brake pedal goes to the floor. no pressure!
 

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mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> I have a 1951 ford f1 with a 239 flathead v8. When I press on the brake pedal it goes straight to the floor. There is no pressure or anything to it. The truck has been sitting for a while so I am assuming that the fluid has leaked out of the lines. I notice that under the cab bolted to the frame, the master cylinder is there. My question is, how do I add fluid to the lines to see if I can get pressure. Please help. Thanks!

Having the master cylinder in place is half the battle. You can access the fill hole through a plug in the drivers foot well on the cab floor. Put fluid in and see if you can bleed the brakes. If it's been dry and/or unused for some time, a full and complete brake hydraulic system overhaul and replacement may be in order. It could be full of gunk and rust. And there's no fixing that without replacing everything.

What he said.

ehhhhhhh i hope thats not the case. you are saying to use hydraulic fluid... correct?


i know i am hijacking my own thread, but speaking of fluid i have a question about the transmission. it is a 3 speed with the shifter on the column. what do i use for fluid there.. hydraulic as well?


thanks!

Brake systems are hydraulic type but they use a special fluid that can withstand much higher temperatures . Brake systems are a closed system . I suspect you need a complete brake system overhaul . Get a manual for your truck if you don't already have one , and start pulling off brake drums to inspect condition .

Just my humble opinion, but unless you know the condition of the brake system, consider that brake overhaul. If your system is low on fluid, you have a leak. If you have one leak you have the potential for more than one leak. Any leak in these single system brake configuration can be fatal. Do yourself and all around you a favor and make sure the brakes are right.

"Hydraulic fluid" is a general term and is actually redundant (hydra = fluid). 52Merc was just saying that you need to overhaul the fluid portion of your brake system, meaning the master cylinder, hard fluid lines, soft fluid hoses, and wheel cylinders. The "hard" parts of the system include the brake pedal, master cylinder push rod, brake shoes, springs, etc. Those parts probably have nothing to do with your issues and only warrant inspection.

cosmaar, based on the questions that you are asking...I would strongly suggest that you find some professional help in your local area, either a shop or a mechanic friend. These are very basic topics that will be difficult for us to address and you to comprehend in this forum. There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks here who are eager to help but there is a certain amount of knowledge about auto mechanics that you should have before you can make best use of their advice. Do a little homework, read the service manual and/or a basic auto mechanics book and you will find that your comprehension will improve dramatically. Good luck...

I'm not really questioning my mechanical skills because I am currently restoring a 71 Chevelle. I've been down the road of "silly questions" from learning how to make a car work. In this case, yes I agree the fluid question was silly, but I was unsure of the type of fluid to use because of the information I have read online. I have read hundreds of forum posts and i have read people using different lubricants for different parts of the truck. I was just wondering what you all thought from your experience. I too agree that the brake system needs an overhall. I rather check and make sure I will be stopping instead of ramming some person from behind and causing injury to not only myself but to those I hit.


Thank you for all your help.

I don't think it was a silly question, just one of those questions that result from a bunch of people trying to communicate across the WWW while not occupying the same time-space continuum. :)

Brake Fluid in the Brake system and gear lube like 80 -90 in the trans.

maybe i need to go watch a few episodes of the Big Bang Theory to get my mind right. }>


thank you kindly sir.