so i have an 86 base, and the brakes were working decently, but they went soft whenever i slammed on them. not good. then, i started the car up a few nights ago, and no brakes. i slam the pedal to the floor and it reacts like im just barely pressing them. the ebrake light is on constantly. i wouldve just bled the brakes but its become obvious that its more than just air, its a leak.

im pretty sure ive found a leak by the proportioning valve, so i was going to just change the proportioning valve and the lines from the proportioning valve to the rear calipers, but i cant freakin get the line from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve off, so i was just gonna take off the whole line from the master cylinder to the rear calipers off.

well, that looks like thats gonna be hard as ****. its appears that it will require taking off the exhaust and dropping the subframe because i dont see any other way around it. should i just try to get the proportioning valve off and go from there back or is there an easier way to do the whole line? or, should i try to isolate the leak and just repair it somehow? ( i really dont think i wanna do that because i dont trust my life with sloppy patchwork)

 

Are you SURE that the leak is the p-valve? I haven't heard of one leaking before. Always a first time, I suppose, but I'd check that out thoroughly before taking things apart. BTW - You've got to use flare-nut wrenches on brake line fittings. A standard open-end will often slip off.

 

i am figuring that out the hard way. i have a whole set of flare-nut wrenches but the only one missing is the 10mm that my brother let his friend borrow . after more checking, i decided it most likely the line from the proportioning to the right rear caliper so im gonna get the wrench in about an hour and replace the line from the p-valve to there.

 

after 18 years brake lines arent in thier tip top shape. if that happended to me i would replace all the soft lines going to the calipers.

 

i will when i get the five lug, but for now i just want to make it run so i can get used to the car more. ive had it for like, five days. but for the leak its in the hard lines which have rusted in a few places.

 

if it's the hard lines you have no choice but to replace them. However for a car aged like yours I'd check each caliper first and break drum on the inside of the car first. Fill up the break resivar and then have someone pump the brakes while you check all the lines. Wear safty glasses because if it gets in your eyes. . . well just make sure it doesn't.
<signature removed for size violation- 6 lines max size is all that is allowed

 

curtisleeyoung... fix your sig, its annoyingly big... just shrink it a bit