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Brake issues

Posted: Thu May 04, 2017 8:00 pm
by akilljoy
So a little while ago ( like 7 months ) I changed the rear brake pads and went through the whole process of adjusting them. I even adjusted them with a feeler gage (which took time ) however i was never able to get the rear ebrake adjusted correctly and it would only lock on one rotor. It would also jam up ( like i would have to go forward and backward whilst kinda pulling up an down on the ebrake ) and it would un-jam it. So i left it like that ( i know its bad on me ). I have been driving consistantly ( like this alfa is kinda sorta my everyday driver ) and had no problems. Today whilst i was driving to work all the sudden ( i was sitting still ) my brake pedal went soft. I dont know if the calipers need readjusting or if the master cylinder is bad now ( completly within the realm of possibility, its OE ) so the brakes are soft but sorta work ( heavy emphsis on the sorta ) Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks for your time and consideration!*

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A little update; I spent two hours under the rear end and adjusted the brake calipers back to spec ( this is normal, or at least i have heard that after the brake job you need to drive for a while and re-adjust them). However there is some strange stuff going on. I attempted to fix the Ebrake and on the passenger side brake caliper the E-brake straight up no longer works. like the lever extends and the spring tensions, but there is no movement from the caliper. So Im sittin there, thinking to myself " either I am dumb or this is dumb". I decide that its kinda a lost cause the driver side works so whatever i guess. So as a final check i put the feeler gauge inbetween the all the brake pads and I come to find that the driver side inner pad has moved closer to the rotor and didnt move all the way back to where i had adjusted it. So im like " maybe i adjusted it wrong" so i re-adjusted it back to the proper spec. Just to make sure i pulled the E-brake again. Wouldnt you know it, that mo-fo went right back to the wrong adjustment. ( straight up lost for words to describe my confusion at this point ) So im like "lol no more E-brake for me". So i leave the E-brake alone, and just focus on the adjustment of the calipers. I get it all perfect, put it back on the ground. i proceed to drive it and the soft pedal presists..... So my current situation is that the brakes are soft; possibly the master cylinder , im wondering if the fact that the E-brake doesnt work on the passenger side, maybe the caliper is trash??? Also the caliper on the driver side having the brake pad not come back to spec has me concerned. Like ***.. Anyway I was hoping someone had some ideas to throw around??
As always Thank you for your time and consideration.

Re: Brake issues

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 1:36 pm
by Murray
akilljoy

I suspect you're up against a rear caliper rebuild/replacement.Obviously you've checked your fluid level and confirmed there's no air in the system ? These rear calipers can be finicky when hydraulics aren't right.They're not your garden variety caliper.If you decide to take on the rebuild option then here's a link to an article by David Porter that serves as a good howto.Sourcing the parts may be a bit of a challenge.

http://alfagtv6.com/brake_caliper_rebuild.htm

Good Luck and let us know where you're at.

Re: Brake issues

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 4:03 pm
by akilljoy
Murray wrote:akilljoy

I suspect you're up against a rear caliper rebuild/replacement.Obviously you've checked your fluid level and confirmed there's no air in the system ? These rear calipers can be finicky when hydraulics aren't right.They're not your garden variety caliper.If you decide to take on the rebuild option then here's a link to an article by David Porter that serves as a good howto.Sourcing the parts may be a bit of a challenge.

http://alfagtv6.com/brake_caliper_rebuild.htm

Good Luck and let us know where you're at.


Im honestly hoping that its not a caliper failure. those calipers do not look easy to get off. I kinda have that suspicion though because of the E-Brake Bullshittery. however even with the small amount of braking i can do, its not pulling to either side. So maybe its the proportioning valve??

Re: Brake issues

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 2:12 pm
by Murray
Could be the valve but I'm overly suspicious it's the calipers.I checked and you can get a rebuild kit from Centerline Alfa.How complete it is, I can't say.Give them a call and ask.Either that or buy some rebuilt units @ approx.$285 ea.Personally I'm a cheapskate and like to get my hands dirty.