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I ran into an issue recently when doing some brake work on my '98 Firebird. I had ordered some of Russell Performance speed bleeders for the car after having used them with good results on my GTO. However, just as with my GTO, Russell's catalog lists one part number for both the front and rear disc brake calipers. I didn't think much of it until it came time to install and flush/bleed the brakes.
The rear was finished without a problem. However, when I went to start on the front, I noticed that the bleeder valves seemed to take forever to thread down and seat. I didn't think much of it until I went to start bleeding. I had been changing the valves as I went to bleed each corner, so it wasn't until I went to start on the driver's front caliper that I noticed the problem. The valves were too short, and even though I had tightened down the passenger's side, when I went to start pumping the pedal I heard a small pop. Because the valves were too short, when I had tightened them down, it stretched the body which caused the internal check ball to stick. I tried tightening a little more, and ended up blowing out both of the front valves.
I made some calls, did some research, and it wasn't until I actually took a moment to compare the stock bleeders from both of my Pontiacs that I noticed they both used the same valves. I since ordered the correct valves and installed them on the car. The brakes work so much better now that they've had a good flush and bleed.
But, to help prevent anyone else from running into the same problem in the future, I figured I would take a few moments to relay the information and the correct part numbers for the valves, should you choose to run the Russell bleeders. I have contacted Russell about correcting the part numbers for both the '98-'02 F-Bodies, as well as the '04-'06 GTOs. So hopefully they will have that corrected in the near future.
But just in case anyone decides to order them, the correct Russell part number for the front calipers is #639560. The correct number for the rears is #639630. This applies to '98-'02 F-Bodies, and '04-'06 GTOs. I'm not sure about the disc brake applications prior to '98, as I know that use a different caliper.
Nonetheless, I hope this at least saves someone else from enduring the same headaches I went through.
The rear was finished without a problem. However, when I went to start on the front, I noticed that the bleeder valves seemed to take forever to thread down and seat. I didn't think much of it until I went to start bleeding. I had been changing the valves as I went to bleed each corner, so it wasn't until I went to start on the driver's front caliper that I noticed the problem. The valves were too short, and even though I had tightened down the passenger's side, when I went to start pumping the pedal I heard a small pop. Because the valves were too short, when I had tightened them down, it stretched the body which caused the internal check ball to stick. I tried tightening a little more, and ended up blowing out both of the front valves.
I made some calls, did some research, and it wasn't until I actually took a moment to compare the stock bleeders from both of my Pontiacs that I noticed they both used the same valves. I since ordered the correct valves and installed them on the car. The brakes work so much better now that they've had a good flush and bleed.
But, to help prevent anyone else from running into the same problem in the future, I figured I would take a few moments to relay the information and the correct part numbers for the valves, should you choose to run the Russell bleeders. I have contacted Russell about correcting the part numbers for both the '98-'02 F-Bodies, as well as the '04-'06 GTOs. So hopefully they will have that corrected in the near future.
But just in case anyone decides to order them, the correct Russell part number for the front calipers is #639560. The correct number for the rears is #639630. This applies to '98-'02 F-Bodies, and '04-'06 GTOs. I'm not sure about the disc brake applications prior to '98, as I know that use a different caliper.
Nonetheless, I hope this at least saves someone else from enduring the same headaches I went through.
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