disappearing brakes?
01-24-09, 03:08 PM
#52
According to many of the write-ups I've read they have all instructed bench bleeding because a lot of air gets trapped inside the master cylinder. I've read another member had success letting gravity bleed the MC but I am still wary that air can still be trapped and needs to be lodged out by a greater force than gravity to bleed.
Anyways this isn't much of an update but, I need to contact the mechanic to know exactly what "brake pedal rod adjustment" that required 15 minutes of labor means. Then I will check my booster by posting in the for sale section and swapping mine out for another used working unit.
Anyways this isn't much of an update but, I need to contact the mechanic to know exactly what "brake pedal rod adjustment" that required 15 minutes of labor means. Then I will check my booster by posting in the for sale section and swapping mine out for another used working unit.
01-25-09, 05:28 PM
#54
Well today I thought of another way to explain my pedal feel symptoms:
Generally when anybody pumps my brake pedal with the engine off, the pressure builds and stays. When someone would do the same with the engine on, the brake booster is suppose to assist by allowing more variable leg pressure which will then slow my car at the rate I desire, easier. Otherwise without the booster assisting I believe that the brake pedal would be super hard to press down and the brakes will then be much harder to apply.
When I turn my engine on, the pedal sinks down, not all the way but to a point where I feel isn't normal. So I would assume my booster is working. Maybe it is working abnormally making it too easy for me to add pressure to slow down because my pedal would be at a collapsing rate until it reached the point where it becomes very firm and that is about when the car would nose dive because I believe that point in the MC is where most of the hydraulics get dispersed to all the calipers even if my pedal felt normal.
So I've listed what I have done before and I bought a spare booster from trochoid and will put that on my car to see if it makes any difference. I still have been lagging to find out about what exactly went on about my pedal rod. In the invoice it said "The brake pedal rod had too much play. Tightened it up." Even though I never touched my pedal rod myself or had it given me any problems in the past if this is talking about the rod on the inside firewall. My next update should be when I install the other booster.
Generally when anybody pumps my brake pedal with the engine off, the pressure builds and stays. When someone would do the same with the engine on, the brake booster is suppose to assist by allowing more variable leg pressure which will then slow my car at the rate I desire, easier. Otherwise without the booster assisting I believe that the brake pedal would be super hard to press down and the brakes will then be much harder to apply.
When I turn my engine on, the pedal sinks down, not all the way but to a point where I feel isn't normal. So I would assume my booster is working. Maybe it is working abnormally making it too easy for me to add pressure to slow down because my pedal would be at a collapsing rate until it reached the point where it becomes very firm and that is about when the car would nose dive because I believe that point in the MC is where most of the hydraulics get dispersed to all the calipers even if my pedal felt normal.
So I've listed what I have done before and I bought a spare booster from trochoid and will put that on my car to see if it makes any difference. I still have been lagging to find out about what exactly went on about my pedal rod. In the invoice it said "The brake pedal rod had too much play. Tightened it up." Even though I never touched my pedal rod myself or had it given me any problems in the past if this is talking about the rod on the inside firewall. My next update should be when I install the other booster.
02-14-09, 09:04 PM
#55
Update! Cliff notes: my entire braking system works.
Story for those who were interested in following my brake pedal feel dilemma...
Like I said before I bled my brake hydraulics to hell and even vacuum bled it ($75) with no success after changing my master cylinder twice! I thought the first (new - $55) MC I bought caused my brake pedal woes but it didn't and it cost me almost triple ($150) to buy a reman unit and aftermarket at that. There was nothing wrong with the first MC and I returned it because I didn't know at the time and it was nearing my 30 day for full refund. Then I spent a useless $350 for SS brake lines, labor to install, plus labor to adjust pedal rod, brake fluid. I suppose the only up side is now my brake pedal is much more firm. I do not even know why they made me pay for this when it didn't even fix my problem. Then my trips to the store to buy bottles of brake fluid I would say total of $20. That already puts this whole ordeal to cost over $600. I could've treated my Seven with so much more goodies, but I say.. what a learning experience it was.. and now I can do entire braking system myself instead of having to pay expensive labor for someone else to do it.
OK the part you all have been waiting for... I bought a used brake booster from trochoid $50 so add that to the total haha. This is what solved my pedal feel problem. I suppose since my leaky MC was on there for a while before I started to fix it some brake fluid got in my old booster and damaged the diaphragm or valve inside. I'll open it up later and take a look. Boy it was fun working under the dash trying to get the SOB cotter pin out and four nuts. Then of course taking out my MC which means disconnecting all the hard lines and bending the PV a little (which makes it so much harder to put back) to get the booster out. Reverse all the steps then bleed at all four corners again... usless vacuum bleed afefasdfa. Although I bled with the e-brake up and noticed it after I was done it didn't seem to affect the pedal feel much.
Problem solved case closed.. now on to other areas needing my TLC e.g. bushings, brake pads, rotors, interior, exterior, paint, wheels... my resto project will never be done since it seems like its going at such a slow pace but now I can drive it.. my motivation to restore it will never die.
Thanks for all your help everyone!
Story for those who were interested in following my brake pedal feel dilemma...
Like I said before I bled my brake hydraulics to hell and even vacuum bled it ($75) with no success after changing my master cylinder twice! I thought the first (new - $55) MC I bought caused my brake pedal woes but it didn't and it cost me almost triple ($150) to buy a reman unit and aftermarket at that. There was nothing wrong with the first MC and I returned it because I didn't know at the time and it was nearing my 30 day for full refund. Then I spent a useless $350 for SS brake lines, labor to install, plus labor to adjust pedal rod, brake fluid. I suppose the only up side is now my brake pedal is much more firm. I do not even know why they made me pay for this when it didn't even fix my problem. Then my trips to the store to buy bottles of brake fluid I would say total of $20. That already puts this whole ordeal to cost over $600. I could've treated my Seven with so much more goodies, but I say.. what a learning experience it was.. and now I can do entire braking system myself instead of having to pay expensive labor for someone else to do it.
OK the part you all have been waiting for... I bought a used brake booster from trochoid $50 so add that to the total haha. This is what solved my pedal feel problem. I suppose since my leaky MC was on there for a while before I started to fix it some brake fluid got in my old booster and damaged the diaphragm or valve inside. I'll open it up later and take a look. Boy it was fun working under the dash trying to get the SOB cotter pin out and four nuts. Then of course taking out my MC which means disconnecting all the hard lines and bending the PV a little (which makes it so much harder to put back) to get the booster out. Reverse all the steps then bleed at all four corners again... usless vacuum bleed afefasdfa. Although I bled with the e-brake up and noticed it after I was done it didn't seem to affect the pedal feel much.
Problem solved case closed.. now on to other areas needing my TLC e.g. bushings, brake pads, rotors, interior, exterior, paint, wheels... my resto project will never be done since it seems like its going at such a slow pace but now I can drive it.. my motivation to restore it will never die.
Thanks for all your help everyone!
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