TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:20 pm

happy forth all!

Look's Like the brake gremlins are running around the bay area. lol

My brake warning light came on yesterday.
so far I have adjusted the push rod bleed the brakes twice and adjusted the front drums, the peddle is still soft.
two things I noticed when the brake is pushed in, is it sounds like air bubbles in the mc and the second is the fluid level seems to rise and fall in the reservoir.
the MC is NOS I installed in early spring.
any suggestions?
thx

Wed Jul 04, 2012 4:37 pm

Adjust your rear drums and the front ones again. Fluid goes in and out when the pistons extend and retract. Reduce that movement by the shoe adjustments.

Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:05 pm

adjusted the back and front twice and still have half a peddle free play.
Im thinking there is some thing up with the MC going to look around and see how to bleed it and try again.

Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:04 am

Well this why you don't buy NOS brake parts from ebay, so take heed and buy your parts from a retailer that rebuilds them vs some seller clearing out a shop that closed 5 yrs ago.

I have come to the conclusion that the seals in the MC have gone out.
after adjusting and bleeding a few times and the brake fluid still coming out dark and not clear like fresh fluid should.

so this is my list of warning signs you mc maybe bad.
soft brakes or brakes go half way then go hard.
dash brake light go's on, on hard braking.
bleeding brake have no results and fluid is dark and dos not get any clearer.
sounds from mc like bubbles. "that's the fluid passing the seal"
adjusting the 4 brakes has no results.

FYI this for a 70 bus YMMV.

Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:53 pm

brake parts like cyl's don't like to sit for a long time before being used, I've noticed several new car parts I've bought recently have had 'use by' dates printed on the box. Brake parts are probably like tyres, usually better to buy new (recently manufactured) than NOS.

My MC went recently, the front brakes started to drag - I could hear them squeaking at low speed. I jacked the front up and both calipers were obviously not returning fully, I pretty much immediately ruled out the soft lines and calipers as I'd replaced them relatively recently, the MC however had been untouched by me since I bought the bus in 99. I cracked the brakelight switch a few threads and both wheels freed off straight away, so off came the MC, it was a no-name repro and was dated 1988, so had been doing the business for 25 ish years. I didn't bother scouring the planet and laying out the wedge for a genuine FTE one, just went for the no-name budget option, it just said 'made in Italy', we'll see how it gets on over the next quarter century or so.

A.

Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:03 pm

I been looking for the cheap ones, but looks like there NLA.
going power brakes starting to look cheap to me.

Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:20 pm

VWDruid wrote: I been looking for the cheap ones, but looks like there NLA.
going power brakes starting to look cheap to me.
Sure about that?, I'll bet doing a conversion will cost more than a good MC in money and trouble by the time the dust clears.
A couple hundred for a good MC is peanuts compared to other vintage cars and the safety it provides is priceless. Or you can look at it this way...it'll last 20-30+ years if you maintain your brakes and change the fluid every year or two, that's less than $10 a year, how many cheap ones will you replace in that time?

Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:44 pm

I was browsing the classifieds and noticing I could go power brakes for as much as a good MC gos for.
and how long will the good "one year only" MC going to be around?
If I replace them with a 73 system I'll probably have better luck finding parts in 40yrs.