Brake issue.

[66Dart225]

Hi all. I finished up my car after it had been sitting for ever. The previous owner only had the back brakes hooked up. It has the one line master cylinder and he had a t in the back with a line to the master cylinder. I just put all new wheel cyclinders, shoes, and complete lines in the car. I used the original 4 way block in front. I bled the brakes and have fluid coming out bit air. If I pump it a few times I kinda get a pedal but then I let it sit for a few seconds and it goes back to the floor. I have no leaks the brakes used to be hard a few years ago when it was only back ones. What could be wrong? Thanks.

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

Hi all. I finished up my car after it had been sitting for ever. The previous owner only had the back brakes hooked up. It has the one line master cylinder and he had a t in the back with a line to the master cylinder. I just put all new wheel cyclinders, shoes, and complete lines in the car. I used the original 4 way block in front. I bled the brakes and have fluid coming out bit air. If I pump it a few times I kinda get a pedal but then I let it sit for a few seconds and it goes back to the floor. I have no leaks the brakes used to be hard a few years ago when it was only back ones. What could be wrong? Thanks.

You have to get all the air out. Have you adjusted the shoes?

What are you working on?

You really need to upgrade to a dual master cylinder system on your car for safety reasons.

 

[Dart_Doctor]

Im guessin its a 66 dart ? Bill is right . ALL the air has to be out . I go though bout a bottle of brake flude when i do the barkes on thes old clunkers . Now When i did them on my old val . The pettle would go t the floor the 1st time . ( with all the air out ) I drove it aound the yard and it came back when the shoes seated . (make sure you cant hit nothing ) . I would change the single pot to a duel pot As well if money is there to do so . Even better upgrade to BBP disk brakes .

 

[RedFish]

I'll lay my quarter on failing master cylinder. You'll know once you get all the air out.
Typical symptom.. good pedal at one red light and panic pump for brakes at the next.

 

[66Dart225]

I'll lay my quarter on failing master cylinder. You'll know once you get all the air out.
Typical symptom.. good pedal at one red light and panic pump for brakes at the next.

Yup that's what I got. Lol. I defiantly got all the air out. Gonna put on a dual system.

 

[BillGrissom]

"he had a t in the back with a line to the master cylinder."

Not sure what that means. Do you mean something behind the MC or are you talking about the "rear axle". Anyway, only 1 tube from your MC, which must go to your distribution block, so is this another tube you are talking about, or does it not go to the MC?

Did you first "bench bleed" the MC? If not, you can do this on the car. Many videos on youtube. If you don't, you will never get all the bubbles out. I put a dual MC on all my 60's cars. $25 new MC for 95 Breeze w/ ABS. Light, clean, and looks good to me, but some prefer the rusty, bulky cast iron look.

 

[66Dart225]

"he had a t in the back with a line to the master cylinder."

Not sure what that means. Do you mean something behind the MC or are you talking about the "rear axle". Anyway, only 1 tube from your MC, which must go to your distribution block, so is this another tube you are talking about, or does it not go to the MC?

Did you first "bench bleed" the MC? If not, you can do this on the car. Many videos on youtube. If you don't, you will never get all the bubbles out. I put a dual MC on all my 60's cars. $25 new MC for 95 Breeze w/ ABS. Light, clean, and looks good to me, but some prefer the rusty, bulky cast iron look.

How do you mount it to the firewall it's not the same shape as the one that's on it.

 

[phogroian]

I'm assuming that this car has non-power brakes and 9" drums all around.

The previous owner probably set it up this way as a temporary brake workaround/fix so that there would be some braking functionality while the car was being worked on/moved around the work area.

The car should have a three-way junction in the front of the car; two ports to route fluid to the L and R front wheel cylinders, and a single line to the rear. In there rear there is a two-way T fitting to distribute fluid to the L and R rear wheel cylinders.

If you replaced all the lines and wheel cylinders, you may well still have air in the system. Try applying a vacuum to each wheel cylinder to draw fresh fluid into the system.

If you are retaining the existing MC, it has already been bled- but as stated may be defective.

If you buy a '68 dual chamber MC, it should bolt right on. Route the line from the front MC chamber to the line that goes to the rear wheels, and route the rear MC chamber to the old 3-way junction block. You will simply need to plug the line that would have gone to the rear from the 3-way junction.

As mentioned, bench bleed your new MC before bolting it into the car, and if there is way too much free space between the brake shoes and drums you will use up all your pedal free play (pumping fluid into the maladjusted assembl(ies) 'till the shoes eventually engage the drum(s)).

 

[BillGrissom]

How do you mount it to the firewall it's not the same shape as the one that's on it.

I gave a detailed response, but seems to have disappeared. Anyway, there are 2-to-4 bolt adapter plates on ebay for ~$35. That can adapt to either the firewall directly or an original vacuum booster. On my 65 Dart, I used both the booster & MC from a Breeze on 74 Dart brackets.

There are many other 2-bolt aluminum MC's. Many use an ~85 Dodge truck MC. The 7/8"D bore in the Breeze MC works good for me for both manual and power brakes. I have one in 3 old Mopars.