[Vwdiesel] VW Beetle brake bleeding, new everything.

[Bryan Belman]

I am at my wits end.  Help.  20 plus hours over a few weekends, 2 brand new Master Cylinders, new hard lines, some new rubber hoses to well.  All new, some of the stuff was new and sitting on this resto project for 6-7 years now.  90% housed indoors during these years.
 
No leaks at the wheel cylinders and after some swapping no leaks anymore at the hard lines to rubber lines, but I keep getting air from someplace.
After 15-20 minutes of pumping, all wheels, multiple times, I quit.  I have done this over and over and over, I even swapped the MC.
 
I tried to bench bleed the MC as I did not put it in a big coffee can to do this first.  I have on some cars and have not on others, so I was taking a gamble.  So, now I did it in the car.
No gas tank in car, car is on blocks, so this makes it easy to work on.
Used cut off old brake lines and connected clear plastic lines to them back to the brake reservoir.  this seemed to work well and I thought I was home free.  But, when I hooked up the brake lines again to the rear and both front wheels, SAME thing as before.
I get back brakes and peddle, open wheel cylinder, drops to floor with some minor air, but no front, no piston movement in the front wheels, nothing.  I removed one of the front drums to be sure they piston was not rusted frozen and it moved fine.  When you pump 5-6 times, open front right wheel, you get air, lots of air, no drop at all in peddle.  Do this over and over, no change, just air.
 
So, over the years I heard of making plugs out of old cut off brake lines to help figure out where my leak is.
To make the plug I was going clamp shut a cut of brake line, fold over and solder.
How do I go about using the plugs?
 
Should I make 2 plugs and plug both front brake line outputs and see if I can get the back brakes free of air?
 
Then, if I can get them to bleed lots of fluid with NO air, move to the front, 1 at a time ???
Right wheel first, then move to left.
 
any other ideas would be great.  I have a might vac, that did not really help with getting the air out either.
I think my only hope is to try and isolate the issue, how will I know if my KMM China made MC is good or bad?
 
Thanks, Bryan
 
 

Bryan Belman, Pt. Pleasant, NJ
04 Jetta Wagon TDI PD BEW, 100hp, 5sp -- running :<)
04 Golf TDI PD BEW, 100hp, 5sp Tiptronic Auto -- running :<)
82 Diesel Westy 1.9NA 1Y -- running :<)
70 Type 1 Beetle -- Under Restoration forever:-)