I can’t get that brake pressure

87WE4!!

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Hi everyone,
I converted both my cars to vacuum brakes. My original owner WE4 was nothing. Swap and bleed. And I was good to go.
Ok my other WE4. Which has not been driven in 22 years is a different story. So far I started with a new vacuum booster and master cylinder.
Front calipers were completely seized. So I replaced both of them as well as the pads. Rotors are good. I looked at the brake hoses they are definitely starting to dry rot but not leaking.
I do have brake fluid making its way to the calipers because it was a constant drip from the tip of the brake hoses when I removed the old calipers. So anyway the drivers side will grip a little bit if I pump the pedal fast. But absolutely nothing on the passenger side. I borrowed the brake bleed tool from autozone which was no help at all because the hose kept falling off. And all I got was small splashes of brake fluid out of the bleeder valves.
Literally the only thing that is stopping the car when I did pull it back in the garage was the back drum brakes (that I haven’t even looked at yet). But I’m stumped. I spent 2 hours of constantly trying to bleed the front brakes. Idk what else to do. I won’t have to money to buy brake hoses till I get my pension check at the end of the month. I got both calipers for free with my rewards points. How can I tell if my brake hoses are the problem? They aren’t leaking but they are starting to dry rot of the outer rubber. How can I tell if my proportioning valve is bad or the actual problem?

Any help would be awesome. Like I said I went for a quick drive around the storage yard and to stop the car I need to quickly pump the brakes and it goes to the floor.

Thank you in advance
Bill
 
Last edited:
Hi everyone,
I do have brake fluid making its way to the calipers because it was a constant drip from the tip of the brake hoses when I removed the old calipers.

Thank you in advance
Bill

The brake fluid should have been steadily draining. Everything you posted points to the hoses internally corroding at the fitting(s). This shuts down the flow of fluid, which usually at first causes the car to pull at the instant the brakes are applied.

A tip when replacing the hoses, get a stick or such and place it between the seat front and brake pedal. Only need to push on the pedal a little so that the compensation port in the M/C is closed off. This will prevent brake fluid from draining out of the open line.

Be sure to remove the stick ASAP as this will also turn on the brake lights.

RemoveBeforeFlight
 
Hi everyone,
I converted both my cars to vacuum brakes. My original owner WE4 was nothing. Swap and bleed. And I was good to go.
Ok my other WE4. Which has not been driven in 22 years is a different story. So far I started with a new vacuum booster and master cylinder.
Front calipers were completely seized. So I replaced both of them as well as the pads. Rotors are good. I looked at the brake hoses they are definitely starting to dry rot but not leaking.
I do have brake fluid making its way to the calipers because it was a constant drip from the tip of the brake hoses when I removed the old calipers. So anyway the drivers side will grip a little bit if I pump the pedal fast. But absolutely nothing on the passenger side. I borrowed the brake bleed tool from autozone which was no help at all because the hose kept falling off. And all I got was small splashes of brake fluid out of the bleeder valves.
Literally the only thing that is stopping the car when I did pull it back in the garage was the back drum brakes (that I haven’t even looked at yet). But I’m stumped. I spent 2 hours of constantly trying to bleed the front brakes. Idk what else to do. I won’t have to money to buy brake hoses till I get my pension check at the end of the month. I got both calipers for free with my rewards points. How can I tell if my brake hoses are the problem? They aren’t leaking but they are starting to dry rot of the outer rubber. How can I tell if my proportioning valve is bad or the actual problem?

Any help would be awesome. Like I said I went for a quick drive around the storage yard and to stop the car I need to quickly pump the brakes and it goes to the floor.

Thank you in advance
Bill
Wow, haven't been on here for has to be 10 years as far as writing something. Get the Russel Speed Bleeders for $12 a pair for front and rear, they're awesome. No more trying to find someone to help, you just might find all that air in the lines disappearing. Dorman only makes them for the front and they're chinese made. Russel is U.S.A. Good luck.
 
Pedal
going to the floor is a master cylinder problem to me. When you are bleeding are the bleesers on the top of the caliper or do you have them on the wrong aides? The bleeder on the bottom, and that way it will never bleed correctly . How is the stream of fluid when you open the bleeder and push the pedal?How does the mc reservoir look when the pedal is stroked(wear safery glasses, brake fluid in your eyes is no fun)? These are way easier with a helper.
 
Did you bench bleed the master cylinder? You installed a new one right? If not properly bleed you will have air trapped inside the master. If you didn’t bench bleed it you can still do it without removing the master from the car. The new master should have come with some plastic fittings and rubber lines to go back into the reservoir. Even if you did bench bleed it , I’d do it again. Also change out those dry rotted hoses. Very dangerous and may also be adding to your problem like previously said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Did you bench bleed the master cylinder? You installed a new one right? If not properly bleed you will have air trapped inside the master. If you didn’t bench bleed it you can still do it without removing the master from the car. The new master should have come with some plastic fittings and rubber lines to go back into the reservoir. Even if you did bench bleed it , I’d do it again. Also change out those dry rotted hoses. Very dangerous and may also be adding to your problem like previously said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, it was actually a bad master cylinder. Since I bought it new I returned it to AutoZone and got another one under the lifetime warranty. It actually comes with a bench bleed kit. After I bench bleed it and then installed it all the brakes came back to life and even tho I still need to do that final bleed at the cylinders and calipers the car stops on a dime now. But thank you to everyone who respond to this.
 
Glad you got it back up, but seriously,if your rubber brake lines are dry rotted, be very careful with heavy braking. I might have some decent stock ones kicking around. I’ll look when I get outta work and if they are decent , you can have them. I’ll let you know if I find them. Joel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Glad you got it back up, but seriously,if your rubber brake lines are dry rotted, be very careful with heavy braking. I might have some decent stock ones kicking around. I’ll look when I get outta work and if they are decent , you can have them. I’ll let you know if I find them. Joel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I replaced them. But thanks
 
Top