NO BRAKES

WILLISTEAZ

MEMBER
1979 LINCOLN TOWN CAR
V8
AUTOMATIC

My 1979 lincoln towncar has a brake problem. I was driving late, late at night and my brakes went to the floor. Pumping and pumping just to get a tiny bit of pressure to stop what could have turned into a serious battering ram. Lol. When I was able to stop, I checked the fluid and it was full. Hmmmmmm? Looked underneath the car and noticed some dried up fluid inside rear wheel. Okay, bad cylinder. No prob. Next morning popped the hood open seen fluid leaking behind master cyl. Where it bolts to booster. Okay, so picked up a new master cyl. 20 dollars. Not bad. So I bolted it back up, brake cleaner sprayed around the area see if I had any leaks. None. Started it up and pumped the brakes to get the fluid moving but resevoir is still full of fluid. Do I have a bad booster? Or am I filling the system wrong/ is there a special procedure? WHERES RASAMATAZ? I COULD USE A LITTLE HELP. THX 2CARPROS

6 Replies

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

You have to bleed the master cylinder before you install it. If you installed it you more than likely have air in the system and the entire system has to be bled now. But you still could have a line rusted and leaking besides a wheel cylinder. Or caliper

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Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 AT 2:52 AM

BMRFIXIT

MECHANIC
19,053 POSTS

New cylinder have to be bench bleed prior to insulation
now you have to bleed the system too
not sure how let me know

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Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 AT 2:56 AM

WILLISTEAZ

MEMBER
8 POSTS

OKAY. Im going to do that. Thx alot. Tomorrow morning I will get started. Also I will get back to you guys when its done. Thx

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Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 AT 3:15 AM

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Listen to this guys they're my co-workers they know what they doing

I'm here-Open everything up and double check for leakage if none -Bench bleed the M/C again as suggested-

started it up and pumped the brakes to get the fluid moving but resevoir is still full of fluid. What happened here did it sink right straight to the floor? Let me know

Checking the booster: pump the brake till you exhaust all the vacuum in it and hold it in-don't let go, Now start the car up the brake pedal should drop slightly-no drop in pedal-inspect the vac hose and also check the engine vacuum-with a vac gauge if all okay-replace the booster-Let me know

Combination Valve? Did you adjust the back brakes properly

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Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 AT 3:42 AM

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

I've run into this a few times but not many. The only other thing I can think of is that the vacuum booster rod is to short for the master cylinder. There may be a couple of different masters for this car and what may be happening is that the rod is to short so it doesn't press down on the cylinder like it should. Sometimes these rods adjust other times they don't. If you still have the old master measure the depth and see if they are the same. Also I think this vehicle may have disc brakes in the back. Even if the combo valve was bad, one side would work. You could always pressure bleed this and see what happens. Corvettes are like this, if you don't pressure bleed them you don't get hardly any brake pedal at all. If this is a rebuilt master it could always be bad as well and all this is for naught.