hi...have manual brakes non boost..disk front drum rear .. does anyone know why i have to press the brake pedal one time to make it stiff before i brake to stop?? i checked all lines no leaks and bleed the lines...anything i missed? also the pro valve is no adjustable...any help
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RE: brakes
by saturday night special
Posted: 09/22/2003 22:01 EST
One possibility is if you are using calipers that were originally mounted vertical in the original factory design and you now have them mounted horizontal in your own custom setup the bleed screw will be in the wrong location and a air pocket will result inside the caliper. The fix is to unbolt the caliper from its mount but leave it on the rotor ,then rotate it to the factory posistion, bleed it and then roate and reinstall it.
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RE: brakes
by trackster
Posted: 09/23/2003 00:01 EST
Make sure the rear shoes are properly adjusted, if you haven't already. Had same problem, adjusted, and pedal was fine.
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Gary
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RE: brakes
by Bruce
Posted: 09/23/2003 00:25 EST
You type faster than I do, Gary! LOL
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RE: brakes
by Bruce
Posted: 09/23/2003 00:22 EST
(1) The most likely cause is air trapped somewhere in the system.
(2) If you KNOW for sure that there is NO air, a faulty or missing residual pressure valve to the front brakes is a definite possibility. ..... A faulty rpv will allow the pads to pull away from the rotors too far, requiring the extra push on the pedal.
(3) Improperly adjusted rear brakes will require more fluid to move the shoes into contact with the drums, thus the extra pedal pump.
You didn't provide much info. .... Were the brakes working correctly previously? .... Is this a new install? .... Was the master cylinder "bench bled" before connecting all the lines? .... Do you have a disc-brake hold-off valve in the front circuit? If so, you may have to bleed the front brakes differently. .... What have you done so far to troubleshoot the problem?
Give us more info, and I'm sure you'll get more suggestions.
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RE: brakes
by Fred
Posted: 09/23/2003 08:25 EST
One little trick I found when using disc/drums, and you have a soft pedal, is to pull the handbrake on then back it off a notch or 2 then check to see if the pedal is up...if you have to pull the handbrake more than usual, that would indicate adjustment is needed....Most brake systems are self adjusting but I seldom back up enuff to allow for self adjusting..
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Fred P.
