I was stupid. I removed both my front brake calipers to do a paint job. I removed the two main bolts that hold them on and I removed the bolt in the back that connects the brake lines to them. Some brake fluid dripped out of the lines when I did this, but not much.

I re-installed the calipers and now I have no brakes!! I don't know what to do. I am, obviously, not a brake expert. Anybody know what's wrong or how to fix it???

Thanks!

 

I'm definitely not a brake expert, but it sounds like you need to bleed the brakes. It sounds like you got some air in the lines, and you have to get the air out.

 

how do you get the air out? I've heard people say to remove the brake lines, have someone pump the brakes and hold them, and then reconnect the brake line. Is that right?

 

You can do the pumping the brakes way or just get a pump from the parts store and make things easy.

 

I would, but I can't really drive the car right now haha.

What is the proper method of doing it by pumping the brakes?

 

if you didnt know what your where doing, why would you get into something like that? and you could have just masked off the rotor and other parts and just painted it on the car.

 

I already said it was a bad idea. Do you have any helpful comments for me?

 

bleeding brakes is not brain surgery. If you have 2 people one stays at the caliper and one stays in the car. The caliper guy opens the bleeder, the person in the car pushes the peddle to the floor and holds it there while the guy at the caliper closes the bleeder. When it's closed the person in the car lets the peddle up. Repeat until air is flushed.

if you are alone get a pump or worst case just open the bleeder valve and let it run, always making sure the resevoir never runs out and sucks more air. it will clear the air eventually.

 

Thank you a million Dave and EncoreCestMoi. Bled the brakes. Everything is working great!