Brake Problems...

53Flattie did you ever find out what your brake problem was? I am having a problem with loosing fluid from the master cylinders lid. What I have noticed recently is that when I remove the cover shortly after parking the Jeep I release pressure. You can hear the air vacume sucking into the master cylinder. I want to replace the MC but I am not possitive that is it. I am not sure if the MC cover could be leaking fluid out but then seals creating a vacume. This my best guess. What does everyone think? I am leaning towards replacing the MC. I just hate to spend the money on it and find out it was something else. Murphy law thing...LOL.

 

I had a similar problem with a couple of old jeeps (a 53 M38A1 and a 56 CJ5) with the front wheels not releasing. They would be ok the first time I drove them in the morning, until I used the brakes. Then they would start sticking or not letting go. Usually just one side. It also knocked the heck out of the engine performance . That poor F134 was doing all she could do just to go through the gears. A good way to tell which wheel is acting up is to feel the rim of the wheel after they start sticking. It will be real hot. Don't burn yourself.

The culprit was the short rubber brake lines that attach to the inside of the brake drums. Just as was pointed out from a previous posting, These old hoses would act like a one way valve and allow brake fluid to go to the wheel cylinder . But would not allow the fluid to return to the brake master cylinder.

Let us know how you come out. My bet is it is the rubber hoses.

Good Luck

Cliff

 

Going back a page or two on this post. I had a similar problem with pressure buiding up over time. The push rod didn't have enough freeplay in it to allow the MC piston to return to a point that it would allow the pressure to drop. It didn't happen all the time so it was a tough one to track down When your pedal is all the way up you should have a slight amount of freeplay in the rod.

 

Got it Billy. Meant to send you a PM.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm not sure if this is my problem, since it seems to be the front drivers side that *was* giving me a fit. It seems to have gone away now... Very strange.

 

Another possibility - if you used the old springs, they fatigue over time. Could be that the return springs on that side are too weak to overcome the residual valve. Usually you apply the drop test to see if they are ok; drop them on a concrete floor. If they ring, the coils have fatigued and they are NG. A good new spring will sound like you dropped a stone.

 

Very interesting! I've never heard of that. I'll have to give it try the next time I have them apart...

Thanks Tim!