How To Change The Brake Fluid Properly On My 1990 Corolla Ve?

How did the brakes turn out?

Unfortunantly, I wasn't able to post up any pics - wife has the camera and I didn't get back to the camera in time to pull them off before she left for a meeting. I should be able to post up new pics this weekend, when I plan on doing the other car's brakes and catch up on other maintenance work.

My whole brake system blew up and I had to replace everything. JK!!! I had to find a joke in this long unending week. My boss's baby was borned 2 days ago. So I took one for the team and filled in his place for the rest of the week. What's bad for me is that, since we cannot have any overtime, I have to work 4 days with short tiny shifts just to avoid overtime. So no real days off this week. I had to take a lunch even with just 4 hours shift. I volunteer, it's not every week he has a baby born. So I schedule my next weekend off since he works that weekend. I'll do the brakes then. So I'll wait for your pictures this weekend. I guess I am paranoia from the last bleed many years ago. Basically I just suck out some old fluid from the reservoir and put some new fluid in without bleeding the whole system. Even though nothing was wrong with the brake system at that time, the Master cylinder failed. Then I bleed the brakes and it still failed. So I had to spend money to replaced it. That was $165. I want to do it myself now b/c it costs so much for the labor now days.

One question, unrelated to brakes. My PCV valve on this 99 Corolla VE, is always wet and seem leaky but not pouring out. It's just wet most of the time. I have replaced it 2 years ago. I took it out recently to test and it still move freely. It's still difficult to remove the valve and the gasket seems in tact. Should I replace the PCV valve or the gasket to prevent this tiny leak? Or is there something else behind this whole little leak?

Thanks.

I hear you - I'm kicking in some extra hours as well - 4 weeks of 60+ hours at work and I'm salaried. Yay! But the work is pretty flexible with hours, I'll take some time off eventually - so as to recoup some of my time back.

Hmm. Well it sounds like it is working, as stuff should be moving away from the valvecover. Possible that your not getting a strong enough vacuum to pull that exhaust blowby from the crankcase/valvecover. Might be a good idea to clean the throttlebody - the throttle plate and little bleed hole in the bottom might be gummed up. Also possible that even though the PCV is "rattling" it could be jammed open with some carbon. Either clean it in some solvent (carb / throttle body cleaner works great). Have to let it soak a bit for really stubborn deposits. Or just buy a new one.

Have you noticed any oil consumption, engine uses a lot of oil between oil changes?

Some cars just leak more than others, from the PCV valve. Some have even gotten so bad (near liquid oil runs from the valvecover to the throttle body port, gumming up the throttle body quickly) - that they had to run catch cans. Basically runs between the PCV and the TB - like a big inline filter. The catch can is cooler than the engine and usually filled with steel wool or similar - allowing oil vapors to condense and sink to the bottom of the catch can, while oil free air makes it way to the TB. Periodically you will drain the can of oil. Some just vent the thing to open air - but works much better if you put it to a vacuum source to "suck" the blowby gases out. Puts less strain on the oil seals themselves. I was considering this - but using an inline fuel filter instead - one of those semi-transparent plastic deals (cheap to replace, once they get full, just take them to same place the takes my used oil) - but haven't had the time to try it. Might give it a go soon.

Is it possible to give me some diagram or instructions on how to clean the throttle body-plate and the bleed hole? I'll buy a new PCV valve.

It does not use much oil. The level of oil is between the 2 marks between oil chages. I use synthetic 10W30 Valvoline.

Thanks.

fishexpo101,How long did it takes you to flush the brake system with the mityvac?

 

Thanks.

I had to change a caliper yesterday on my left front. it was sticking. I used a turkey baster to pull out all the old fluid. I gravity bled just the front left wheel. I only used maybe 6 ounces fluid. maybe 10 minutes to gravity drain. I will attempt to bleed the rear right when i get some time. The vacuum method would only take a couple minutes each. I did use a 5/16 hose on the bleeder screw. 1/4 would not fit without heating and stretching it.

The brakes are still pulling right and if i hit them hard , the right front will lock. The pedal is definitely softer to push meaning the caliper was part of the problem. Before i changed it I had to stand on the brakes to get some response. Braking is better but i probably need pads too because of the pull. the pads have 45000 on them . they looked fine ,but i bet one is glazed.

fishexpo101,How long did it takes you to flush the brake system with the mityvac?

 

Thanks.

Probably about 2 hours tops - that included a lot of screwing around with other things as well. Probably only about 15 minutes a corner - to pull the fluid out, and a couple checks to make sure the reservoir didn't run too low on me. Finally got the pics onto my Photobucket account, I'll post up here shortly - but it sounds like you already got it done.

 

I have not gotten it done yet. I didn't feel like it. A little paranoia with the fail master cylinder before. I got an important week coming up at work, so I'll have to delay another 2 weeks or so. It shouldn't effect it much right? The front brakes got done this weekend though. Another mechanic told me that I should never flush the brakes unless it leaks or giving me problem as the master cylinder will fail. I don't know how true that is.

My wife drives this Corolla and I drive the Accord. My accord has broken boots on the outer tie rod ends. Any DIY on how to change the boots or should I change both rods out and have an alignment? If I just change the boots without removing the rods, would I still need an alignment? It's $40 each alignment and I am tight on cash right now.

fishexpo101,How long did it takes you to flush the brake system with the mityvac?

 

Thanks.

Probably about 2 hours tops - that included a lot of screwing around with other things as well. Probably only about 15 minutes a corner - to pull the fluid out, and a couple checks to make sure the reservoir didn't run too low on me. Finally got the pics onto my Photobucket account, I'll post up here shortly - but it sounds like you already got it done.

 

I have not gotten it done yet. I didn't feel like it. A little paranoia with the fail master cylinder before. I got an important week coming up at work, so I'll have to delay another 2 weeks or so. It shouldn't effect it much right? The front brakes got done this weekend though. Another mechanic told me that I should never flush the brakes unless it leaks or giving me problem as the master cylinder will fail. I don't know how true that is.

My wife drives this Corolla and I drive the Accord. My accord has broken boots on the outer tie rod ends. Any DIY on how to change the boots or should I change both rods out and have an alignment? If I just change the boots without removing the rods, would I still need an alignment? It's $40 each alignment and I am tight on cash right now.

fishexpo101,How long did it takes you to flush the brake system with the mityvac?

 

Thanks.

Probably about 2 hours tops - that included a lot of screwing around with other things as well. Probably only about 15 minutes a corner - to pull the fluid out, and a couple checks to make sure the reservoir didn't run too low on me. Finally got the pics onto my Photobucket account, I'll post up here shortly - but it sounds like you already got it done.

 

I have not gotten it done yet. I didn't feel like it. A little paranoia with the fail master cylinder before. I got an important week coming up at work, so I'll have to delay another 2 weeks or so. It shouldn't effect it much right? The front brakes got done this weekend though. Another mechanic told me that I should never flush the brakes unless it leaks or giving me problem as the master cylinder will fail. I don't know how true that is.

My wife drives this Corolla and I drive the Accord. My accord has broken boots on the outer tie rod ends. Any DIY on how to change the boots or should I change both rods out and have an alignment? If I just change the boots without removing the rods, would I still need an alignment? It's $40 each alignment and I am tight on cash right now.

tie rods are cheap. like $10 each(autozone valuecraft). If you make the length exactly the same as you had before , you may not need an alignment. just measure very carefully. from the center of the stud to the rust line where the locking nut was tightened.

 

Hi,

You said $10 each, but I checked online and nothing with that low price. Also, would you have a pic or illustration of some sort that I can follow as far as the measurement? Wouldn't the new tie rod end be just little different, enough to require the toe adjustment?

What if I just change the boots, do I need to do the alignment still?

Thanks.

you are right. tie rod ends for an accord are more like $30. I am used to corolla prices. what year is it. I can find you links to cheap parts. If the boots are torn , the tie rods are probably history soon anyway. You could pack them with grease as a stop gap measure and take a couple nylon ties and close the ripped part. It might get you couple extra months out of them. It depends if they are real loose when you get the wheel off the ground. If they have noticeable play then change them NOW . You don't want one to break and have a wheel cock in or out like we have all seen. That is both dangerous and expensive.

Ahh, the memories - I've been there, done that. Old 1967 Dodge Dart w/ 225c.i. Slant-6 - just tuned it up and was rolling down a fairly steep hill to pickup some more parts (runing to get a pickle fork and some new tierods) - well tierod decided to let go at that point. Not a fun trip, got a decent pucker factor on that one - ended up towing the car back to the house - but fortunantly, no further damage to the car or anyone else.

1980 monte carlo.My mechanic buddys first wife driving. 45 mph into a curb. no damage. He bought that car for $100 , drove it 40000 miles and sold it for $200. that was the only repair he made.when he sold it the car had a rod knock and the loser that bought it put his hand on the hood and said ," STRONG MOTO , she gots a STRONG MOTO" . we still laugh about it. He called 2 hours later and wanted his money back. My buddy says what did you expect for $200. then hung up.

you are right. tie rod ends for an accord are more like $30. I am used to corolla prices. what year is it. I can find you links to cheap parts. If the boots are torn , the tie rods are probably history soon anyway. You could pack them with grease as a stop gap measure and take a couple nylon ties and close the ripped part. It might get you couple extra months out of them. It depends if they are real loose when you get the wheel off the ground. If they have noticeable play then change them NOW . You don't want one to break and have a wheel cock in or out like we have all seen. That is both dangerous and expensive.

I got a 1990 Honda Accord LX 4AT. The boot is ripped but little grease is in there. How do I check for play? Do I just take the tire off and shake the end of it for free moving? Should I just repair it temporarily and replace it when I can? Is there any other symptoms I should be on the look out for before the tie rod fails? Maybe clunking noise on turns? Is it on any type of turns or sharp fast turns only.

Thanks.

Thanks fishexpo101 for a detailed explaination.

I got everything down now, but the tie rod. I am thinking about just changing the boot on it b/c it's the cheapest way out. But changing the whole outer rod will help me sleep better. Right now, there's nothing wrong with the steering and there seems to be no problem. The steering is responsive and seems fine. I'll check more closely for the free play tomorrow. But a brief check the tires do not seem to move much if at all. If I change the rods out and with alignment, it will cost me around $100 if I replaced the rods myself.

ok. After worrying about it a bit. I jacked my driver's side up and the boot was indeed broke from the lining around it. I can still see the little grease inside it but it's just the remnants of the old grease. I sprayed some lithium grease from the can into the surround lining crack and used electrical tape to seal it for the time being until I can get it repair.

I called my regular local mechanic who does some work on my Corolla 1999 and he seems honest as he would only fix things if needed. He said the boot broke is not a problem. I should only worry if the inner rod is broken, leaking, clunking, or trouble turning should I be worry. Though he seems honest but should I trust him on this opinion?

I also called the place who did my alignment a year ago and I was told to bring the car in as they don't even know what I am talking about.

What do you guys think? If I keep the joint lube with the lithium grease spray, I should be safe until I can get some cash to fix it? Right now the joint move freely without friction. No signs of inner rod failing.

I am tempted to just change the boots out and this should give me lesser worries?

One more question, the boot changing seems that I just take the cotter pin off, remove the nut and threaded big screw off the steering column, then put on the new boot. My question here is do I grease the boot FIRST, before I put the boot on OR do I put the boot on then grease it? If I put the boot on then grease it, then how do I do that with the boot tight on both sides?

I called Autozone and they have the Duralast brand with lifetime warranty, $24.97 for the left and $30.97 for the right. I got links below. I wonder if those boots come pre lubed or do I need to lube them?

Is there any spray that I can use to maintain these joint boots to keep them lasting longer?

Thanks again for everything.

here is a link to both rods for $30 shipped for both

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-...%3A1|240%3A1318

or for $27

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-...%3A1|240%3A1318

for a cheap fix what I would have done is spray degreaser like awesome ( $1 at dollar stores) on the old grease , powerwash the joint or wash and brush out the old grease without ripping the boot ,let it dry, and re-grease. then seal it back up.

If you have a zerk fitting, then that should be OK. Just a rag to wipe up old and excess grease will be fine, pressure washing is not necessary, toothbrush probably not necessary - you want to clean the joint from dirt, not get every little bit of grease off of it. Just keep pumping grease into it to clean the joint from the inside out.

Using the degreaser and powerwasher on the outside, i.e. the boot, will be fine. For a super quick fix, I've read that some people have used gasket maker goop (silicone) and form a temporary "boot". Won't look pretty and probably won't last more than a few weeks to many a few months - but they didn't have to disassemble anything. Literally a bandaid fix - but will probably be OK temporarily until you get time to replace it the right way.

If there is no zerk fitting - I wouldn't even try and degrease the joint - since then there is no good way to get grease back in there. Otherwise, you'd end up wiping whatever grease was left that was protecting the joint. Without that cushion of grease, you'd have metal on metal contact - even if the new boot completely surrounds it with fresh grease - that tierod end will be gone for sure.

I don't think there is zerk fitting on the boot. If it does have a zerk fitting, how do I pump grease into it? Will any grease gun do or do I need to buy some extra fittings to pump the grease in? I'll try to change it out next week. I just need to buy some time for now. I just call Autozone and their tie rod ends have lifetime warranty and they come prelubed and I just need to install them. Anyone got any experience with them?

Thanks for all of your help guys.