Brakes locked up
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 522
Likes: 0
From: Porter TX
Brakes locked up
Took the 78 out for a drive and I had problems with the brakes. Luckily I got her into the neighborhood before the brakes locked. It's definitely a brake problem. Both front rotors/pads smoking and very hot. Rears not so bad but definitely show some heat glazing. She would not move.
Called a buddy who brought a few tools. Popped off the master cylinder cover which was quite hot too (engine heat?) Front reservoir was pretty milky, rubber cover was distorted. Hoped that releasing the pressure would help but did nothing to release the brakes. The pedal had no travel either.
Another neighbor stopped to help (love this neighborhood) and after explaining the predicament, told me to undo the lines from the master cylinder to release the pressure and that would at least get me to the house. I did that and it spewed pretty heavily from the front line and a little from the rear line. Once that was done I was able to drive the vette home and into the garage. Still there is minimal pedal and the brake lights stayed on after she was put away. I ended up disconnecting the battery to get them to turn off. I couldn't pull up the pedal to release the switch.
So after this, it sounds like the master cylinder took a ****. Looks like it could be the original one. I'm hoping that's it. What's your thoughts?
Called a buddy who brought a few tools. Popped off the master cylinder cover which was quite hot too (engine heat?) Front reservoir was pretty milky, rubber cover was distorted. Hoped that releasing the pressure would help but did nothing to release the brakes. The pedal had no travel either.
Another neighbor stopped to help (love this neighborhood) and after explaining the predicament, told me to undo the lines from the master cylinder to release the pressure and that would at least get me to the house. I did that and it spewed pretty heavily from the front line and a little from the rear line. Once that was done I was able to drive the vette home and into the garage. Still there is minimal pedal and the brake lights stayed on after she was put away. I ended up disconnecting the battery to get them to turn off. I couldn't pull up the pedal to release the switch.
So after this, it sounds like the master cylinder took a ****. Looks like it could be the original one. I'm hoping that's it. What's your thoughts?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 522
Likes: 0
From: Porter TX
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
Flex brake lines are usually the culprit, but I have run into the problem of the master cylinder not returning all the way and relieving the pressure. That could be in the linkage or in the mc itself. The seals must return just past the little fill holes in the master.
