At 06:42 PM 5/9/98 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Listers:
>Friday night Oelvis (that's his name) was great, no problem. I woke up
>Satuday morning, and the brake pedal went to the floor with minimal
>resistance. The only stopping power was when the pedal actually hit the
>floor.
>I looked at the master cylinder, and indeed, it was near empty, but just a
>few days before it was fine. I put in fluid to try to correct the
>problem, with no avail.
>I'm not knowledgeable on brake systems, but I figured there is probably a
>fault in the hydraulic system. How do I diagnose the problem? I don't
>even know how to bleed the brakes, so give me the bad news in simple
>terms...I can take it!
Find the missing fluid. I mean it had to go somewhere. there should be a
"wet" area at one or the wheels or pipes. Correct this leak. Then, yes
you must bleed the brakes. In the absence of some special equipment for
this task, it takes two people one at the steering wheel (brake pedel) and
one at each road wheel (in sequence). Since you don't know how, it would
be best to have that second person the one who knows. In the absence of
that, get a book. It is simple really.....
Fill the master cylindar, put a short, small rubber hose on the bleed
nipple of one of the wheels cylindars, put the other end into a small jar
with a bit of new fluid in the bottom, open the bleed nipple, press down
the brake pedel to the floor. Now close the bleed nipple and then release
the pedel, do it again, (open nipple, press, close, release) Watch the
fluid level in the master cylindar, add fluid to keep it more than 1/3 full
at all times. You sometimes have to pump EACH wheel 20 times or so, or
until there are no more bubbles comming from the end of your short hose at
the wheel. (start with the back wheels, right side.
Then after you are all finished with that, remove all of the wheel
cylindars and the master cylindar. renew all and start all over again with
the bleeding. This because it is very likely that these parts are due for
work.
Thomas Howard
'72 GT6, (and a good bit of USA Iron)
Lakeside Union School District
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