mushy brakes

[JohnnyRoadster]

Hello all,

I know brakes have been discussed many times before, but I am at a loss for getting mine to get pressure. They stopped the car when I put it in storage last winter. I finally got around to redoing the front calipers and rear cylinders this summer. It was all one big mess. See photos if interested. The enitre system was drained and cleaned out with denatured alcohol, then left to dry. System was then refilled with new fluid and bleed, master cylinder first, then the rear brakes, then the front. I get a steady stream of fluid coming out each bleed valve when bleeding while I push on the brake peddle and a friend released the valve to get all the are out. We must have done this for 30 minutes going around the car. There is still not enough pressure to stop the car.

I just found out that i did not tighten the back brack adjuster, but i do not think this should have affected it that much! any other suggestion so i can drive this car sometime this year would be great! It does no good if I can not stop

JohnnyRoadster
SPL311-13956

[Minh]

I think you might still have some trapped air bubble sin the lines.

Unfortunely I am not familiar enough to give you a solution.

[SLOroadster]

Do your brakes firm up if you pump them? I had a rear cylinder go out on me at the beginging of the month and after replacing it, my brakes are still a little soft, but firm up after I pump them once. I am fairly sure I have air in the system. Another thing to check is the firewall below the brake master cylinder for cracks. I have only seen one car without a crack there. To fix the problem you can get a brake brace that fits under the dash from Stan C. (I need one)

Will

[TR]

If vigorous pumping of the pedal does not produce a firm pedal after a bunch of strokes (and there isn't a puddle forming under the car), the master has given up. Either the primary seal or the little popper mechanism could be dead.

Also, sometimes the masters trap air even if you bleed it with the screw on the master body. Try just barely opening the bleed screws, somewhere around a half turn from tight, when you are trying to bleed. If all else fails, a shop can force fluid into the lines from the slaves back to the master...Good Luck! TR

[oilleak]

Adjust the rear brakes before you do anything else. My brakes were spongy for a long time until I put another set of drums which were within spec - the differance was only about .030"

[JohnnyRoadster]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I will adjust the back brakes, then bleed the master again. Hope this works, otherwise, I try a new master cylinder. I keep you posted!

JohnnyRoadster
SPL31113956