A simple brake question (hopefully!)

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 I've had a bunch done to the Cougar lately:  
1.) Redid the entire rear braking system
2.) Took it to a mechanic to adjust my parking brake cable and check over my work (said it was fine, yay!). 
3.) Had said mechanic replace the rear wheel bearings
4.) With no real improvement in stopping power with new rears, I replaced every part of the front brakes, including bearings.

The car now stops well, but you really have to push the pedal a looooong way. The pressure builds up after a couple of small squeezes on the pedal, but fades away quickly after that. When I did the front brakes, I only bled the front system, thinking that it's a 2-channel master cylinder and so the rears didn't need to be bled. I'm starting to think that is incorrect. Can anyone confirm if you need to bleed all four corners, even with a 2-channel cylinder?

My brake light is STILL on, even after all this, so if it's just a matter of a full system bleed, I'll be much happier than if I have to tear into it all again LOL!

Thanks to Psquare and everyone for their help during my significant amount of work that is so far going pretty well considering I have no experience at this stuff.

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Turbo301 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11-March-2007 Location: London, Ontario Status: Offline Points: 331	Post Options Post Reply Quote Turbo301 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: A simple brake question (hopefully!) Posted: 22-August-2011 at 11:36PM
	I've had a bunch done to the Cougar lately: 1.) Redid the entire rear braking system 2.) Took it to a mechanic to adjust my parking brake cable and check over my work (said it was fine, yay!). 3.) Had said mechanic replace the rear wheel bearings 4.) With no real improvement in stopping power with new rears, I replaced every part of the front brakes, including bearings. The car now stops well, but you really have to push the pedal a looooong way. The pressure builds up after a couple of small squeezes on the pedal, but fades away quickly after that. When I did the front brakes, I only bled the front system, thinking that it's a 2-channel master cylinder and so the rears didn't need to be bled. I'm starting to think that is incorrect. Can anyone confirm if you need to bleed all four corners, even with a 2-channel cylinder? My brake light is STILL on, even after all this, so if it's just a matter of a full system bleed, I'll be much happier than if I have to tear into it all again LOL! Thanks to Psquare and everyone for their help during my significant amount of work that is so far going pretty well considering I have no experience at this stuff.
	1977 Cougar XR7 1980 turbo Trans Am 2009 Pontiac G8 GT

Psquare75 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591	Post Options Post Reply Quote Psquare75 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23-August-2011 at 2:33AM
	As a general rule, if the master emptied out at any time, even one bowl, I bleed everything
	Paul 77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 SOLD 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500

75GranMan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05-April-2011 Location: Colchester, CT Status: Offline Points: 1225	Post Options Post Reply Quote 75GranMan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23-August-2011 at 2:28PM
	you shouldn't have to bleed the other side of a split system if work is preformed on just one, (front or rear) brakes....But if the light is still on ,the valve in the proportioning valve needs to be centered.try jamming the pedal very hard with car running.if the light still remains on crack a bleeder on the opposite side that you had bled.then try stabbing the pedal again,the drop in pressure on one side of the system, should center the valve and turn the light off.John
	John 75Gran Torino 4spdTighten it down until it snaps and then back it off a half turn!

75GranMan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05-April-2011 Location: Colchester, CT Status: Offline Points: 1225	Post Options Post Reply Quote 75GranMan Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23-August-2011 at 2:32PM
	correction,crack the bleeder on the opposite side of the system that you had bled.
	John 75Gran Torino 4spdTighten it down until it snaps and then back it off a half turn!