Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 21:12:36 -1000
Reply-To: "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: FTE Brake Master Cylinder: Failing Seal? PICS
In-Reply-To: <CAB2RwfiK=zmtjykOpMiXgEhGirvhn7fKJ-9i5i95pnMci0F92Q@mail.gmail.com>
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fwiw..
I find the good old fashioned 'clear hose in a bottle of BF' manual
methods works quite well.
what I like about it is ..
two main things ..you can watch for bubbles..either for bubbles to work
their way out and then stop ..
or continuous tiny bubbles like the MC is pumping in air ..
the other reason ...s ..huge advantage ..you can just plain 'Feel' if
it's pumping well or not.
I start bleeding at one corner of the van ..
work my way around wheel by wheel ..
then do the first wheel again.
Then feel for a good firm pedal ( engine not running )
works for me ...hundreds of times.
( on a used MC ..never stroke the pedal to the floor ..only half strokes.
Be sure to pause between storkes at 'pedal up' for a few seconds. )
On 7/21/2015 8:44 PM, Neil N wrote:
> Will do.
> My first impression with the new MC installed is that the pedal
> doesn't feel like it's slowly sinking but then I'd expect that.
> I bled the system with my pressure bleeder. The first few stops
> at lower speeds felt like the brakes were less effective.
> They got better as I used them. They were like this before.
> As Dennis Haynes mentioned, the brake equalizer may be at fault.
> My other thought is that maybe using a pressure bleeder isn't getting
> all the air out. Or, the rebuilt calipers are just crap.
>
> I'm really fishing here. The other thought is that maybe that's how the older
> style brake system works vs my '88 with the newer style calipers and brake
> equalizer. (though the latter should have the same specs as earlier type ??)
>
> Neil.
>
> On 7/21/15, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>> Hey Neil, I have the same issue with inconsistent brake pedal feel. Let me
>> know if the mc swap does the to for you.
>>
>> Alistair
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Jul 21, 2015, at 10:23 PM, Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>> I replaced the MC because the brake pedal had (I hope), an
>>> inconsistent pedal height and felt like it was sinking *very very*
>>> slowly under normal foot pressure. This part was about 6-7 years old
>>> with relatively low miles.
>
> --
> Neil n
>
> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>
> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>
> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>
> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
>
