| Brake touble [message #217212] |
Tue, 06 August 2013 18:34  |
Charley
Messages: 116
Registered: September 2010
Location: Magnolia Texas
Karma: 0
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Well looks like the next big project has arrived as my brake pedal is soft going to the floor with almost no brakes at all. I was able to get it slowed downed by pumping and driving very cautiously. I won't be driving her until I get this resolved. The Brake light is on all the time now. I guess time to call up Jim and get a master cylinder and Sensitized brake booster. Then I guess I need to pull the rears and see if the rear cylinders are shot. Trying not to break the bank but must get it fixed as the brakes are sightly needed to survive. Any suggestions?? Sure this won't be cheap.
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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| Re: Brake touble [message #217219 is a reply to message #217212] |
Tue, 06 August 2013 19:26  |
Charley
Messages: 116
Registered: September 2010
Location: Magnolia Texas
Karma: 0
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Thanks for all the help1 Is any brand master cylinder better than another? Auto Zone? Oreilys? Advance? Napa? Just curious on thoughts as will be trying this first.
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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| Re: Brake touble [message #217244 is a reply to message #217212] |
Tue, 06 August 2013 22:45 |
Charley
Messages: 116
Registered: September 2010
Location: Magnolia Texas
Karma: 0
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All good to know. The brake system is all original and from the looks of the fluid it may be original as well. It does not appear to be losing fluid or not at a very high rate. Both front and rear reservoir are full of fluid as I added it when I was in North Carolina on the way back to Texas. Fun ride with brakes that hardly work.
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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| Re: Brake touble [message #217246 is a reply to message #217244] |
Tue, 06 August 2013 23:25 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Replace the master cylinder. Do not forget to bench bleed it.
While the lines are disconnected slide a 1 foot pair of hoses (I like the clear ones) over the line ends and point the hoses up. Fill the temporary hoses with brake fluid. This will keep the fluid in the lines from running out and prevent air from entering the lines.
Another thing I have done on many other drum brake vehicles is to step on the brakes, and set the parking brake prior to master cylinder removal. When the replacement was all done I released the parking brake allowing the wheel cylinders to compress and moving some fluid in the lines (with any air) to return to the master cylinder reservoir.
You can do the same thing to the front by removing one front wheel and one caliper. Compress the piston in the caliper in with a c-clamp forcing fluid with any air back into the master cylinder reservoir.
We are only trying to remove any air that may have entered the disconnected line at the master cylinder. This will not remove air elsewhere in the system.
I have replaced a master cylinder on the road by myself on a GMC in an AutoZone parking lot doing the above and not had to bleed the brakes.
After you get the brakes working correctly, if you haven't replaced the brake fluid recently, you probably ought to bleed the entire system, but that is another project.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Brake touble [message #217254 is a reply to message #217212] |
Wed, 07 August 2013 06:32 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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When my 23' lost pedal and lit the light, the problem turned out to be air in the front circuit. I had let the fluid get too low. Bleeding the fronts with a full master cylinder returned the front brakes. I watch the fluid more closely now. This was the easy fix, further problems are not as easy or chesp.
--johnny
'76 23' transmode norris
'76 palm beach
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On Tue, 8/6/13, Charley Harris <charley.harris@bakerhughes.com> wrote:
Subject: [GMCnet] Brake touble
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 11:34 PM
Well looks like the next big project has arrived as my
brake pedal is soft going to the floor with almost no brakes
at all. I was able to get it slowed downed by pumping
and driving very cautiously. I won't be driving her
until I get this resolved. The Brake light is on all
the time now. I guess time to call up Jim and get a
master cylinder and Sensitized brake booster. Then I
guess I need to pull the rears and see if the rear cylinders
are shot. Trying not to break the bank but must get it
fixed as the brakes are sightly needed to survive. Any
suggestions?? Sure this won't be cheap.
--
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: [GMCnet] Brake touble [message #217258 is a reply to message #217244] |
Wed, 07 August 2013 06:45 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Did you add fluid before or after the pedal went Dixie on you?
--johnny
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On Wed, 8/7/13, Charley Harris <charley.harris@bakerhughes.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Brake touble
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2013, 3:45 AM
All good to know. The brake system is all original and
from the looks of the fluid it may be original as
well. It does not appear to be losing fluid or not at
a very high rate. Both front and rear reservoir are
full of fluid as I added it when I was in North Carolina on
the way back to Texas. Fun ride with brakes that
hardly work.
--
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: Brake touble [message #217396 is a reply to message #217212] |
Thu, 08 August 2013 13:22 |
Charley
Messages: 116
Registered: September 2010
Location: Magnolia Texas
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Rob I may have to take you up on that offer to borrow Hupy's magic machine. I will give you a call as I am at work and hope to try and slide out of here early.
Charley Harris
Magnolia Texas
1976 Edgemont
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| Re: Brake touble [message #217403 is a reply to message #217212] |
Thu, 08 August 2013 13:50 |
Darryl
Messages: 144
Registered: December 2011
Location: Northern California
Karma: 0
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It's worth it to get your parts from JimK. You'll be sure to get the right parts the first time and have technical advice specific to the GMC if you need it.
If they haven't been replaced be sure to replace the combination valve and the "rubber" brake hoses.
Borrow Jim Huppy's brake bleeder from Rob if you can. I bought one and it was worth every penny.
Darryl Meyers
1978 Eleganza II
El Dorado Hills, CA
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