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Date:         Mon, 5 Aug 2002 13:22:48 -0700
Reply-To:     David White <whit9441@UIDAHO.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David White <whit9441@UIDAHO.EDU>
Subject:      brake questions
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Hello all. A little while back I posted some questions regarding the brakes on my 1982 vanagon. The problem was that upon starting the engine the front wheels locked up (could not be turned by hand) yet the rear wheels spun freely. The majority of the suggestions (thanks for these responses) directed me towards the vacuum booster. I have a junker 1982 in the driveway that I acquired about a year ago. I drove it in but it has a bad automatic transmission. I have been using brake parts off this junker because when I got it in the brakes worked fine. I put the booster from this van into the trouble van and the problem continues. I have subsequently replaced the following:

master cylinder -- didn't help

front/rear regulator -- this partially fixed the problem as now the front wheels spin with difficulty and it is obvious that the pads are still grabbing.

both front calipers -- didn't help

one way valve way back in the engine compartment -- didn't help

I also have a 63 karmann ghia (no booster) and once I replaced the master cylinder and I didn't adjust the plunger correctly such that I wasn't allowing the piston to return far enough to release the pressure. The result being that each time I applied the foot brake I was increasing the pressure in the line until pretty soon the poor car wouldn't go anymore because all of the brake shoes were engaged. I got home by stopping every few miles and releasing the pressure at the bleeder nuts on each slave cylinder. I tell you this latter story because I wonder if some weird thing like this is happening on the vanagon? Unfortunately there isn't alot of pressure at the front bleeder nuts on the vanagon but I also realize it takes very little pressure to move disc brake pads when compared to drum brake shoes.

So here are questions I have:

1. how many drivers actually change ALL the brake fluid every two years like it says on the bottle and in the manuals?

2. could I just have enough gunk and water in the brake lines that things just aren't right in there and the first place I notice it is in these more sensitive disc brakes?

Thanks in advance, David


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