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Brake question


47heaven

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Yesterday, I got the car back from the mechanic after he had to resurface the back drums and sand the shoes a bit, due to glazing (they were squeeling real bad). Anyway, as I drove the car off, I noticed that the brakes just weren't feeling right...kind of spongy and weren't stopping as quick as they had before. I didn't take it right back because I had to get home and park it so I could get to my meeting on time. This morning, I took it out again and it still had the same spongy/fading feeling. I had to pump the brakes two or three times to get some decent pressure back in the brake pedal. The pedal doesn't go to the floor when I step on it, but it just doesn't feel solid like it did. I can't take it back until Monday, but I'd like to maybe get an idea what may be causing this and if it's safe to drive in this condition.

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The 46-54 Plymouth Service manual list "Heavy heel contact" as a possible cause for spongy brakes, or the ever common possibility that there is air in the system.

Could need either one....bled, or more adjustment, but with them working again after getting pumped up good, probably needing bled.

Joel

Thanks, Joel. I had a feeling that might be it.

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If your prdal s not firm until you pump it you have air in the system.

However it sounds as if your adjustment is out of whack too.

You should ask your mechanic what his adjustment procedure is with Lockheed brakes. Ask him if he has the correct tool (Ammco 1750 or Miller equivlent) to correctly set the major and minor adjustments.

If you have a factory brake service manual carry it in with you.

I would not drive the car until the brakes are repaired correctly.

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If your prdal s not firm until you pump it you have air in the system.

However it sounds as if your adjustment is out of whack too.

You should ask your mechanic what his adjustment procedure is with Lockheed brakes. Ask him if he has the correct tool (Ammco 1750 or Miller equivlent) to correctly set the major and minor adjustments.

If you have a factory brake service manual carry it in with you.

I would not drive the car until the brakes are repaired correctly.

What I think happened, Don, is that he has a new mechanic that he had work on it because I didn't have this problem with the last guy he had do it, but I will ask him about having the tool you mentioned. Thanks.

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I took the car back to the mechanic and told him that they forgot to bleed the brakes. With a puzzled expression, he told me that they never opened the brakes up...just scored the pads and turned the disks. We put it up on a hoist and the problem seems to be coming from the master cylinder. There is a small leak coming from where the rubber boot is in the front, from what we can see. When we opened up the top of MC, it was half full. The thing is that I had the thing rebuilt a year and a half ago. How long should a rebuild MC last? I don't believe they resleeved it, but I will ask when I take it back to brake place tomorrow. Anyway, the mechanic adjusted the brakes, and it's stopping fine without having to pump them, but I know that they are not fixed, yet.

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...The thing is that I had the thing rebuilt a year and a half ago. How long should a rebuild MC last?...

The new after-market master cylinder I installed on my 1933 ten years ago is still fine.

Because it has a different external appearance than the original, I will swap it out with my recently sleeved original in the future. But I am not swapping out the current one because of a functional problem. (I know I will be breaking the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" rule.)

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