Peeps.. When you bleed brakes, you open a single line (think of that as a failed brake line). When you press on the brake pedal, it'll go to the floor pushing out fluid. Let the pedal come back up and press again, it'll go to the floor again and push out more fluid..
Close that bleeder valve and it's all solid again.
Yes, there are two separate systems, but that's because the front brakes are set to apply MORE pressure than the rears when you slam on the brakes... They are both part of the same system that when one line fails, the entire system will have no pressure.
You would need 2 master cylinders to have the system you are thinking of... ;)
In the OP's case, we don't know what failed, so it's just 4 pages of speculation.. My guess is probably one of the rubber lines failed, but that's just a guess...
Mitch
