Ok well first off I just want to say sorry for posting this...I know there are a lot of posts about breaks but can't find what I want when searching.

I have a '74 vette, which i got about a year ago. The brakes were fine when i got it but they started getting mushy last fall. I went to drive it the other night after it sat all winter and the pedal would go to the floor and the brakes would barely grab. It is full of fluid. Do I have a problem with the master cylinder, air, or what? If it needs to be blead does anyone have pics of how this is done? I don't have a service manual or anything so I'm kinda in the dark. Any ideas where i could get a service manual? Thanks.

 

Welcome to the world of C3 Corvette brakes. The first thing I would do is to check for external brake fluid leaks. Take off the wheels and look for evidence of a leaky caliper on the inside of the wheel and tire, also use a flashlight to see if fluid is leaking at the caliper behind the brake pads. If there are no external leaks then either there is air in the system, the or the brake fluid is moving past the seals in the master cylinder. I would do the cheapest first, bleed the brakes. I like the two man method where one person pumps up the brake pedal and holds it while another person opens a bleeder screw on the caliper. Before the brake pedal is allowed to return you should close the bleeder screw so as to not draw in air into the system. The rear calipers have two bleeder screws. I am not sure of the sequence (I go from furthest from the m/c to closest) but someone on the Forum should know offhand. They also make pressure bleeders for the brakes that you attach to the master cylinder.

If this doesn't solve your problem you should look at all of the brake components, calipers, hoses, and master cylinder and find the culprit. You should cross your fingers that bleeding solves the problem because replacing brake components can get expensive. Ask me how I know.

 

I know what you mean BB68vette. I just replaced the whole works on my 80 coupe. Calipers, rotors, pads, and unfortunately as I bled them along I replaced all of the brake lines. "Darn original steel lines" Stainless now. Anyhow the Bleeding system I used was a 2 man like you mentioned and this sequence. passenger rear outside closest to rear of car bleeder first than outside opposite, than inside bleeder. Follow up in the same system on the rest of the calipers with driver side rear next, passanger side front, and finally driver side front. Good luck I know mine was an expensive experiance. All I wanted to due was replace the pads. Boy that was a nightmare.

Claude