it does have abs! completly forgot to mention it... foolish of me
does that change a lot?

changing the master cylinder on my dad's last civic (a 91 vtec model) cost him something around 400$ i think :S unless he's just going crazy idont know lol

 

Well if anyone is still interested I got almost everything that had anything to do with brakes changed...
cost around 1100$
My dad took it to the mechanic and they managed to **** him over. God i hate crook mechanics.

They even changed somethign in the rear suspension, and now its squeaking! WTF!

 

If it's not right, and they touched something, like your suspension, and it's showing problems now THEN TAKE IT BACK TO THEM AND MAKE THEM MAKE IT RIGHT!!!!

 

Most shops willdo a free brake inspection, although some places will charge for it if you refuse the work.
Keep in mind that as your brake linings wear, the level of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir will drop somewhat. This is because the caliper pistonsgradually stay out farther and farther asthe pads wear. The worst enemy to brake fluid is moisture (water). Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time (the more moisture, the lower the temperature your brake fluid will boil at -when this happens (boiling),you end up with even more moisture). This occasional boiling of the fluid and old ageis what turns it black. That is why it's recommended that you flush/bleed the entire system every couple of years. Castrol has a new DOT 3 brake fluid - LMA (low moisture absorption) it is a little more expensive $6-8, but worth it IMHO. Also see if the rears (drum brakes only) are out of adjustment.

After replacing the pads and flush/bleeding the system, if you still have a "mushy" low pedal (i.e all the way to the floor) then probably you didn't bleed all of the air out of the system or it's time for a master cylinder. On some ABS systems, the master cyl is under great pressure which has to be relieved first - so replacing one on one of these vehicles is harder/time consuming(probably why you were quoted $500 then again I think shop hourly rates are too high to begin with). Either way the new master cyl will have to be "bench bled" first before you install it.

 

Hello all,
I have a 96 Civic DX. I replaced the rear wheel assemblies, trailing arm, parking brake cable, shocks and the short, hard brake line on the back of the rear wheels. I was ready to bleed, RR, FL, RL, FR. The RR bled as expected. We bled until fluid was clean as it's been a while since fluid change. Moved to LF: no fluid comes out with the bleeder valve open and the reservoir level does not go down. Tried RL and same result. Could not budge FR bleeder valve, so it is soaking with PB Blaster. I have been tapping hard with a metal bar on the 10 mm open end wrench while applying pressure. I am trying to be extra careful as I have sheered off bleeder valves before. Any ideas as to what may be stopping the fluid flow? How about ideas on the stuck bleeder valve? Thanks for any help.