Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:24:53 -0000
Reply-To: "John D. Stepto" <jstepto@CHESCO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "John D. Stepto" <jstepto@CHESCO.COM>
Subject: Re: Total Brake Job (longish)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I remember one thing me boss taught me ,while I was working at his shop in
State College, was when bleeding brakes of high milage cars never push the
brake pedal real deep. Use shorter stokes because over the years some
corrosion will build up in the master cylinder in an area were the seals do
not reach normally. When you bleed the brakes, pushing the pedal to the
floor, the seals come on contact with that area and eat the seals.
John
'84 Westy
-----Original Message-----
From: Juha Koivisto <juha.koivisto@TEPCOMP.FI>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2000 5:30 AM
Subject: Total Brake Job (longish)
>I did total brake job during last weekend. 'Total' means in my case
>changing the fluid, rear shoes and all seals and boots for all brake
>cylinders.
>
>At first my purpose is to change only hand brake cables which were
>stucked..but..
>
>I found all boots to be at the end of their lives => even some of the
>rebuild kits were more expencive than new (Italian made) calibers I bought
>them trusting original German manufacturing.
>
>And even the boots were bad and there were lots of water, dust and rust in
>there .. after cleaning calibers they were as new ones.
>
>So I accomplished rear and front job and bleed the brakes..test..they were
>worst than ever..you have to pump two-three times before solid. Still air
>in the system? Feeling like Brent (sorry). What went wrong?
>
>In the last few weeks I have felt brake pedal gradually getting at the
>bottom when keeping foot at pedal at traffic lights. Also I noticed when
>freeing brake pedal front calibers didn't do they little back movement as
>they supposed to do. So I suspect sealings of the main cylinder might be
>gone..and they were!!
>
>Changing seals (ATE/$7 USD only) of main cylinder makes a big change.
>
>Now (after about 6 hrs work and with assistance of my wife and sons (6 and
>9)) brakes are working like dream.
>
>I encourage everyone who has lot of time and helpful wife to get ones
brakes
>going. Time shows how long they last.
>
>Juha Koivisto
>88 Vanagon (Caravelle) 1,6TD (old school bus with 9 seats)
>TURKU, FINLAND
>
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