Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 09:53:00 -0800
Reply-To: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: developtrust <developtrust@HOME.COM>
Subject: Re: Serious brake question
After purchasing my van and after a week of great brakes I had a spongy
brake too and went to my mechanic wiz at the VW dealer in Encinitas (20
miles north of San Diego, California where I live.) Midas who did the new
rear brakes for the former owner had installed them incorrectly. My mechanic
Wiz, Fred, cleaned and "lubed" the parts assembled them correctly, and bled
the system. Just one cylinder had air in it. Since then the brake are hard
as rock.
Somewhere you have air in there. You just have not found it yet. This is
what I suspect.
William
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vanagon Man" <puzerewski@MSN.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001 9:32 AM
Subject: Serious brake question
> Volks,
> I am having a brake issue with my 81 that is truly puzzling. I have done
> brake work on several vanagons, and seem to get good results, on one van i
> know ofjust touch the pedal and you will hit the window!!!!! However on
my
> personal daily driver my brakes SUCK!
>
> Here is what I have done.
>
> New pads/rotors both sides including new pins and pad plates
> New rubber flex lines on all corners
> New rear brake springs
> New rear pads and drums
> New master cylinder
> Rebuilt brake booster
>
> As you can see, you name it, i have replaced it, and they still suck.
>
> Last Tuesday i pressure bled the system, and same result.
>
> Here are the symptoms. Pedal is not harm or firm......spongy. I have
done
> a complete fluid change with the same results....nothing seems to be
> leaking. The rear drums are adjusted, and the e brake holds on the third
> click.
>
> The only thing that i can think of is just maybe the brake adjusting
> mechanism is backwards. There is no good pic in any of my repair manuals
of
> how the forked end on the adjustment bar goes..........I only do one side
at
> a time when i do brakes, so i did not mismatch parts, although a previous
> owner may have..............If anyone has a pic of a correctly put
together
> set of brake shoes on the rear of a vanagon, please send it on...i might
be
> bale to see how that fork should go.
>
> They should stop on a dime, and they do not. It feels like i need to
pump,
> but pumping does not help. hold them to the floor and they never "lock
up"
> any ideas would sure help.......other than that my van is running great!!!
> I do a lot of mountain traveling, and thus need better brakes.
>
> Adam P
> 81 westy (3 of them)
> 74 beetle
> 73 Transporter (at paint shop!)
> 70 Single Cab "Whitey"
> Vanagon Partsmobiles
>
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