Brake Help Needed Tonight Please!!!!
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From: manson
Brake Help Needed Tonight Please!!!!
Hey guys and gails...I need quick help. I just replaced the front brakes on my 69 f100 - 390 - 2wd...I replaced the shoes, cylinders and lines....bleed everthing ( so I think )...first test drive proved that something was mushy....the brakes worked but would "pump up" with multiple strokes of pedel. SO I assumed I needed to bleed the lines more..so that is what I did. Next run, the left brake pulls harder than the right and pulls me to the left and the brake pedal is still mushy and requires the pump up method to stop. This was not the case before and the only reason I messed with the brakes in the first place was because I had to replace the king pins...and the lines were cracked and rotted. SO, what do you all suggest? Did my master cylinder go to heck over night? Am I not bleeding them properly? Also, should the front brakes be connected to the smaller front section of the master cylinder or the larger rear section?? I would like to have this fixed tonight so I can take the boat to the lake!!! thanks!
Mike
Mike
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From: Chattanooga US
Sounds like the shoes themselves aren't adjusted right. I don't remember the proper adjustment procedure but I think you turn them out till they make contact with the drum then back off one or two turns.
Greg
Greg
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From: manson
Greg..
This maybe true..I have never worked on drum brakes...keep in mind there are "self adjusters" on these brakes...are they not working or are the not intended to work in this manner?
I will go give it a try
This maybe true..I have never worked on drum brakes...keep in mind there are "self adjusters" on these brakes...are they not working or are the not intended to work in this manner?
I will go give it a try
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From: manson
HEy guys...I just did as Greg suggested...BIG DIFFERENCE!!! BUT it still wants to pull the to the left a bit...should I try to back the left brake off just a bit or clamp down the right? Not sure if this is really the problem at this point. I would run and get a master cylinder tonight but none of the local parts store have them..just checked...might be SOL!
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Joined: Mar 2002
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From: La Canada, CA
I agree with MK. If you have to pump the pedal to get brake, then the master cylinder should be replaced. It happens sometimes when pushing the pedal to the floor when bleeding. Seems the piston seals will tear when the piston moves deeper into the bore than normal when bleeding.
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From: manson
Sully...I see and it makes sense...but since the adjustment the need to pump seems to have diminished a great deal and they seem to be quite powerful once again...just that annoying pull to the left remains....bleed again or try to adjust?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Brea CA
The front brakes are fed by the larger reservoir in the rear which is the primary reservoir.
Ya sure you got everything back together correctly like the front and back shoes and the self adjusters? I'd crank the adjusters until the shoes drag a little and then bleed both fronts again.
Ya sure you got everything back together correctly like the front and back shoes and the self adjusters? I'd crank the adjusters until the shoes drag a little and then bleed both fronts again.
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From: Ponca City, OK
The self-adjusters only work when the truck is stopped while going in reverse. The best way to make the initial adjustment is through the access hole located on the backing plate. Raise the wheel off the ground and rotate the wheel by hand. Move the adjuster until you can hear just a slight scrapping sound (brake shoe will be lightly touching the drum). Adjust both wheels the same then test drive again. To make the final adjustment, find an empty parking lot and drive the truck forward. Come to a complete stop then back up aprroximately 10 feet then bring to a complete stop again. Repeat a few times and this should eliminate the pulling problem.
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From: manson
BB....
Interesting...the master cylinder is hooked up wrong!!! While bleeding the front brakes, the front reservoir ( small..front of master cylinder ) was the one that was being dumped. Hey..I didn't do it! One more thing to fix. New master cylinder on the way via UPS. I did jack the front back up...kicked the left wheel loose a notch or two and the right wheel a notch or two tighter...hit the brakes and it is nearly dead straight. Both wheels turn free when off the ground....
You mentioned cranking the adjusters down till they drag, then re-bleed. What will this accomplish that bleeding when the adjusters were loose wont?
Thanks a ton to everyone!
Interesting...the master cylinder is hooked up wrong!!! While bleeding the front brakes, the front reservoir ( small..front of master cylinder ) was the one that was being dumped. Hey..I didn't do it! One more thing to fix. New master cylinder on the way via UPS. I did jack the front back up...kicked the left wheel loose a notch or two and the right wheel a notch or two tighter...hit the brakes and it is nearly dead straight. Both wheels turn free when off the ground....
You mentioned cranking the adjusters down till they drag, then re-bleed. What will this accomplish that bleeding when the adjusters were loose wont?
Thanks a ton to everyone!
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From: manson
BB....I checked Parts America and another place online...they claimed not to have the part in stock... Didn't check Napa to be honest.
Ken...yes to your question...so I bled the living heck out of both sides...it was the smaller of the two that got sucked down..not sure how far honestly.
More suggestions? I should have the new MC Monday...
Also....just thought of this. This truck does have power brakes..when I hit the brakes I hear what I believe is a vac leak....is the diaphram in the booster bad?
Ken...yes to your question...so I bled the living heck out of both sides...it was the smaller of the two that got sucked down..not sure how far honestly.
More suggestions? I should have the new MC Monday...
Also....just thought of this. This truck does have power brakes..when I hit the brakes I hear what I believe is a vac leak....is the diaphram in the booster bad?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Brea CA
The brief sucking sound is normal. That's the way it works by drawing in atmospheric pressure and amplifying it with the vacuum behind the diaphram. If it's a constant hissing then that's a problem.
Also, if the mc went dry you have to bleed it by itself (called bench bleeding but you can do it in the truck) before attaching the lines and bleeding them. Attach some fittings to both ports and hook some tubing so each port refills each reservior. Slowly push down the pedal and release, repeat until no bubbles come out of the lines. It's best if the power booster is exhausted when doing this. Pump the brakes a few times first to exhaust all the vacuum out of the booster.
Also, if the mc went dry you have to bleed it by itself (called bench bleeding but you can do it in the truck) before attaching the lines and bleeding them. Attach some fittings to both ports and hook some tubing so each port refills each reservior. Slowly push down the pedal and release, repeat until no bubbles come out of the lines. It's best if the power booster is exhausted when doing this. Pump the brakes a few times first to exhaust all the vacuum out of the booster.
Last edited by BB; May 21, 2004 at 10:17 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Shreveport, La.
The 'bench bleeding technique" is a must.
From what's been said here, if MC and Booster were working fine before, they're probably fine now.
After bleeding the MC, you really should bleed all 4 cylinders, were you doing that before or just the front?
Do you know the sequence?
From what's been said here, if MC and Booster were working fine before, they're probably fine now.
After bleeding the MC, you really should bleed all 4 cylinders, were you doing that before or just the front?
Do you know the sequence?