TheSamba.com :: View topic - Need some help with brakes, PLEASE!! (1964)

Thu Apr 03, 2003 7:49 am

Hello everyone, I need some advise on my brakes on my 64. I believe that they are not adjusted properly but I can't seam to get it right. I recently bought the car and the brakes have been worked on very recently. The metal and rubber lines are new, and the drums and shoes are new.

Anyway, after driving the car about 30 miles the brakes locked up on me. I felt each wheel and the RF and RR and LR wheels were hot. After the car sat for an hour or so, the wheels had freed up again. I had the car trailered home and I took off the hubcaps and rotated the star adjusters so that the shoes were open a little more. I dorve the car on a few very short drives with no problems. Yesterday I drove it a little further and after about 20 miles I could feel them locking up again. So I pull over and sure enough the rear wheel were hot, but not the front. After cooling off we went straight home.

I believe this is an adjustment problem, but I don't know for sure. Does anyone have any suggestions and/or a good procedure to follow for properly adjusting the brakes?

I really appreciate the help.

Thanks,

Chris....

Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:00 am

A bad master cylinder will give these symptoms. So will a mal-adjusted master cylinder pushrod. Were either of these messed with when the brakes were done?

Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:02 am

And, since it's happening on the majority of your wheels, I'm betting on master cylinder or pushrod.

Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:05 am

yep, your master cylinder pushrod is adjusted to tight. loosen it till you have about a half inch of pedal freeplay.

Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:42 pm

Hey thanks for the help everyone. Anyone know where I could find a good how to page that show how to adjust the pushrod?

Thanks again!

Chris

Thu Apr 03, 2003 8:59 pm

The LHD cars have a clamp/bracket at the left side of the cluster to adjust the pedal positions - the push rod is not used for that. I can't tell you exactly how it's done as I'm RHD here in Aus and our pedals are quite different.

Adjust the push rod so you have about 5-7mm free play at the top of the pedal (before the pushrod touches the MC piston - you can feel it with your hand). Then if the cluster is positioned correctly you should have another 10mm or so of pedal movement after that - before the brakes start to apply.

It's MOST important to get that initial free play in the pushrod-to-piston fit, or the valves inside the MC remain covered by the piston and the fluid won't return to the reserviour, so you end up with tight brakes.

The Bentley manual has a description of the adjustement (for the LHD cars) I think.

Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.geocities.com/aussiebug1970/