Passenger side brake caliper will not clamp down

Tiny
MIKEHARD1996
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
  • 200,000 MILES
So I got handed a piss poor brake job and got told to finish it, my problem I am running into is practically everything on the brake system is new except the master cylinder. I have bled the lines and have been through tons of pages of information and nothing is giving me and explanation of why three sides (RR, RL, FL) all bled fine, but the passenger side caliper will not clamp down or really create any sort of pressure. I have replaced the flex hose in suspicion it might be collapsed but that did not help. It might have massive amount of air in the system, but I have tried bleeding it for almost four hours total. I need help before I give up on this thing.
Wednesday, March 15th, 2017 AT 2:42 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Does the van have anti-lock brakes? If it does, you need a scanner to tell the computer to open some of the valves so the air can be expelled from some of the chambers in the hydraulic controller.
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Wednesday, March 15th, 2017 AT 2:48 PM
Tiny
MIKEHARD1996
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Geez that is not good, I do not have a scanner nor can I rent one at the moment. I cannot exactly drive it either because that one side has not even clamped down a little on the rotor.
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Wednesday, March 15th, 2017 AT 2:53 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,643 POSTS
Hey Mike,

I would use two vise grips and gently clamp down on the other working brakes, then loosen the line on the caliper that will not bleed. Have someone step on the brake pedal to see if fluid comes out, pedal goes down?

Let me know what you find.

Best, Ken
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Wednesday, March 15th, 2017 AT 3:39 PM

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