TheSamba.com :: View topic - bleeding brakes...not sure what im doing wrong.....

Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:17 am

All set guys...thanks for all the advice.

Taped away at the master with a wrench to release any bubbles.
Started in the front with a buddy pumping, moved to the rear.
Took a lot of pumping but finally forced some good bubbles out.
and after all that, it works great.

Thanks again, and im sure i will be talking to all of you real soon.

Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:01 am

Awesome! Glad I could help.

Mitch

Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:55 am

Do keep an eye on your booster, and the fluid level in the resevoir on top of the M/C. Leaks can occur where the resevoir attaches to the M/C if the grommets didn't seat correctly, and sometimes the outlets on the resevoir can crack if it's not seated with just the right amount of push. Too much will crack them. Especially if it's an original resevoir. Happy braking, but do take the time to look underneath for leaks.

Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:49 pm

alright....I replaced my master cylinder on my 73 westfalia, bleed the system and got them working well. Started the bus for a test drive and noticed a low idol. I proceded to drive around the block and the bus was really low on power and even stalled at a stop sign. My limited knowledge of the bus has me thinking it is a vacume problem but I'm not really sure. To make it worse, when I got back and parked the bus I noticed a few drops of oil had already made their way out of my engine and dripped to the ground. The oil is dripping down at the back of my 1700 pancake engine(~300 miles on the rebuild) in front of the exhaust right around the engine beam that supports the engine to the frame. It's not huge amounts of oil but has me concerned because it has never dripped before.
How bad is it?
Any ideas where do I start?
Thanks

Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:59 pm

So how much and how often and for how long have you been putting brake fluid into the little reservoir to keep it filled? And have there been brake fluid drips underneath or dripping down the inside of the tires? If you had been having to fill the system and it wasn't leaking where you could see it, it has been going into the engine. Engines don't like running on brake fluid.
If your booster or vac line or check valve or connection at the engine are leaking that could also cause you engine running problem. You can unhook the line from the engine and plug the connection to see if brake vac leaks are causing the engine running problem.

What did you ever do to the booster to get the fluid out and get the inside cleaned up?

Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:08 pm

I poured 1 small bottle in over a week duration before I stopped driving it. The bus sat for another 2 weeks while I waited for parts and got it all hooked up. Since swapping the master the fluid level has stabilized. Aside from the bleeding process, I haven't had to add any more. Still no visible drips or leaks anywhere so I think it was the master that was causing the fluid to disapear. To clean the booster out I used a turkey baister to suck most the fluid, then worked shop rags down in the hole with my fingers and got the majority of the rest out. Couldn't get it all but this was the best I could do. The engine ran great before I parked it to do the brake work so I have to assume this is all related to the brake system.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:36 am

Assuming you replaced the big rubber O ring seal with a new one that goes between the booster and M/C (and the booster is still good), it sounds like you have some sort of vac leak. As DBM suggests, disconnect the vac line at the engine and plug the engine connection up and see how it runs. Does the vac line from the booster have fluid or traces of fluid???? If so, you better change your oil and hope for the best. I'm not sure of the oil leak, take a pic of the leak's location and post it.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:49 pm

UPDATE:
I replaced all of the vacume lines as they looked pretty worn. The engine seems to be idoling better now. It is still low on power though. The brakes seem to be doing well so I don't think that is an issue anymore but not sure where to begin looking for the lost power. It rev's well at a stop but under load the bus is slow.
Any ideas?

Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:58 pm

MCBAIN wrote: alright....I replaced my master cylinder on my 73 westfalia, bleed the system and got them working well. Started the bus for a test drive and noticed a low idol. I proceded to drive around the block and the bus was really low on power and even stalled at a stop sign. My limited knowledge of the bus has me thinking it is a vacume problem but I'm not really sure. To make it worse, when I got back and parked the bus I noticed a few drops of oil had already made their way out of my engine and dripped to the ground. The oil is dripping down at the back of my 1700 pancake engine(~300 miles on the rebuild) in front of the exhaust right around the engine beam that supports the engine to the frame. It's not huge amounts of oil but has me concerned because it has never dripped before.
How bad is it?
Any ideas where do I start?
Thanks

does your oil leak look like this??

if so.. it could be one of these little plugs getting ready to pop.
(see hole just above engine mount)

Mine poped and dumped all the oil at once :(

Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:14 pm

That's the area but no where near the amount. What was the cause of your plugs to blow and loose your oil?

Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:50 pm

Sorry to keep dragging this topic to the top but i am at a loss.
...and no pun intended.....
The bus idols well, rev's well...but under load it has 0 power. And it seems to be getting worse. The oil dripping still seems to be very minimal. Breaks are working great. Could the brake fluid being sucked in through the vacuum system be goobing something up?
My bus drives like it has been kicked in the crotch.
Please help.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:01 pm

Are you checking your upper reservoir to be sure the level isn't dropping? You emptied out the booster so it isn't now going into the engine unless it's eating up fluid.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:08 pm

After i swapped the master i haven't lost any more fluid.
The breaks seem to be happy.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:10 pm

To be more accurate i should have stated

Could the brake fluid that WAS sucked in through the vacuum system be goobing something up?

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:15 pm

Give me a brake! I don't know, sorry.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:22 pm

No worries Desertbusman...
I didnt reply to correct my statement to give you a hard time..sorry if it came off that way.
I just wanted to be sure we were all on the same page here and you knew what i was referring to.

Thanks for helping me through this...

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:55 pm

Couple of small points Mcbain--

Your Bus idles, it does not idol.

Your Bus has brakes, it does not have breaks.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:08 pm

alright....i really appreciate all the help on Samba.
I think it is a great source of information.

But give me a freaking break VDubTech!
SO the F what.....i misspelled a few words.
Im trying my best to type on my cell phone with man hands and it doesn't always come out right. You knew exactly what i was talking about so why do you feel the need to to be an ass about it....were not grading each other on proper spelling and grammar here so deal with it.

Any comments pertinent to my question are much appreciated.
Anything else you can put in your pipe and smoke.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:53 pm

Mcbain, you're absolutely correct....it's entirely your prerogative if you choose to let the online world see you as a dullard with an elementary level education. I apologize for suggesting to you the correct spellings of simple words. Good luck with your Bus.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:22 pm

If and when I ever start that texting stuff if I can't plug a full size keyboard into the cell phone I'm not even going to try it. :lol: