I'm contemplating replacing the stock rubber caliper lines with the stainless-steel jobs. I figure this would be a good time to flush out the old brake fluid...but I did have some questions.

I read something on the RAVE CD about NEVER allowing the brake fluid master cylinder to go below the "MINIMUM" mark. If I recall correctly, it said to add fluid while bleeding the old fluid out of the cylinders. This seems kind of bizarre...I guess it would work, but why mix old fluid with new fluid if you're trying to get rid of the old?

But the warning really stuck in my head...I didn't want to toast the brake modulator by saying "screw this! we'll do it my way!"

Insight?

 

When I changed my brake fluid I continued to top off the reservior every once in a while. I would pour it slowly into the reservior, trying not to mix the old and the new fluid together. I think you are supoosed to believe that the old/new fluid won't mix if you dont drive around, and that when you bleed the brake the old fluid just gets pushed out with the new fluid coming in on top of it. Thats what I think at least. Hope that helps

 

Sounds like a fun assumption.

 

I don't think you will hurt anything by sucking as much as you can out first with a syringeand then refilling it with clean fluid. I worked fine for me. Just don't hitthe brake pedal withthe reservoir empty. I think the minimum mark is a safety thing so there is no chance of getting air in the system.

 

Ok you are going to get a lot of air in the system by changing the brake lines.

I changed mine and just topped the fluid up to keep the fluid coming out the new brake lines.

Then I had help to bleed the system one pumping the brake pedal the other at the calibers and we got a lot of air out.

You will like the steel lines.

 

Landzu-
Did you notice a vast increase in your pedal after moving to the steel lines? I'm not particularly happy with the Disco's brakes. I just put on new pads all of the way around and that stopped the squeeking and I have a more positive pedal and better braking, however; the pedal still seems pretty non-responsive to me. I don't have any lights lit, no leaks, the reservoir is filled up. It doesn't feel spongy, so I don't think it's an air-in-the-lines issue...the pedal just doesn't seem to grab too well.

I spoke to Disco Mike about this and he immediately said something like...You'll have one of two situations with the brakes...Either 1, the pedal won't really respond on the first push but then the second push will put you through the windshield...and #2 is the pedal isn't too responsive.

So I figure the pedal woes were just sort of normal with the Disco. I'm sure some new rotors wouldn't hurt either.

 

Do switch to the new brake lines, your brake pedal will be firmer and you will have less brake fade.
E-mail me your tele number and I will walk you thru the process.
mikeljacobs@comcast .net

 

When you flush the brakes you keep flushing the system until only clean fluid comes out. So when all is said and done any old fluid that is left will a very small amount.

 

[quote]ORIGINAL: unstable

Landzu-
Did you notice a vast increase in your pedal after moving to the steel lines?


I did notice a improvement but not a vast one.
I had changed out my OEM lines with more OEM lines when my Disco was ten years old (2 years ago) as the book called for but I thought I would improve on what I had.

When you put the pads on did you sand the brake disks as sometimes they are glazed.

 

I didn't bother sanding the rotors, I guess if they were glazed over it would make an improvement...but honestly it feels less like glazed rotors and more like a generally unresponsive pedal. Perhaps it's just the design?

Typically after replacing the pads, the pedal will jump substantially and become more stiff..but not really the case when I replaced the pads on the rover.

I'm going to look into doing the rotors and the new steel lines as well as flushing the system. This is "UPGRADES" and not "maintenance" So no big rush and I should enjoy it.