Brake Issues

Hey folks, I'm trying to help my son get a 99 Ranger pickup road worthy. He's having problems with the brakes, so I put it on jack stands and found the front passenger side stuck. Pulled the tire off, changed the caliper, and couldn't get fluid to the caliper. I changed the master cylinder and got fluid to both calipers and thought everything was fine. He told me today (2 days later) that both front wheels are locked up now. When I changed the master cylinder, I adjusted the piston out because I couldn't see the fluid moving at all when the pedal was depressed. My question is, could I have it adjusted too long? Does anyone have a suggestion?

Yup. The only fluid movement you need to be concerned about is the stuff coming out of the bleeders. You could also damage the booster diaphram if the rod is adjusted too long.

Be wary of worn brake hoses. They can have inner-wall-failures that result in restrictive flow ... sometimes acting like a check valve: resisting flow in only one direction.

I can't believe that some "experts" recommend clamping brake hoses, with pliers, to seal them off. Crazy!

In most cases the front calipers will gravity bleed if you let them. Just keep an eye on the fluid level in the master cylinder at all times. Crack the bleeders a turn or two, one at a time and sit back. The bleeder valves are positioned so that they're at the top of the mounted caliper and will purge all the air. I NEVER pinch the hoses or let the caliper hang on the hose unsupported. (Thats what wire coathangers are for).