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Spongy Breaks

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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 11:30 AM
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Spongy Breaks

Have a 95 F-150 that had sat for 4 years in a guys barn. Got her running and now working on break system.

replaced the master, calipers, drum cylinders, and bled everything more than once.

opened up the RABS valve, bled that as well.

checked booster check valve and seems to be ok - but this is the only part I have not changed in the system.

when the truck is off, I can get pressure at the pedal and it will hold pressure for a few minutes. If I start the truck the pedal immediately drops out and will not build pressure.

All the lines are good and don’t see any obvious leaks through the system.

any ideas? Thinking I may just change the booster, but that’s another $100 down the drain if not the problem.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 12:36 PM
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Brakes. Did you replace the 3 rubber hoses? Can you hear a hissing sound when you press the pedal with the motor running?
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 01:54 PM
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Cannot hear a hissing sound, not to say it’s not there. I don’t know what 3 rubber hoses you mean

I am going to replace the booster just to clear that part of it. If that’s not it….might just have a bon fire
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by PawPaw64
Cannot hear a hissing sound, not to say it’s not there. I don’t know what 3 rubber hoses you mean

I am going to replace the booster just to clear that part of it. If that’s not it….might just have a bon fire
There's rubber segments of brake hose. One on each side on the front axle, between the caliper and the spring buckets, and one in the rear, between the T on the axle and the frame cross member. They can degrade and swell under pressure, damping the pressure that would otherwise actuate the wheel cylinders and caliper pistons. Cheap parts, maybe a pain to replace if the fittings are rusty. But if they're junk, they're junk.
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 04:58 PM
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Replaced the booster - no luck. Going to go after the three rubber hoses. Would I just replace or is there something that would identify a bad hose - everything looks dry
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by PawPaw64
Have a 95 F-150 that had sat for 4 years in a guys barn. Got her running and now working on break system.

replaced the master, calipers, drum cylinders, and bled everything more than once.

opened up the RABS valve, bled that as well.

checked booster check valve and seems to be ok - but this is the only part I have not changed in the system.

when the truck is off, I can get pressure at the pedal and it will hold pressure for a few minutes. If I start the truck the pedal immediately drops out and will not build pressure.

All the lines are good and don’t see any obvious leaks through the system.

any ideas? Thinking I may just change the booster, but that’s another $100 down the drain if not the problem.
"only part you have not changed" ok, so you replaced the propoprtioning valve on the master cylinder, and you replaced all the rubber hoses, your drum brake springs were replaced, your master cylinders are good, and you lubed and refreshed the front hardware and you adjusted your wheel bearings?

Lol, might want to step back and clarify what "only" means
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by PawPaw64
Replaced the booster - no luck. Going to go after the three rubber hoses. Would I just replace or is there something that would identify a bad hose - everything looks dry
If its original, ITS BAD. They are not something that can last 20+ years in someones garage without truly encountering wear. what color is your fluid, did you push out fluid from the end of the lines at the wheels. and did you adjust your rear brakes in addition to the hardware
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 05:48 PM
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All new calipers, drums, clean fluid, new bearings on front, new hardware on back, new master cylinder, drum cylinders, new booster.

No external leaks that I can see. Pedal gains pressure with truck off but will not gain pressure when running
 
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Old Jul 16, 2022 | 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by PawPaw64
All new calipers, drums, clean fluid, new bearings on front, new hardware on back, new master cylinder, drum cylinders, new booster.

No external leaks that I can see. Pedal gains pressure with truck off but will not gain pressure when running
sounds like you have a master cylinder issue , a fluid restriction, or super bad rear adjustment + a proportioning valve issue. what was the condition of the old fluid and did you replace that proportioning valve on the MC? Was it dirty? Did you bleed the brakes in the right order? Did you bench bleed the master?

When you say no pressure when running, to be clear, you arent holding it to the floor then turning it on?
 
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Old Jul 31, 2022 | 09:58 AM
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‘95 F150 Spongy Breaks

Hello, need help with why I may have spongy breaks still
- new master cylinder
- new proportioning valve
- bled RABS valve
​​​​​​- new booster
- new front calipers and pads
- new rear disk hardware
- bled a dozen different times in correct order (no air bubbles)
- clean fluid through system
- no visible leaks

thinking of replacing hoses - but I don’t see any leakage and just tired of throwing money at parts. Truck builds pressure when pumping breaks and looses pressure when you stop (leak?) Also builds better pressure with truck off and as soon as I turn it over it looses all pressure that has built up.
 
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Old Jul 31, 2022 | 02:17 PM
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Did you adjust your drum brake shoes so they just touch or drag a little as you put the drum on? If the shoes are not adjusted out they will expand a lot as you push the pedal, which makes it hard or impossible to get enough pressure.
 
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Old Jul 31, 2022 | 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by PawPaw64
- new master cylinder

thinking of replacing hoses - but I don’t see any leakage and just tired of throwing money at parts. Truck builds pressure when pumping breaks and looses pressure when you stop (leak?) Also builds better pressure with truck off and as soon as I turn it over it looses all pressure that has built up.
New doesn’t mean anything. Pumping the brake pedal building up pressure sounds like the new master cylinder is defective. Did you benchnbleed the new master cylinder before installation? Starting the truck introduces vacuum to the booster so the pedal won’t be as hard as if the truck was off and the vacuum depleted.

You cannot see the inside of the rubber hoses. They deteriorate over time and can collapse internally.
 
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Old Jul 31, 2022 | 06:30 PM
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Master Cylinder

I tried to bleed the new master cylinder Installed.

should I pull the master and purchase a bench bleed kit or think about the hoses first?

one thing I have noticed when bleeding the rear - it has good fluid pressure for a short second and then all fluid flow pretty much stops…I would think the system pressure would at least keep it leaking like I see on the front calipers
 
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