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Mon May 24, 2004 4:14 pm

hello all need some help again
i just replaced the Master cylinder for my brakes i bench bleed the master cylinder prior to install and then have bleed the brakes multiple times but my brake pedal is still goin almost all the way to the floor before it starts to slow the car down. I can let it go and reaply it right away and it only goes about half way to the floor but has good stopping power. is that good or is there some thing i can do so i don't have to pump the brakes. any and all help would be great thanks guys and gals for all the help you have given me in the past.
glaab

Mon May 24, 2004 5:53 pm

You still have air in the system somewhere, so it's not fully pressurized. Perhaps there's a connection that's not completely tight. Check all the connections you loosened to replace whatever you put in (look for leaking fluid), and make sure they're tight. How are you bleeding the brakes?

Mon May 24, 2004 6:02 pm

i have checked all of the connections that were disturbed during the replacement of the master cylinder, and have found no leaks. checking the back end of the master cylinder for leaking from the body by the push rod and it too is dry.
as for the bleeding i had the wife help with the whole pump and hold method about 4 times now and still had the same problem and then tried the little vaccum tool and ran two 32oz bottles of brake fluid through and still the same pedal problem, and have even tried to gravity bleed them and to no avail has the problem gone away

Mon May 24, 2004 6:12 pm

Try adjusting the brakes.

Mon May 24, 2004 8:03 pm

have adjusted the brakes earlier this evening thought that too but still have to pump the brakes to keep the pedal off of the floor is there anything else i can adjust or am i just goin to have to take it and have the whole system rebuilt. hoping not don't really have the funds for that but if that is what it will take i will just have to sufffer for a while and not be able to drive it for a little while. man how i love to drive these little cars

Mon May 24, 2004 8:44 pm

I bled mine the old fasioned way and my pedal still wasn't good after I put on new shoes till I adjusted them a few times in the first few weeks. Now the pedal is great. Goes down maybe 2 inches and is like stepping on a brick.

Tue May 25, 2004 5:32 pm

thanks for the help i will just adjust them again and see if that helps out. i noticed i did have a little better pedal after adjusting them the other day.

Tue May 25, 2004 11:09 pm

On my 72 Super a friend brought me standard beetle wheel cylinders. There is about a quarter inch difference between Super and Standard. It matters as the standard when fully extended will not engage the drum and you have no pedal pressure. I got Super cylinders and now have pressure.