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I just picked up a 1996 honda civic Ex non ABS.It has a low break pedal and it almost goes to the floor to stop.I checked for leaks and found the master leaking so i replaced it.I bench bled the master and reinstalled.

Then i replaced rear wheel cylinders,pads, and 2 front calipers.The master is holding fluid and i do not see any leaks.Then i bled the brakes rear right,front left,rear left,Front right.Still no diffrence.I got good pressure when bleeding the brakes.

I was thinking maybe a bad master however the brakes do not sink at stop light when holding them down.Any ideas?? Booster??

I am going crazy trying to figure this out. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 
Rep Power: 233

-You could have gotten a bad master cylinder.

-You could also re-check the whole system again. Check the piston seals in the calipers real good. Sometimes the seals leak and it isn't readily apparent.

-Could also try bleeding the system again.

-Maybe the pedal rod is out of adjustment.

 
Rep Power: 188

Did you completely flush the system? If not then do so, brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs water and when its worn out it will not transmit pressure properly and water in the system can heat up turn to steam and vaporize causing that nice spongy pedal feel. You should completely flush the brake fluid about once every 4 or 5 years to optimum brake pressure. If you go longer it can make the fluid to acidic and it will start eating flex lines from the inside out. If you had good pressure after bleeding and it went away then you either have air in the system, a bad master cylinder or very weak flex lines. (the rubber hoses connecting the brake caliper or drum to the car's body for those who do not know)

 
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Well i just checked the piston in each of the brake calipers and the rubber is new and holds a very tight seal i have also re-bled the brakes for the 6th time.The fluid is absolutely clear with no contamination whatsoever.I have also re-checked all brake hoses and none are bulging or leaking.I am very suspect of the raman master cylinder it almost seem like its sucking air when i am bleeding the brakes.I have tried bleeding with the cap on and off and making sure it never goes dry.Anyway to check this on the car?


One think i haven't checked is the pushrod however i didn't think those should be adjusted.I am afraid to adjust it wrong and screw it up more than it is.Is it a simple process?

 
Rep Power: 188

If you do not get a good rush of fluid when you are depressing the brake pedal from the bleeder screw then its the master thats at fault. You should be able to feel signifigant stiffening of the the rubber flex lines when the pedal is depressed. Also make sure the car is running when you test the pedal feel as the vac will assist in making sure you get proper pedal pressure.

 
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I suspect the re-man is bad, it happens.

 
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Thanks man i have a new one coming i will keep you guys posted

 
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WTF
I don't get it!! I got the new master, bench bled it and installed it.There is absolutely no difference!!I have not bled the calipers or rear brakes yet however i would think i would notice a huge increase in pedal when i put the new one on.

Do i need to adjust the pushrod? Why should i adjust this and how the heck did it get out of adjustment.How can i tell if somebody messed with it?

I am soooo lost right now.I sure hope bleeding the rest of the system works tommorrow.

Any ideas guys? This is mad crazy:conf used:

 
Rep Power: 233

Bad seal in the proportioning valve?

I would definitely bleed the rest of the system first.

 
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yeah prop valve could be.Any way to test this? I will bleed tommorrow and let ya know.I appreciate the help

 
Rep Power: 188

bleed the entire system by chance are you bleeding the car with it on an angle?

 
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ewwww... you know your right !! It is on a slight angle the back end of the car would need to be raised about 10-12 inches to be level with the front.Could this really cause that much of a problem? I did bleed the master level : ) . Thanks for pointing that out i totally overlooked that.

Also could the little rubber gasket between the master and brake booster cause this issue? The gasket looks okay.

Thanks so much

 
Rep Power: 188

uhh yeah, lol air in hydraulics does not like to run downhill, thats is why reverse brake bleeder kits work so much better than traditional brake bleeders since it pushes the fluid where the air wants to go. A pneumatic brake bleeder would work better for you if you could get access to one. but if you are doing it with a traditional vac brake bleeder or via pedal pump method the car needs to be level.

 
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Okay raised the car in the back to level.I then bled the brakes and they are a little better however preety much the same.I guess the next thing is the prop valve? Could the booster be bad? I dunno know! Next steps...

Thanks

 
Rep Power: 188

yeah could be the prop valve, what method of brake bleeding are you using exactly? Download the pdf manual I posted on the 6th gen main page there is a complete breakdown on the brake system and proper bleeding.

 
Rep Power: 233

It's got to be either the prop valve or pushrod adjustment. Don't know how to test prop valve (sorry). The pushrod adjustment check needs the Honda tool and vacuum gauge as well as the clearance specs from the manual.

BTW: You seriously need a service manual (nevermind, Newfiedan beat me to it, lol)

 
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Bleeding Procedure as follows:

rear right,front left,rear left,Front right

Used a brake fluid bottle about half full with brake fluid inserted pastic tubing into the fluid so it was totally covered then connected to the bleeder screw,made sure the tubing fit very tight on bleeder screw.Had my friend pump the brake pedal three times and hold.Then i released the bleeder screw while my the brake pedal was still pressed.Let it bleed for a few seconds then i re-tightened the bleeder and released brake pedal.I did this on each wheel until i saw fluid with no air bubbles.

I know i keep going back to the booster however now i am hearing a whoosh sound when i am pressing the brakes.I held down the brake pedal and started it and pressed the pedal and starts to fall to the floor immediately.Although from what i read i should have a really hard pedal if the booster is bad.

I also found a link for a service manual and will consult

 
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Prop valve looks fine no leaks Booster?

 
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1. Press the brake pedal with the car running, then stop the engine. If the pedal doesn't vary while pressed for 30 seconds, the booster is ok. If it rises the booster is faulty.

2. Pull the booster vacuum line at the booster and check for vacuum. If no vacuum replace the vacuum line. *NOTE: That vacuum line has a check valve in it so don't just replace with a regular vac line.

3. Start the engine and pinch the booster vacuum hose between the check valve and booster. Turn the engine off and wait 30 seconds. Press the brake pedal several times using normal pressure. When the pedal is first pressed, it should be low. On consecutive applications, the pedal should gradually rise.
- If the pedal position doesn't change, replace the booster.
- If the pedal moves replace the vacuum hose/check valve

 
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Did you ever find a fix? I'm having a super similar problem.

 
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Please post your own thread describing your issue and what you have done to try and fix it. This thread is 11 years old

 
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I know. I did. But it would still be helpful to hear from someone who had the same problem on the same car... Thanks for your input though.