I am a tech and to drive this all the time and not be able to fix my squishy brake pedal... well frankly... is embarrasing!!

I have read the rave manual, ridiculous. No procedure for which wheel first or what order. Just pressure bleeder vs. manual.
I have done the pressure bleeder and it was no better.

I have done a search and find a wealth of information on D2's! But almost nothing on D1's. The only thing I found and want to verify this may actually work (no follow up in post) is opening the rear valves, pumping seven times and leaving it with pressure on the pedal for a half hour.
Seems out of the ordinary having a general automotive knowledge of brake systems including ones with ABS.

So I beg of my fellow D1 enthusiasts, what has worked for you?

(btw, my pedal is only soft at first application, if I let off and hit the pedal again it gains pressure and has a stiffer pedal.)

 

Replace your flex lines with new, or better yet, SS braided lines.
Flush your brake system with new fluid.
Bleed starting from the furthest from the MC, proceeding to the nearest:
- off-side rear wheel
- near-side rear wheel
- near-side front
- off-side front

Before replacing the flex lines you can try clamping them off one at a time to see if there is a particular caliper that's making things soft.

If the above doesn't do it, then look to a faulty MC and/or 4 weak calipers.

 

Great advice. Did do a visual inspection on the lines and do not see any weakness however I do know looks can be decieving. I have already done the bleeding rr to lf with a pressure bleeder. Odd thing is when I brake I do not get a pull. Common if 1 caliper is weak it would cause a bias to one side or the other. I get a steady brake but just a soft pedal. It really feels like air and not a bad seal. Esp since when pumped it brakes as if it is normal. I am not ruling out a bad caliper but it would have to be the whole circuit, maybe front or rear. Feels more like rear.

 

I had the same problem with mine... Bled them several times and still had a poor brake petal and finally when I lifted it I used stainless brake hoses problem gone. They gave me a firmer petal and stops a lot better. Thats my 2 cents

 

Where did you get your stainless braided from?

 

I got mine from RTE.

 

Just did the manual bleed. Feels a little better. Will update later after I drive home.

 

The stainless steel lines do away with expansion you get with the stock rubber lines. It will feel completely different.

 

I got mine from Lucky8

 

ColoDisco, when I did mine after recent master cyl, I bled as you would on any system, except I ran 3qts. thru'

engine off, pump pedal up, bleed, etc.

My brakes are excellent even with 30k on them

luck,greg