brake pedal needs pumping

diymirage said

thanks for the replies guys, I will check for leaky lines
I backed the adjusters all the way off when I redid the brakes, they should re-adjust soon no?

one thing I was wondering aswell, I'm not sure what size drums I have in the front, they could be 9s, would that be an issue, with the larger brakes out back?

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I do it this way:
Before putting the drum on for the final time I adjust the adjuster out until the shoes are expanded just enough to slightly drag when I rotate the drum. It may take a couple tries to get a nice feel and to center up the drum. I find it FAR easier to operate the adjuster from the outside compared to working through the little slots in the backing plates. You can hear the scraping noise as the drum is rotated. That sets the shoes pretty close to the ID of the drum. Then I will drive the car in reverse and apply the brakes several times. Backing up and applying the brakes is what makes the self adjusters work. Also the arc of the new shoes may not exactly match the inside diameter of the drum but they will wear in. Unless you find a place that will grind the shoes to the exact radius of the drums.

Pumping the brakes with an open bleeder probably causes the MC piston to stroke further than a normal braking application. That "may" cause the MC to start leaking.

With everything installed, apply and hold the brake pedal down. It should be rock hard and stay solid forever. If it s-l-o-w-l-y heads to the floor, you have a hydraulic leak. MC, brake line, wheel cylinder, disc caliper, etc. Sometimes it just takes another 1/4 turn on a brake line nut to stop a leak.