Loss Of Brake Pressure C Reg 86 1.6 Cti Phase 1

[jimmy b 1]

A few weeks ago when out & about I lost my brake pressure & my brake pedal shot to the floor..then firmed up & again...it disappeared into the footwell...firmed up / regained pressure...& it got me home...al be it very gingerly...next day I checked the following..1.brake fluid level .2any leaks from any brake hoses / calipers etc. 3.any damp patches inside engine bay,& under the 4 wheels..ie wheel cylinders.no joy..my brother in law fitted new pads to the 2x front calipers..as ..the left side pads were cracked & split...replacing the front left caliper with a new one as it was shot..bled the fluid through....& had small bits of rubber in his hand....so after checking the master cylinder rubbers ...guess what they were perished....so today I bought a new master cylinder off gsf in harlow & 2x litres of dot 4 brake fluid....& tried again ...no joy...now when the car is running & ticking over there's no pressure at all ....but when it's switched off the brakes are hard...surely this isn't right...my oe bendix mc had 3 ports & the gsf vw part had 4 but 2 x blanking screws...he followed the metal brake lines from the mc all ok...so what are we missing??? any help please ASAP would be great...

[welshpug 1,646]

gotta be air still in the system somewhere if its soft still.

[jimmy b 1]

ok ta..but if we replaced the caliper, pads,& master cylinder,would the brake servo be at fault??....my brother in law was there bleeding the brakes for over 2 hours &went through 2 litres of brake fluid..is my p1 1986 1.6 cabby model specific re the brake servo & pedal ie is it one unit..unless im mistaken ,the braking system is straight forward..servo,master cylinder caliper,pads..if theres no leaks/ fluid loss then it will find its weakest point..the servo,s outer casing looks like its been under the north sea for the last 30 years...as they are around £30 0ff e bay inc the brake pedal..o,d change this any way..then if its still faulty ie no pressure then in to the garage it goes...I may as well get one of those kits ie eazy bleed etc..any other areas we can look at??

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

There's your problem right there the easyibleed kit, you need this kit. 205 1.6/base model brakes can be a royal pain in the arse to get rid of all the air because of the way the large rear brake compensator is laid out. Get the kit you'll be amazed how much air it will push out no matter how long you've been up/up/down/down'ing on the pedal and bleed nipples.

 

On a side note try clamping off both of the rear flexis with mole grips and try a road test. Any improvement could suggest the rear shoes arent adjusted up properly

[jimmy b 1]

ok ..ta ..quick response...il pop out & get a eazy bleed kit..now ..ive been trawling through some old posts..what are these brake compensators..???& rear brake self adjusters..as these seem to cause grief...if I go & replace the servo..which models will fit my cabby ?? theres a few on e bay at the mo..around £30...ish...my brother in law mentioned he followed the metal brake lines from the bulkhead down near the left side wheel & there was something there he wasn't sure of..was this the brake compensator??? it looked well rusty??...ta

[Slo 283 1 Cars]

Rear brake compensator is on the passenger side underneath the water bottle and has a mount with a large clip round it.

 

Rear brake adjusters are built into the rear shoes, if you don't adjust them properly (usually so you can get the rear drums on easily with part worn shoes) you will have to press the pedal further down before the brakes get equal pressure all round and start to bind.

 

If this brake shoe travel is excessive you can find yourself with a pedal going to the floor or very low, hence the clamping the rear flexis off test.

 

It's more than likely air in the system though, i've spent hours bleeding brakes convinced something was worn out then bit the bullet and got the eazibleed kit and was amazed how much air it pushed out.

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

An easy way to check if the shoes aren't adjusted right, pull the handbrake up a few clicks to move the shoes out to the drum, then try the brake pedal travel.

If the travel suddenly gets a lot less, you need to adjust the shoes up.