:45 am

BAC5.2 wrote:Art - Doing the RacingBrake 4-pots? We did a set of those with 2-peice rotors on an LGT Wagon. That thing was sick.

It also made 330whp and looked almost entirely stock. It was fucking GANGSTA!

STi Brembos . . . they'll go on when I source an STi 6-speed sometime in the spring. Also looking into upgrading the hubs to 05-06 STi spec. . . so the wheel bearings will be beefier, and I can shop for wheels that will fit over the brakes from either 05+ STi or 03+ Evo specifications.

I plan to do similar things to the wagon . . but transmission and brakes come first. . . followed shortly thereafter by suspension mods.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:47 am

Legacy777 wrote:
Yukonart wrote:Hmmm. . . Laurel will be getting my brakes in another few months anyway. . . I wonder if we should just include my MC with the swap and call it good?
Your MC is actually smaller in diameter then the one on laurels. The LGT has a 1" bore MC, while the turbo legacy has 1-1/16". The LGT has a significantly stiffer booster, which helps with pedal feel, and such. The caliper are also probably stiffer, which is why they can probably use the smaller bore MC.

Personally, I'd just do the brakes and see how things feel/stop. If she's happy, leave it at that.

Sounds like a good idea, Josh. If we need to at a later time, we could swap mine out for hers, too . . . when I get the braking system from an STi onto my car, I'm sure I'll be able to snag the MC as well . . so it'll be around, anyway.

Post by **Legacy777** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:12 pm

93forestpearl wrote:Nobody has mentioned bracing the MC. I thought that was an issue with subarus.

It helps a little. I've got the brace, but the strut tower that the brace is mounted to still flexes.

0perose · Post by **0perose** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 2:41 am

Legacy777 wrote:
93forestpearl wrote:Nobody has mentioned bracing the MC. I thought that was an issue with subarus.
It helps a little. I've got the brace, but the strut tower that the brace is mounted to still flexes.

what about a strut tower brace?

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 8:21 pm

A lower chassis brace actually helps quite a bit, though.

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Sat May 06, 2006 11:12 pm

I know I'm digging up an old thread, but I didn't think this needed a whole new thread....

Anyone here have any tips for rebuilding the master cylinder? I am considering doing this, and am too cheap (not to mention broke) to buy a new one.

Is there a MC rebuild kit for our cars? If so, what's the part #? If not, what all is needed? I have an o-ring service kit with just about every size o-ring I could ever need in it.

tonflo · Post by **tonflo** » Sun May 07, 2006 1:19 pm

I kind of doubt they make master cylinder rebuild kits. For liability reasons, I can see someone suing the company for a rebuild the end user did wrong. It's probably just as cheap to get a new one & a lot faster.

IronMonkeyL255 · Post by **IronMonkeyL255** » Sun May 07, 2006 6:12 pm

True.

I found a rebuild kit online for $99 and a rebuilt MC for ~$60. I may disassemble mine and look it over and figure out what I should do from there.

First things first, though, I am going to rebuild the front calipers, get the rotors turned, and install SS lines and new fluid.

frood · Post by **frood** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:09 pm

LaureltheQueen wrote:It still won't fix the spongy feeling that i get. It brakes better if I pump the pedal.

I had the spongy-feel and "pump to get solid feel" on my car as well. Suspecting an air bubble, I bled twice, and changed the master cylinder to no effect.

My fix: Turned out to be frozen slide pins on the front rotors. They were just totally stuck. I knocked them loose, cleaned thoroughly, greased and used new slide pin boots, and the pedal went back to a much more solid feel. The back needed the same treatment and improved again when I smooth-ified them too.

Much more solid feel = still a touch soft, but acceptable soft not "nearly to the floor, OMG!"

It's a cheap fix; only costs are grease and the slide pin boots for about $8 total and my time.

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Garbage Spongy Brakes.