Need some help quick -- brake woes!

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Ok here's the deal. A couple weeks ago, I replaced my rear wheel cylinders and shoes. Everything was fine. Today I replaced the master cylinder (it took a dump) and front calipers. Now it's not fine. Problem I'm having is adjusting the pushrod clearance. I read it over and over in the manual, but just can't figure out how to get to the damn adjusting screw. The pushrod is adjusted too long, so it holds the master cylinder in just a little bit. At first, the rear brakes were grabbing and after driving around for a few minutes, it just wouldn't go anywhere anymore. I had to take the wheel off and turn the self adjuster nut all the way in to get it to turn again. As a temporary fix (so I could get home), I put a decent sized washer on each bolt stud between the booster and master cylinder as kind of a spacer. It worked and I made it home, but they were still dragging a little bit. This time though it was the front brakes that were really hot instead of the rears. I added another washer to the ones already on there (thicker than the first ones), and they're still dragging. I'm not trying to fix it with the washers, just get it so it won't grab until I can figure it out or take it to somebody. I don't understand it though, the brake pedal goes about 1/2 way down and then I can feel the pushrod come into contact with the master cylinder piston, so I don't see how the master cylinder to still be pushed in causing the dragging (????). They work fine otherwise. I'm confused....

So to make a long story short.....has anybody adjusted the pushrod clearance before? If so, how the heck to you get to it? It says it's behind the brake booster, yet inside the cabin behind the instrument cluster. Took the instrument cluster out and still couldn't figure out how to get back there. AAHHHHHHH!!! :rant: :mad:

Maybe I'll just end up taking it to a shop, or even (dare I say) the dealer (?). I'm supposed to go out of town tomorrow afternoon so I really need to get this fixed soon!

Any ideas are appreciated!

Thanks :)

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Anybody??? Pleeeaaasseee.....I need to get this fixed. I got stuck again today (on the way to the repair place) and had to adjust the damn things again. Temporarily I just bent the self adjuster thingys out so they don't make contact with the adjuster nut, and tightened the adjuster nuts tight. Maybe that will help some.

Hasn't anybody done a master cylinder before and ran into this problem?

:)

[88LXi/87CRXSi]

I've never had to adjust mine when I changed the one on the Crx, but, is this the adjustment you're asking about? I just looked at my 88 and it looks real easy to get to.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Hmmm....no, I don't think that's the adjustment I need. The manual shows it as being directly behind the brake booster. I'll take a look though, maybe that would still work.

Oh, one more thing. I popped open the bleeder screws and brake fluid squirted out (meaning it was still under pressure with the brake pedal up). This made the drums turn freely. I drove around for about 10-15 minutes, and by the time I got back the pedal had kept getting higher and higher, and they were starting to drag again (just a tiny bit this time). So something is not releasing all the way (keep in mind I still have the washers between the master cylinder and booster), and it's building up pressure. I dunno....I'm about to give up and take it to a shop

Thanks :)

[rocky2]

You may want to pull the master cylinder off and run hoses off the two lines back into the resievor. Then put it in a vise and then push on mc valve and bench bleed it. This way you can check to see if its binding up(not returning). If this is cool,theres some kind of proprotioning valve near engine compartment fuse box that may be faulty. When your working on the brakes crack open some bleeders to see if pressure is still on that line that should not be there,you could also have bad brake hoses in front that act as oneway check valves that don't allow pressure to subside.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

I did do the bench bleeding on the MC before I put it in, would I need to do that again? And it didn't do ANY of this stuff before (with the old MC), it's just started (immediatly) after I put the new MC and calipers in lastnight. Could I have possibly gotten a defective MC? It is a reman one.

[rocky2]

Yes some remans anit sh*t. Do a bench bleed and see if it hangs up. If it does get another one. But when your bench bleeding the new one don't at 1st push it in alll the way.gradually press it in farther as you go you could damage the valves if you go in to far at 1st bleed push.And go slow too

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Ding! Ding! Ding! I think we have a winner!

I took the new one back out, and bench bled it again like Rocky said. I noticed this time (and I didn't notice it before, but I wasn't looking for it either) that when you let the piston out slowly it kinda "grabs" and slows down for a sec (about 3/4 of the way out), then pops out all the way. So I think this would be the hanging up that Rocky was talking about. I tried the old master cylinder that I took out last night, and it did not do this. It was perfectly smooth the whole way out.

I was also talking to BoredRec online and he too said that reman master cylinders suck pretty bad, and to go get a Honda one. So I think that's just what I'm going to go and do. A little more expensive, but at least I know I'll be getting a good part.

Thanks for all the help! It's greatly appreciated :)