how old is the master cylinder ?
how long was a perhaps weakish master cylinder in use ?

because ............you can have a kinda old hydraulic system that works..
and if you disturb it, like bleeding ...you can push it over the edge.

AND ........tell me you DID NOT stroke the brake pedal all the way to floor
with a manual bleeding method , on a used master cylinder ........ !
.........??
( I made this same comment about 5 months ago on here..
I knew reading the guy's post he did this ..pedal all the way to the floor
with a used brake MC. )

one should never stroke the pedal more than half way to the floor on a used
brake master cylinder.
When you do .......
you make the seals slide over an area they have not been sliding over ..and
that area can be rough and corroded ..and you harm the 'were working' seals
in the MC that way.

You don't say if you used a manual or a 'power bleeder' method.
I like a manual method ..
since I can feel when it's actually pushing fluid..
and I can see if air gets pumped in by a bad MC.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Lincoln" <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 6:10 PM
Subject: Bleeding brakes - 1.9 - questions

> Ok, so bleeding brakes (in my experience) is a bit of a straight forward
> afair. I've done it many times with many different vehicles (beluieve it
> or
> not :) and I have experienced help)
>
> So why am I having such a hard time getting the brakes to bleed properly?
>
> Installed new rear cylinders, shoes, and drums. Bled them - several times.
> Doesn't appear to be anything but good clean fluid coming out - still
> super
> duper spongy. I can pump them a couple times and they are nice and firm
> then in less than a minute sponge again.
>
> Before I started this job everything was working fine. Nothing is leaking.
>
> Advice welcome.
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
> '85 GL (Gertie)
> '90 Carat (Grover - the noble parts donor)
> '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus