Mushy brakes / not stopping like they should

 

Well, I've had brake problems with my 79 ever since I got it. I initially had the drivers front caliper locked up, so I replaced both front calipers. Was still pulling left so I replaced both front lines.

 

This unfortunatly didn't fix the problem of the brakes not working like they should. While it no longer pulls left a lot, the brakes are mushy and I couldn't get them to lock up if I wanted to. While holding the brake for a few seconds it also seems like it might be sinking to the floor, just extremely slowly. The master cyl also loses about half of the fluid in the rear reservoir every 2 weeks or so, while the front reservoir stays fine. I'm wondering if it's either the master, booster, or maybe the rear calipers or lines?

 

Any suggestions on which I should try first?

 

Great site btw, I plan on registering soon :)

 

Thanks!

-Josh

 

If they are leaking, should I be able to see it when the brakes are depressed, or would it not be that obvious?

Check the rear of the master cylinder, too. Feel around at the bottom rear where it mounts to the booster, if you get any fluid on your fingers there's a problem.

I just went over the brakes on my 78SA. Fronts were replaced in 96 before I had it. Noticed a brake hose was bubbled at the metal sleeve so decided to pull both front calipers off and carefully JUST clean and paint them and replace both hoses. Wasn't until I had the calipers off that I noticed they had been leaking, ever so slightly. Pads were saturated. Had to rebuild both of them.

Was interesting to note that when I took a razer knife and slit the outer rubber that was bubbled up on the hose, fluid came out. I would have thought the fluid would be contained in the small diameter inside hose. Would have been interesting to have someone press on the pedal while watching the bubble to see if it expanded and contracted with the pressure.

 

Thanks

-Josh

So, put the new caliper on. Bled that one (decently, could probably do better), refilled master, and took it out for a drive. Got on the brakes a few times really hard and it seems to be locking them up a LITTLE better now, only now the car pulls hard left when stopping.

 

I get out when I get back and feel the rotors to see if I can tell anything, and discover two things:

 

1) hot metal burns fingertips really well

2) my passenger side aft rotor isnt even warm. all the others are toasty. SOOOO the only caliper I haven't replaced doesn't seem to be doing anything. Go figure.

 

I guess tomorrow I will replace the final caliper on the car and see how she does then, and hopefully bleed it off better. If the pedal is still mushy like it has been, next step is a new master cylinder since that's the next cheapest part.

 

Thanks for listening :P

-Josh

 

 

 

 

 

Hrmmm... I was under the impression that they were seperated front/rear in the resv just incase one went you would still have braking on the other.