brakes- pedal pressure problems
 

greetings again gentlemen.

sadly, the joy of ownership has become tainted by another..."niggle."

when driving, the pedal is mushy and braking force isnt convincing,and is possibly limited.

however, a quick "pre-tap" and then the application of full pressure results in "i just dropped and anchor-like" powerful braking response.

this inconsistency is alarming in daily driving

addn'l info:

the car was parked up for more than a month, but i've been driving it extensively over the past 4 days.

the brake pads look relatively thin, and are due for replacement


my questions:

what is/are likely the problem/s?

what are the possible fixes/actions i should take?

Bleed the brakes.

...And replace the pads. But seriously, the FD brake pedal feel (initially) isn't the most firm and crisp around. Which is part of the reason I'm upgrading in the near future...

bleed the brakes properly and you will have an excellent pedal.

my suggestion:

buy a Mity Vac. bleed longest line first and progress to shortest line.
buy the Proper wrench so you don't screw up the bleeder valves.
buy any DOT 4 fluid unless you are tracking the car.

and now the KEY to super brake bleeding:

remove the brake bleeder valve and apply wheel bearing grease sparingly to the threads. if you don't do this you will suck air thru the threads and continue to have a girlieman pedal.

reinstall the bleeder, hook it up to the Mity Vac (your Mity Vac will have the reservoir attached) and bleed away. just don't bleed the master cylinder dry.

once you have bled your brakes this way you'll be hooked for life and probably sleep w your Mity Vac under your pillow.

happy bleeding,

howard coleman