Real Fiero Tech

I had a dragging caliper on my passenger front. I would hit the pedal, and upon release, it wouldn't release from the rotor. I figured it was a dragging caliper and since it looked like an original, I decided to replace it. Bled the new caliper, and this new caliper is hanging up too. it won't release.

looking for causes to this. when attempting to blead the line, I get almost no fluid through it and I can't see the piston move much. But of course it moves enough to keep the pads on the rotor to make it tough to rotate the wheel. Its almost like the fluid isn't able to return backwards after coming forward.

I have no leaks of course as I triple checked that but if it did leak, then it wouldn't stick.

drivers front is just fine and bleeds fine too.

ideas? proportioning valve? pinched hardline?

Shaun41178(2) wrote:I had a dragging caliper on my passenger front. I would hit the pedal, and upon release, it wouldn't release from the rotor. I figured it was a dragging caliper and since it looked like an original, I decided to replace it. Bled the new caliper, and this new caliper is hanging up too. it won't release.

looking for causes to this. when attempting to blead the line, I get almost no fluid through it and I can't see the piston move much. But of course it moves enough to keep the pads on the rotor to make it tough to rotate the wheel. Its almost like the fluid isn't able to return backwards after coming forward.

I have no leaks of course as I triple checked that but if it did leak, then it wouldn't stick.

drivers front is just fine and bleeds fine too.

ideas? proportioning valve? pinched hardline?

Could be one of your lines is pinched or clogged. Are the brake lines original? My old fiero had this problem to. One thing to go buy though just because a part is new does not mean its working right.

(I feel like being nice today)

Sounds like a hose. They collapse.

CincinnatiFiero wrote:Sounds like a hose. They collapse.

Would the braided steel lines fix that?

To an extent. Braided hoses prevent the lines from expanding under pressure, and from abrasion.

Hoses don't technically collapse. Many times, the hose will fill with debris (rubber, rust, foreign debris) and cause a plug inside the hose. Many people refer to this as a "collapse". A hose will never close on itself to the point that brake fluid, with all of the pressure behind it, cannot pass through. A hose can kink of course, but this shouldn't be possible, given zero obstruction, and the line mounted properly to the frame. In most cases, hoses split or bust from wear and tear.

Shaun, it sounds like a blockage specific to that wheel and line. I'd disconnect the hardline from the proportioning valve and from the rubber hose at the other end to blow air or brake cleaner through the lines. Isolate the problem starting with the hard line. Then go to the rubber.

An 88 caliper should seize like that, though I'd put it past an 84-87 caliper.

I am thinking it might be debris too. I just ihope t hasn't worked its way into the caliper yet. I will try to isolate it and see if its the hard line or the soft rubber one.

I would think an obstruction would allow fluid to pass when being pushed with the pedal, but can't return fast enough with an obstruction. I will check it in the morning to see if the wheel spins freely since as I left it, it took a bit of effort to spin it.

If it has an OEM hose on it take a large flat screw driver and spread the bracket that holds it to the control arm. When rust starts under that bracket it squeezes the hose together restricting flow. You will see the end of the bracket on the flat side where it's bolted to the control arm.

It's an easy way to find if that is the problem.

collapsed line. Right where the hard line connects to the rubber line, onthe rubber line is a crimped fitting. Right at one of the crimps is where the obstruction is. I tried pushing one of those little plastic straws that come with carb cleaner cans down in it, and it was a tight squeeze. It collapsed that little plastic line so that I couldn't even spray anything into it. Time to get a new line. Its funny, I have replaced almost every brake component on this car in the last week with new parts or rebuilt parts.

Been there done that haha. Replaced every hard line in my car, then one of the hoses went when I tried to bleed them. So now I've got 4 new calipers, 4 new rotors, new master, all hard lines new, 2 hoses...

You could just upgrade to SS lines right away?

but that would cost more money. I am a fiero owner duh.