Non-thirdgen. The car is a 1981 'vette. For those that aren't familiar with the brakes: Four-wheel discs, four pistons per caliper. The front calipers have one bleeder, while the back have two. The proper bleeding order is rear right inner, rear right outer, rear left inner, rear left outer, front right, front left. As far as the MC is concerned, that's pretty much identical. Now, here goes.

A long time ago, I developed a leak in the front right caliper, in one of the pistons. ('vette calipers are notorious for it) It resulted in air being sucked into the line. I bought a new caliper, replaced it, bled the new caliper, TRIED to bleed the front right caliper but the bleeder screw snapped off (stock caliper, thing had rusted shut). The brakes worked great after that. So recently, I bought a new caliper for the front left, and new pads for all tires. I put the new caliper on, the new pads in, and bled the system. Only this time, the brakes suck. It feels as though there's an air bubble in the line somewhere, but I can't seem to get it out. Every time I bleed the brakes, nothing but clear fluid comes out. I've put two liters of fluid through the system, which *SHOULD* be more than enough to work out most bubbles. I kept a close eye on the MC to make sure it didn't get too low. I know I have a small leak in one of the pistons on the rear calipers, but I believe the front and rear are seperate, and that I should at LEAST get some stopping power out of one half of the system. I do not believe I have any other leaks. If the bleeders are closed, and I pump the pedal, the pressure barely builds up at all (pedal still goes to the floor), but the level of the fluid does not go down. I'm running out of ideas as to what it might be. I've double checked the lines and the pistons in the front, just to be sure. I'm going to go and bench bleed the master cylinder now, JUST in case that's what it turns out to be. I don't think I've got any air in there, but I'm not going to have that come back to haunt me. All ideas are welcome.

 

Well, I'll answer my own question then. A leaky bleeder screw on one of the rear calipers was allowing enough air to be sucked in to be a problem but barely any brake fluid was coming out. Might've had something in it. Bought new bleeders, bled the system (AGAIN!!), brakes work great.