pigmak

Hey All. I have an 01 Extreme Blazer. I was getting a new intake gasket put in and on the test ride they told me they think I was missing a brake pad in the back and had no fluid??. Before anything, I bought new pads and went from there. I popped wheel off drivers side and changed out pads no problem other than those metal clips which never seem to take my pads right(any advice?), rotors looked fine, caliper did look dry, if that matters.
I proceeded to the passengers side, the bad one. I popped the wheel off, saw i had no pad and a mess in there. I loosened and lightly tapped the caliper off, which must have had the piston pushing against the rotor, correct? (not too car suavy) The piston practically shot out at me with some fluid, but not much. I replaced the caliper but something is wrong. Cylinder is still full.
The caliper I replaced is dragging. I tried to bleed the brakes after changing caliper but nothing came out, like nothing happened. Just drags and burn now if I drive it, which I cannot.

Can someone please help. I am sure someone here knows what could be going on. Being unemployed sucks. I have put so much in my Blazer in the last month alone. I love her but am starting to doubt the feeling is mutual. My daughter is sick and contagious, I cannot bring truck somewhere to get looked at. My jack broke yesterday when i was gonna check out lines. Help

myotherchevyisablazer

first off damn that sucks....well as for the bleeding it can sometimes get tricky...when i bled my rears i always forgot to push the pin in on the combination valve.i never thought it made a difference but once i did it while pressing the combo valve in it kept my pads from dragging..i guess the valve once pushed in will allow fluid to get to the rears?all i can say is keep diagnosing it little by little but i would start with another complete bleed job(sometimes easier with two people but they do make fancy kits.i would keep trying to bleed the rears untill i see some fluid could be air or?
keep me posted i would like to know what it is?...i think you start in the rear and work foward..RR, LR, RF, LF

pigmak

what and where is this? I do not think I am getting fluid flow to the rear at all. This could be my problem? I got a jack coming tonight and cant wait to get under it. Do I really need those metal clips that hold pads in? I struggle so bad to get pads in, they look tight as hell on the bad side. I would really like to know more about this combination valve and pushing it in? or could it be my little rubber hoses?

myotherchevyisablazer

all the clips are supposed to do is keep the pad from rattling(try and use them)you can use a c clamp to close the piston to better install the pad(go slow when compressing the piston)as for the hoses all you can do is when bleeding look all over the truck for possible leak...on the valve there is a small pin that needs to be pressed in to allow fluid to reach the rear cylinders....start in the back and work your way to the front....was there fluid moving through the front when you were bleeding???the valve is in the front of the truck when your under it by the front bumper look up it should be there...they make a special tool to compress the pin but i made something..

pigmak

When my gf gets home she is gonna help me bleed them so i can see if i have flow to the front. The brakes work, just drag. Prior to this I had abs and brake light constant on, now off. Do i need to take wheels off to bleed them?

Thanks for your help. I do know to use a c-clamp to compress piston on caliper. I figure my new caliper came pushed in, right? It was tough to get the pads in and trying to compress the new caliper piston did nothing? (hose?)

As for this combo valve, this sounds very interesting like it could be restricting flow to back right? Is it under hood or truck? I do not see it. Ah I wish I knew where pin to push in was on this thing. Is funny I googled and found same pic you posted. Is this it or not. This is my pic. thanks

myotherchevyisablazer

the wheels can stay on the truck,might be a little more acessible with them off.the valve could very well be your issue?when you follow the master cylinder from under the hood they should take you to the vlave...it is usually right near the fan shroud..u will see all the brake lines running to it...i will try and get apic of which pin to push in for ya...should have a ruber gromet over it..

pigmak

is that mine in my pic or not, it looks like all the brake lines there

myotherchevyisablazer

looks like your master cylinder..it could be attached to it...not sure on your ride..did you follow those lines to where they go?they should go to the valve then to your wheels or not....follow them then let me know?

the second pic is blurred but the pin to push in is on the left of the valve..

pigmak

i am searching high and low and cannot find it. I try to follow my brake lines and they goto the brakes, all i can see is what i have in my pic? From what I read it shuts down flow to the rear if something was to go wrong, such as my bad caliper? correct? Are those two black rubber things in first pic the thing you are talking about?

myotherchevyisablazer

i hope im not blowing air,damn your's seems to be way different then mine...or at least from here....what engine is in your blazer...that could be where your is ..just not completly familiar with that setup...im thinking now by looking at tha ot looks to be an abs setup...does your ride have abs braking?if so its a little different