Hard brakes

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Apr 29, 2002 | 03:16 AM

72RangerXLT

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 42

Likes: 0

From: Hot Springs

Hard brakes

My 72 F100 with power brakes is acting strange. When I push the brake pedal it goes a little way and hits a brick wall. I have to push hard to get good braking. When I am at a stop light it seems like I can hardly hold the truck back. I have reworked the front brakes with new hoses,wheel cylinders,and brake shoes. I did the rework job last year. I noticed that the fluid in the master cylinder is hazy(only in the front half) and that there seems to be some seepage on the front of the booster. Do I need a new master cylinder, new booster, or what?Ohh I almost forgot... sometimes I have to pump the pedal a time or two to get pressure. But that doesn't happen all of the time or I'd just think that I needed to bleed the lines again. This is a strange problem to me.

Apr 29, 2002 | 06:38 AM

jds1971

Elder User

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 609

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From: Watauga TEXAS

Hard brakes

Sounds to me like you need another master cylinder. Also, if it has been "seeping" for a long time, I'm sure the booster has been damaged, causing you to have an extremely hard pedal.

Apr 29, 2002 | 10:49 AM

Post Fiend

Joined: Feb 2000

Posts: 5,130

Likes: 8

From: Brea CA

Hard brakes

Here’s a quick and easy way to see if the booster has died. With the engine off, pump the brakes several times to purge the residual vacuum. Then hold your foot down on the brake while you start the engine. When the engine starts the pedal should travel down farther. If it stays in the same place, it’s time to exchange the booster.

If your master is leaking, replace it too or else it will take out your new booster.

Barry

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