Brakes Stopped Working... Help!

-
fastfret7

fastfret7

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
sterling,va
O.K. I haven't driven my 1965 Dart GT Convertible in over three months so I decided to take her out today(sunny clear day)... I let her warm up for about 15 minutes and got into and car and press the brakes... The brakes pedal went all the way to the floor with no pressure at all! I tried to engage the parking brake, but that didn't work neither. I do not know what is going on! There is no fluid or anything on the ground.. The manual brakes where replaced less than a year ago. It snowed last night, but there is no snow on the ground... Please someone help! Thanks!!!:banghead:
 
If there is fluid in the master cylinder and all of the brake lines are intact that leaves only the master cylinder as bad. They can and do fail. Easy to fix just remember to bench bleed it first then bleed all the lines. Brakes are quite simple and there are only a few things that can go wrong. Make sure that you don't have any leaks before you replace the master cylinder. leaks aren't always obvious.
 
Repairing the leak and bleeding the system should restore brake opperation, but the parking brake is a different issue.
 
Three months is plenty of time for a slow leak on the small amount of fluid in a master cylinder. I"d look CAREFULLY at the tires for tell-tale streaks of a leak, at hoses and fittings for "mushy" for signs of fluid and wet spots.

If all else fails, fill 'er up and see if you can pump 'er up. Then mash on it and HOLD it HARD for as long as your leg holds out, then go 'round looking for leaks.

Don't discount the REAR of the cylinder, if you have a dust boot that fits well, it might just be full of fluid. If you have boosted brakes, it might all be lying in the booster, ruining it, I might add.
 
if ur still running the old 1 bowl set up then i have never had one that didnt go dry orver a long sit so if its sat that long i bet ur fine now like what was said up top look for leaks .. u dont want to have that thing going dry when driving its not a fun drive trust me lol .. when i let my cars sit i will go and check there stuff and fill it up when needed and pump the brakes at least one time a week keeps things moving
 
dont forget the dot5 much better than all the other dot3/4 silicone base it dont absorb moisture like the other fluids .... water/moisture is brake fluid worst enemy
 
The parking brake/E brake is controlled by the handle under the dash but a cable that runs under the car is what connects everything to the rear drums. Your gona have to crawl under the car and take a peek and see if it's all hooked up. Do you have any one that wants you dead? Just jokin with ya. Always thinkin outside the bun ya know.
Small Block
 
The E-brake won't do much if the car is rolling backwards and is marginal at best going forward. Make sure your shoes are good and all the cables are free and adjusted is the best you can hope for there. As for your master cylinder going dry.....there is a leak whether you can see it or not. If you see nothing obvious around the wheels/backing plates, most likely it's the rear seal in the master cylinder. If you have power brakes, the fluid will leak into the booster (and eventually rot the diaphram). If it's manual brakes, the fluid is probably leaking down the firewall.....either inside or outside. You'll see the results on the outside because the paint is probably peeling off the firewall below the cylinder. If it's leaking on the inside, you have to pull up the carpet to see the damage there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top