Brakes are being a PITA!!!

[Old Ford Blue]

So now that I'm driving my 73, I kinda need to have some decent brakes. When I first got the truck the rear wheel cylinders leaked badly, but if I kept fluid in the resivoir I had a decent pedal. Well I finally got tired of pouring brake fluid out and swapped the cylinders out. Now I have absolutly no pedal untill about 3\4s of the way down, then I hit what I believe is the front brakes. If I hit the pedal fast and hard with my foot, then I get something, and I can tell a huge difference in the stopping ability, so I'm assuming I get all 4 brakes when I do that.

Does this sound like a bad master cylinder?

Oh and I have bled so much fluid thru this thing its not even funny.


Any ideas???? I should mention its manual disk\drum, and and auto if that makes any difference.

 

[Mil1ion]

Hopefully you adjusted the brake shoes before any bleeding ?

If not,

First ....go adjust the rear brake shoes so you hear them just skiff the drum as you turn it.


The way the ford brakes work is the rears come on first.. then the fronts take over the main braking.

Only other thing would be is push rod adjustment.

 

[TexasRho83]

Hopefully you adjusted the brake shoes before any bleeding ?

If not,

First ....go adjust the rear brake shoes so you hear them just skiff the drum as you turn it.


The way the ford brakes work is the rears come on first.. then the fronts take over the main braking.

Only other thing would be is push rod adjustment.

Totally agree!

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Sounds like I need to go adjust my shoes! I also need to put a new set of pads on the front, but there not quite as much hurry on that.

Thanks guys, and I'll let ya know how I come out.

 

[TexasRho83]

Your brakes can't be as much of a PITA as mine were that's for sure lol

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Lol, yea I'd have to agree with that, having seen the pics

 

[Mil1ion]

Sounds like I need to go adjust my shoes! I also need to put a new set of pads on the front, but there not quite as much hurry on that.

Thanks guys, and I'll let ya know how I come out.

Calipers and pads are at the mercy of
1) Pistons retracting properly,
2)Condition Flexible brake hoses,
3) condition of the Proportioning valve and

4) of course the condition of the MC

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Oh, the fronts are working fine, and its not pulling so theyre adjusted right, they just need new pads\ not much material left.

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Ok, so I adjusted the rears, they were really loose, but my pedal hasn't improved....at all. I even bled them... 4 times.
Fronts are still fine, but the only time I get rears is if I really slap the pedal fast and hard. I'm thinkin its gotta be the MC????


Post 101, BTW

 

[TexasRho83]

So when you adjusted the shoes, you heard them scraping the inside of the drums lightly right?

Did you try hauling ass in reverse and firmly pressing the brake pedal? Do that a couple times and see if there's a change...other than that, I'd say try Mil1ion's 2nd suggestion and adjust the push rod.

 

[Mil1ion]

With the cap off the MC have someone push gently on the brake pedal and watch for bubbles in either reservoir

You could also do a pressure test just before it goes to either the W/C.
If low this would also target the BPPV as gone bad

 

[Old Ford Blue]

I adjusted the shoes untill the adjusters would turn anymore(they were tight to the drums) I then bled them, twice, got in and still had no pedal untill I hit the fronts about 3" from the floor. If I smack the pedal, and get rear brakes, they grab instantly, so I know they're adjusted well, if not alittle to tight, but when they work all the time I'll fix that.

And when I say no pedal, I mean there is absolutly 0 resistance, like the MC is empty.
So I'm going to say from this that there is 0 pressure at the rear WCs, I also say this because when I'm bleeding them, unless I really hit it to get rear brakes, no fluid comes out.

Anything else I should do or check?

Thanks again guys! Gabe

 

[TexasRho83]

Do you have a working MC laying around? Swap it out and see what's up...or get a new one anyway (last I remember they don't cost much)

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Yup, I think your right on em being cheap, but I've got a spare on my now 67 parts truck, so I'll swap it on there and see what happens.

Thanks guys, I just didn't know if I was missing something obvious

 

[TexasRho83]

Yup, I think your right on em being cheap, but I've got a spare on my now 67 parts truck, so I'll swap it on there and see what happens.

Thanks guys, I just didn't know if I was missing something obvious

Nah I think you know what's up hehe

 

[Old Ford Blue]

lol thanks man, Sometimes I'm not so sure

 

[TexasRho83]

We all have doubts about something seemingly simple enough but it's those doubts that keep us from screwing something up major!

 

[Mil1ion]

quote:
I adjusted the shoes until the adjusters would turn anymore(they were tight to the drums)

Did you miss the part where I stated to adjust the shoes so they Just SKIFF the drum when you turn it ?

Then Bleed them.

NOTE: you shouldn't have to bleed them anymore.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

If you have brake hose clamps you can clamp the hoses to help test if the master cylinder is bad. If you clamp the hoses and pedal drops then it is bad.

 

[Old Ford Blue]

Dennis, sorry I didn't make that clear, I did them till they scrubed then backed em off just a hair.

Also thats a good idea on clamping the hoses, I'll let ya know.