RABS Valve..?

[MetalMayhem]

To start off, I've got a 92 Eddie Bauer Edition Explorer
4.0L V6 with Rear ABS

So I went to the local Ford Dealership when my Brake Warning light came on. I looked in the manual, and it said that I just needed to fill up the Master Cylinder.

They did a full diagnostic of the brake system, and here's what they told me I'd need.

New front pads
new front rotors ($$$)
Rear drum alignment
rear drum cleaning
System bleed to check for anything else.

That- including labor- would've cost a little over $500 if nothing else was wrong. So I didn't have the cash for it, and I'd replaced the front pads and calipers rather recently to try and correct another problem (which turned out just needing new tires), so I told them to go ahead and fix the rear brakes.

When they tried to bleed the system after cleaning and aligning, it wouldn't bleed. They traced the problem back to the Rear ABS valve. To replace it, the valve would cost $230 new.
They also deduced that I'd been without rear brakes for quite a while, and might have been the reason my front brake pads have been wearing faster than normal.

So my problem now, while driving another family car, is to find a cheaper RABS Valve, and perhaps replace it with some help.

Is there any way to get it much cheaper, via a junkyard, or other source?
And, how hard is it to replace?
Any other help?


Thanks so much in advance!

 

[awood]

I had the exact problem with my 92. I thought the brakes felt funny and tried to bleed them. I wasn't able to get any fluid out, even with someone pressing the brake pedal. I actually disassembled the RABS valve, as much as I was able to, and found it full of corrosion. I didn't have the $$ to replace it either. What I did might bring me some negative feedback here, but it's worked for me for 2 years now...I bypassed the valve with a short length of brake line. Since I had the valve disassembled, I was able to reconnect just the coil portion of the valve back into the connector. This action keeps the RABS light on the dash from being lit all the time. You could just keep the valve plugged in, and bypass the hydraulic lines only, and get the same result. I figured the braking action remains the same, except I don't have the anti-skid function anymore.

 

[MetalMayhem]

thanks!

and bump.

 

[MetalMayhem]

bump!