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

by Bad_dude, February 15, 2009 in Pre-1997 Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm

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Regular grease gun will work - something similar to this: http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/.../grease_gun.jpg

Might be able to rent one instead of buying one - as most cars, nowadays, do not have any grease fittings anymore. Might try the mechanic - he might let you borrow his temporarily to pump them out.

I haven't bought any tierods at Autozone - but I've bought other parts with a lifetime warranty. Much better quality than the other parts they have - does cost a little bit more, but well worth the difference. Good idea to take a look at your original tierods before you pickup a set - sometimes they will look totally different because of a design change or possible the cross-reference is wrong on the Autozone computers.

Bad_dude

OK. Just an update. After reading more about this problem, I have decided to jack up the car front again. The joints seems all intact and still doing well. I pulled on them to check for any free play, but they are all solid. I found another problem though. There are other boots, on both sides that seem to be broken also. The boots between the arm assembly and the steering knuckle. There are other rubber parts that seem to be cracked also but those don't seem to be grease boots. Here's a link to better explain it.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/j...atcgry5=KNUCKLE

It's the boot between 1 and 3.

How hard is it to repair those? I think both the upper and the lower boots on both sides. Do I have to replace the whole knuckle or just a boot replacement is good? All of the ball joints are working good and no play at all when I pulled on them. So I guess that would be good.

I wonder how much it would cost to just replace all of the boots or parts in that area? Any ideas? I just want to do all of the repairs necessary before I get an alignment otherwise it would be a waste of an alignment cost to have to it again after other repairs.

Thanks.

Those look like the upper and lower ball joints. Yeah, you want to replace those boots ASAP - otherwise, you'd end up having to replace the balljoint itself - not something that can be easily done by a DIY without the proper tools. Boot lifespan varies from car to car - some last 20+ years, some get eaten up in less than 10 years. Just chalk it up to normal wear and tear - my Matrix's boots are OK now, but lots of the rubber bushings are already starting to soften up - already changed some of them to the tougher urethane ones.

Not "hard" to repair them, in principle, but a lot of work. I'd get an estimate from an independant garage or honda dealership - parts wise, the repair is relatively cheap - but you are looking at a truck-load of labor - might be in the $200-$300 price range easily for labor alone. Definitely get those checked out before you decide to do an alignment - otherwise, if the part(s) turn out to be truely defective, you'll end up wasting the previous alignment. Shops would be able to tell you if the joint is bad or not - you really need to pry on them with a good sized prybar to check for any play.

Bad_dude

you'd end up having to replace the balljoint itself - not something that can be easily done by a DIY without the proper tools.

Do you mean here replacing the joints or the boots? How about just replacing the boots? Are those easier?

Thanks.

The basic tools that you need will be the same - whether you replace the boot or the entire joint, but I just alluded that if you waited too long (to replace the boot), you may have to buy new joints instead of just new boots - which is way more expensive for you. You'll also need a snap ring tool and probably a hydraulic press to remove the lower joint, at least - if just the boot, still a lot of work, but can be done without the specialized tools.

Same way with the tierod ends - probably fine the whole joint costs the same as just the boot, or very close to it. Better way to go in the end, if you plan on keeping the car, as the joints will be completely assembled, you just need to get the old one out and replace it with the new ones.

Again - sounds like this happened faily recently, as the alignment guy should have caught this early on - a decent tech will sometimes refuse, at the very least let you know the boot is ripped, to do the alignment because they know of the joint will eventually have to be replaced and you'll have to realign it. Probably why the joints still feel tight - if you get new boots on them, might be good for as long as a couple of more years. No real way of telling exactly when, until the joint fails. If you do not replace the boots- guaranteed that the joints will fail.

remember that autozone will "loan" you the proper tools. all you have to do is leave a credit card number and if you lose the tool then they charge you for it. I borrowed a tie rod pickle fork last time i changed a tie rod. it sure helped. made the job a ton easier.

Bad_dude

remember that autozone will "loan" you the proper tools. all you have to do is leave a credit card number and if you lose the tool then they charge you for it. I borrowed a tie rod pickle fork last time i changed a tie rod. it sure helped. made the job a ton easier.

We sell pickle fork at our store. I don't know which one I would need for my car, 1990 Honda Accord but I bought the 12" one, instead of the 16" and it was only $2.99 for the 12". Since I am an employee there, I get 20% off on everything including clearance and sale items. Here's a video of the fork used to take the upper and lower joints off.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/44463_c...brakes-fork.htm

Check this out:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/09008...irInfoPages.htm

I want to change the boots on the whole thing rather than just the tie rod end as these are cheap.

Thanks.

Bad_dude

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.

Hi Fisherxpo101,

Would a hand grease gun do as far as pressure to pump the grease into the joints to clean them out? Or do I need an air grease gun to get the pressure in there? How about his grease gun we sell? http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/1000-1999/1703.pdf

I am going to get the red grease high temp type.

This link seems promising: http://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/106401-...oot-repair.html

Thanks,

As far as the master cylinder being damaged during bleeding goes, your mechanic might be thinking about the following situation

During normal brake operation the piston in the master only travels a short way through the bore. Usually when bleeding, most people use the "Honey, pump the pedal and push to the floor then hold it as I loosen the bleed screw method".

When this method is used, the master cylinder piston and seals travel into an area that might be contaminated with sludge or corrosion from years of neglect. This happens frequently on cars which have been "put away" for a few years.

Jay in MA

Hi Fishexpo101,Would a hand grease gun do as far as pressure to pump the grease into the joints to clean them out? Or do I need an air grease gun to get the pressure in there? How about his grease gun we sell? http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/1000-1999/1703.pdf

 

I am going to get the red grease high temp type.

This link seems promising: http://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/106401-...oot-repair.html

Thanks,

A plain hand-pumped grease gun will work just fine. Doesn't take too much elbow grease to pump up a bearing. Most grease guns have a long enough handle for more than enough leverage, so this should eve be an issue.

Patching is spotty at best - that poster just wanted a quick fix for a relatively hard to find part. If the part is readily available - then it is better to just buy the new part. Usually by the time the boot is old enough to get torn - the rest of the rubber has degraded to the point that a patch is not effective, i.e, plug one leak, another one will spring up right next to it. Now someone punches a hold in a new boot with a screwdriver - that's a different story. Plus that has to be a specific patch material - has to be ozone and oil resistant, plus flexible enough to work.

Bad_dude

Hi Fishexpo101,Would a hand grease gun do as far as pressure to pump the grease into the joints to clean them out? Or do I need an air grease gun to get the pressure in there? How about his grease gun we sell? http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/1000-1999/1703.pdf

 

I am going to get the red grease high temp type.

This link seems promising: http://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/106401-...oot-repair.html

Thanks,

A plain hand-pumped grease gun will work just fine. Doesn't take too much elbow grease to pump up a bearing. Most grease guns have a long enough handle for more than enough leverage, so this should eve be an issue.

Patching is spotty at best - that poster just wanted a quick fix for a relatively hard to find part. If the part is readily available - then it is better to just buy the new part. Usually by the time the boot is old enough to get torn - the rest of the rubber has degraded to the point that a patch is not effective, i.e, plug one leak, another one will spring up right next to it. Now someone punches a hold in a new boot with a screwdriver - that's a different story. Plus that has to be a specific patch material - has to be ozone and oil resistant, plus flexible enough to work.

Hi Fishexpo101,

When do we get the pics for the throttle cleaning? default_smile

I did the upper arm and tie rod end boots. All joints were in great condition. So I greased them up with new boots. So no alignment needed. Save money here.

The pitman puller was my best friend on these.

Thanks.

Oh yeah, totally forgot about them. Been pretty busy at work - I'll try posting them up, hopefully by this week - sometime default_biggrin.

Good to hear that the joints were OK. Only time will tell if they will hold up for the long run - but in the mean time, new boots on them are better than no boots at all. If the old boots were not completely dry of grease - you have a good chance they will last for years. If they were bone dry - start saving up money for new joints.

I'm a regular visitor since last year on this particular site where has lots valuable information. Special thanks to fishexpo for his tremendous contributions over the years. All these information has effectively helped me to maintain my vehicles in good shapes...

Bad_dude

It's brake fluid change time again. I did my brake fluid exchange about a year ago and it's color is dark again. I am more experience sorta having replace the rear shoes and front pads. The brakes works fine for both my 99 Corolla and 90 Accord. But it seems the fluid turn dark so quickly after flushing. I pump until clear fluid gets out and tighten the bleeder. Should I change them again of wait a little longer?

Last time I did the 2 persons method and I got my back yard mechanic neighbor to help. This time I am by myself. I am thinking of the method that I see from youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfTmlOZbXgs

or

or

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-suspension-brakes/100353-brake-bleeding-one-person-bleeding.html

What do you guys think?

I got a 32 oz bottle of prestone DOT 3 synthetic fluid. The last brand I used a year ago was a Walmart blue bottle, but synthetic fluid as well.

Thanks.

Not a big fan of that method for one person brake bleeding. Too much of a chance of getting bubbles getting sucked back into the system or worse, dirt and particulates. Pressure bleeding kits work the best, IMO, just connect the master cylinder, charge the system - connect a tube to direct the old fluid to a container, crack open the bleeder and the old fluid is automatically pushed out by the pressure, close off the bleeder when the fluid runs clear. No need to get up and move the brake pedal.

As for brake fluid getting dark quickly, could be from a number of reasons. Sometimes it is the rubber bits deteriorating due to age, sometimes it is corrosion in the system. Only way to find out for sure is to chemically test the fluid.

Bad_dude

Not a big fan of that method for one person brake bleeding. Too much of a chance of getting bubbles getting sucked back into the system or worse, dirt and particulates. Pressure bleeding kits work the best, IMO, just connect the master cylinder, charge the system - connect a tube to direct the old fluid to a container, crack open the bleeder and the old fluid is automatically pushed out by the pressure, close off the bleeder when the fluid runs clear. No need to get up and move the brake pedal.

 

As for brake fluid getting dark quickly, could be from a number of reasons. Sometimes it is the rubber bits deteriorating due to age, sometimes it is corrosion in the system. Only way to find out for sure is to chemically test the fluid.

You know I have the Mityvac pump but never used it. I read that air can leak at the thread of the bleeder. So never used it.

Thanks.

As long as you have a good seal at the bleeder screw and put some grease around the base of the threads - you won't suck any air into the system.

Bad_dude

As long as you have a good seal at the bleeder screw and put some grease around the base of the threads - you won't suck any air into the system.
How much of a turn to loosen that bleeder to avoid air in at the thread?

 

Thanks.

Before you crack open the bleeder - put a slight vacuum on the line, not too much or you'll collapse the hose - unless it is one of those fiber reinforced types. Turn the bleeder screw while observing if any fluid is pulled out, add more vacuum as needed. You don't need to put too many turns on the wrench - sure it will bleed down faster if you open it up further, but also more likely to introduce air in the process.

Been using the vacuum pump for some time - never got air into the system. But it takes more time than having another person around to help out. Pressure bleeders are hand's down the fastest way to bleed down the brakes. If you had more than 2-3+ cars to do - a pressure bleeder system is the way to go.



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