TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:02 am

Need a brake expert please!??..........ive replaced all wheel cylinders,master cylinder and brake hoses.
Tried today to bleed the brakes........pumped the air out until the fluid flowed,3 times but no joy getting a pedal??
Could it be that the old stock Master Cylinder isnt any good????or do i have adjust pedal to master cylinder???

Your thoughts please gentlemen

Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:11 am

NOS master? VW had a time limit about keeping brake components on the shelf becuase of rubber getting old. You may need new rubber components.
Did you fill master with fluid prior to install (ie bench bleed) as the system is not designed to pump air.
You might try to gravity bleed the system- open the bleeder valves and keep the reservoir full and leave overnight
Dont adjust the pedal rod just yet

Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:26 am

Are the shoes adjusted out against the drums? If not, you NEVER will get a pedal!

Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:17 am

drscope wrote: Are the shoes adjusted out against the drums? If not, you NEVER will get a pedal!

DITTO

Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:26 am

Are the e-brake cables connected?

Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:42 am

all hoses,must be very good and rubber inlet side, and you have to let the pedeal up very very slow or it will suck air from the piston side.your master cyl is prob good, its very aggravating but there is such a little line feeding the cyl and so much volume to all the wheels. hope this helps. ive been there

Sun Dec 11, 2011 9:15 am

vwbrewer wrote: Are the e-brake cables connected?

That should have NO effect on bleeding the brakes.

So how did you make out with this thing? Any Luck?

Sun Dec 11, 2011 9:51 am

Thank you for your words...............think i may have to adjust shoes,the car was away a long time having welding work after i recommissioned chassis-so may have forgotten to adjust first!!! :oops:
Fitted new master cylinder'wheel cylinders and hoses and most of brakes lines.........let you all know soon

Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:46 am

Make sure that you have about 1/4-3/8ths inch free play at the brake pedal when the pedal is at the rest position. This allows the master cyl piston to open to the fluid port. The free play is adjustable at the brake pedal push rod.

Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:10 am

Well to answer all those who helped with a response-i've adjusted the shoes lovely,nice handbrake BUT still no joy pumping up the pedal,so i've ordered a 'new' ate master cylinder today.fingers crossed!!

Thu Dec 15, 2011 12:11 pm

After you install the new master cylinder, Bleed it FIRST at the Master cylinder itself. Do that by having someone pump up the pedal and hold pressure on it. Loosen the top brake line fitting and bleed the air out. Also make sure that it has the right pedal free play also.

Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:24 pm

Ok...........latest update,am i just the unluckiest person bleeding brakes???Bench bleed the new ATE master cylinder and fitted it..........but still not getting the pedal to come up-have actually got resistence and the lower end of the pedals travel.please help.

Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:36 pm

Sounds like you might still need to readjust your brakes. at each wheel, turn the adjuster until it gets hard to turn. Then back off around 3-5 clicks or when the wheel turns with a LIGHT drag. When you do this with the adjacent adjuster at the same wheel, you might have to back off the previous one one or two more clicks.
Repeat this whit each wheel trying to get the adjusters up as far as you can but having a light drag resistance at the wheel.
When bleeding, are you still seeing air bubbles? If you replaced the shoes along with all the wheel cylinders, it is not uncommon to have kind of a spongy pedal until the shoes are seated in.

Fri Dec 30, 2011 12:43 pm

I adjusted brakes until the shoes(nos linings) were just rubbing....no bubbles.

Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:11 pm

cj1971 wrote: I adjusted brakes until the shoes(nos linings) were just rubbing....no bubbles.
You have to go BEYOND "just rubbing" to seat the shoes in. Run the adjusters down until the wheel won't move THEN de-adjust to light drag.
Are you running a 19mm master cyl. or a 17mm master cylinder

Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:21 pm

Ive just fitted a brand new 19mm cylinder.........

Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:27 pm

That is good. More volume per stroke.

Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:58 pm

You're going from RR to LR to RF and left front wheel last, right?

Double check the hard line seating into the master from the reservoir. I had a hellish time when I redid the whole system and it turned out the line was not seated and leaked out from there (and I assumed sucked air in as well). Once I got it seated it bled out ok.

Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:52 am

Oh yeasssss,rr-lr then rf-lf..........master cylinder has new bung in it from res,with no leaks!?