73 brake locked up
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Sylvania Ohio
73 brake locked up
I need help. My 73 was driving fine, then all of a sudden the right front tire locked up. HARD! I was only a block from home, so I pumped the brakes for what seemed like forever, and it loosened up enough for me to get it home. I changed the calipers, I put a new proportioning valve in it. I bought new preformed brake lines to put on it.(the one that goes from driver side to passenger side is a bitch to replace). I didn't replace that one yet. But I took my compressor and air blew right threw it. What is wrong with it? I tried to bleed the brakes and it didn't seem like the passenger side had any pressure. Driver side was good pressure. What am I doing wrong? It has power brakes, is it the master cylinder, or the booster?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
if its only one side in the front then it sounds like a caliper problem, yea I know you said it was new but that dont mean its right, maybe a piece of dirt or a packing plug was not taken out right and jamed it up, take the caliper off,check it, be carefull with the piston seals, you can pop them out without damage. I use about 20 psi air pressure with a sponge inside to soften the pop out.
Last edited by TOM B1; Feb 21, 2009 at 01:06 AM. Reason: added a line
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,865
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From: I may be getting old but I refuse to grow up
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
now a single piston floating iron caliper....yeh...it's a problem...
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Sylvania Ohio
Yea, I changed all the flex hoses also! I'm really lost with this. When the wheel locked up I limped it home. I bought all new calipers, pads, new front brake lines, proportioning valve, flex hoses, rotors, I changed everything, but the front crossover steel brake line,(it's a pain in the but to change) but I did take a airhose and blew air through it to make sure it wasn't blocked. Put it all together, bled the lines, all bled good except the right front. It didn't have much pressure. ALSO, I remember that I had a real hard time pushing the pistons in to get it over the rotors on the right front. Any more ideas?
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 45
From: Cameron Park CA
if its only one side in the front then it sounds like a caliper problem, yea I know you said it was new but that dont mean its right, maybe a piece of dirt or a packing plug was not taken out right and jamed it up, take the caliper off,check it, be carefull with the piston seals, you can pop them out without damage. I use about 20 psi air pressure with a sponge inside to soften the pop out.
You seem to have proven it is good TO the rf caliper. Recheck that caliper. It could be something clogging the caliper internally. You can test for that by removing the flex hose from the steel line and see if you can pump brake fluid out. The caliper can be taken apart, although you probably want to replace the o-rings if you separate the halfs.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Sylvania Ohio
It was the flex hose. When I put the new hard lines on somehow I didn't change that hose, I had all new ones and for some reason I didn't change that one. I pulled it off, and It was plugged up HARD. Replaced it and Things are perfect now. YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST. Thank you all so much
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