Brake Installation ... In rememberance ... read first post edit

IN THE END I TOOK THE DAMN CAR TO A BRAKE SHOP ... IN ONE DAY THEY GOT THE THING STOPPING ON A DIME ...

REALIGNED THE FRONT END...

AND DID A LITTLE FINE TUNING FOR ME ....

GOD I'M GLAD PROFESSIONALS EXIST [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]





Having a problem getting a "pedal" on this new four wheel power disc brake set-up.

We bench bled the master cylinder per the instructions ... hooked everything up to the best of my ability.

Now when I get the system bled out and fire up the engine ... I lose "pedal" ... I'm not smart enough to know what the heck is happening here. It seems to the only afftect the engine as on the brake system is Vacuum to the Booster ... Why would I lose pedal and even to the point that the brake warning ligh comes on (indicating the system has lost pressure) ...

What am I missing here???

HELP!!! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]

_________________

Larry Madsen
Las Vegas Nevada

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monstermach on 1/10/03 12:22pm ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monstermach on 1/10/03 12:24pm ]</font>

I'm no brake expert, but sounds like your booster has bit the dust. You may be getting vacume to it, but it's obviously not holding it.
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Booster is factory fresh ... brand new kit [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

It's not even a rebuilt unit.

I'm no expert either ... I can connect fittings and bleed the system, but beyond that ... trouble shooting ain't my cup of tea.
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Go back and re-bleed the system again. Get a giant economy sized can of fluid and keep working at it. If it still doesn't hold, I'd suspect your "new" booster is defective.
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Could the rod for the M/C be misadjusted or wrong? Seems I rememeber a similar problem on my old ford truck list a few years ago. Might be worth checkin.
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Darrell

I'm no expert on just exactly how this power booster / master cylinder should work but the two came to me in the kit already assembled.

The rod through the firewall is clearly adjustable ... I simply set the adjustment so the rod would hook up to the pedal arm and allow the rod to extend (out) fully.

Should there be a "preload" on the rod to the power booster? A few turns (essentially making the rod longer) would set it in a position that would have the rod slightly depressed even with the brake pedal fully released.
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I had the same problem with my 4 wheel set up. Mine wasn;t power but if your rear brakes have a self adjusting parking brake cable like mine it took awhile of driving before they clicked over and now they are perfect. Also sometimes air bubbles get stuck in the high spots of the system so get a power bleeded where you use compressed air to suction the fluid through and bleed it many many times. I bled my system alteast 10 times, I went through 6 big bottles of fluid. Hope this helps

I noticed more things today and it seems to be related.

I started the car up from a cold start ... damn thing wouldn't idle (and this is a car that always fires right up and runs great.) Then I noticed that when I pump the brakes the engine would bog down then once I quit pumping the brakes the engine would regain it's composer.

Also, I have halfway decent brake pedal while the car is OFF ... but when you fire it up, you lose pedal and the warning light comes on with that first pump ...

Then when you pump the brakes they will pump up to a little pedal, but when you stop for just a couple of seconds, pedal is lost and you are starting all over again.

Then when you shut the engine off ... you again have some pedal ... ???

All thoughts appreciated

_________________

Larry Madsen
Las Vegas Nevada



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: monstermach on 12/16/02 8:40am ]</font>

Sounds like a vacuum problem. Is the check valve functioning properly? Is your vacuum connection at the right port on the carb? It's simple just have to figure it out. Good luck.

Is there an abnormal amount of clearence between the pads and the rotor? The brake fluid has to be going somewhere, if there is to much clearence you are makeing it up with the pedal before you get to the rotor with the pads. Every disc brake job I have performed the pads were virtually on the rotor before dissasembly. After collapsing
the caliper and installing new pads, the brake pedal would go to the floor, at least once or twice before it closed the gap the get to the rotor.

Also with power brakes when the car is not running the pedal is hard and may feel like you have brake but may not, this could be very misleading.

I had a 65 Galaxy with power brakes, the vacum line came off while I was driveing and did not know it, when I pushed on the pedal it was hard and was moving very little and the car was not slowing, I had to put both feet on it to get the braking I needed to slow it down.

Just some thoughts.

Good luck
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