JayRay

I noticed the master cylinder looking like it was leaking around the lid, the sides of the cylinder looked like they were damp, so I bought a new cover and gasket and opened it up to find the rear reservoir was empty.

I was going to add brake fluid but was wondering if I also needed to bleed the brakes?

Also could this reservoir empty like that with just a leaky lid gasket? I did not notice any leaks under the car on the pavement.

blk79nj

I would say that you have a leak somewhere else. It shouldn't be too hard to find, there will be a wet spot there.

You will need to bleed the entire system after the leak has been fixed.

JayRay

I was afraid you were going to say that

But I am looking at the rear system, right, for the leak?

hunt4cleanair

For a quick look, get up under the car and look at the back of the wheels at the brake caliper at all four wheels. Use a flashlight and also look at the rubber brake hoses. The leaks could be the caliper, rubber hoses or one of the many connections. You are looking for obvious wet areas.

A more thorough look would be to remove tires with the frame on jack stands. You'll see the hoses better along with connections.

What year car? When were the brake calipers last rebuilt, replaced or maintained? These answers would offer clues to what work needs to be done. Your situation is not only repair but could be replacement and include not only bleeding the calipers...but the master cylinder as well.

This is a safety issue so you need to be assured you have covered all the bases on the source of the leak.

danh77

If you don't see any leaks at the calipers your m/c might be leaking back into the booster. Check where it mounts for dampness as well. If it was me I would replace the m/c at this point since it appears aged and it needs bled as well. I've always bench bled when I've changed them, not sure if it's easily doable on the car. Since brakes are a closed system the amount of fluid you have lost should be easy to find the culprit though. Good luck with it

JayRay

It is a 1977, I just bought the car 3 weeks ago and based on the way the previous owner took car of it (Fix whats Broken Not what needs to be fixed) who knows when the braking system was maintained or replaced.

For me to overhaul the braking system is this what I would need to buy/install.

Brake Booster and Vacuum Hose
Master Cylinder
Brake Hoses X 4
Calipers X 4
Brake Pads X 4 Sets
Inspect the Rotors

Is there anything else I would need or would this have me covered.

I want to go ahead and get this stuff ordered and in route. The car is dead lined for the brakes and wont leave the motor pool till they are fixed. Want to get it back on the rod for the California Summer.

terry82

If you have to buy brake calibers and master cylinder,I would buy from the local auto store that gives lifetime warrranty.If you keep the car for a few years and have a problem they can warranty the part with no shipping and get the part a lot faster.

hunt4cleanair

Yes and you'll want to get the rotors turned, trued. They will have a dial indicator that can tell if any material has been removed or if they need to be replaced.

I went through this last summer with my 78 and took a caliper to Carlisle and took it early in the AM to the Lonestar group. Brad there is like their caliper techie and he determined the caliper was original and lip seal. I knew the master cylinder had been replaced but wasn't sure if anything else was done. Well, the previous owner had a leak, replace the M/C but that was it! The calipers finally gave way as well.

So I'm doing the same thing you're considering from hoses, to calipers and M/C. With core credit, cost to me was $730...I do the labor of installation. But I opted to upgrade to O style O-ring seals rather than lip seals that were the originals. I also got the M/C date coded both of which were up charges and I suspect you won't need.

These parts were rebuilt in Texas, where Lonestar is HQ'ed. I share this because if you pick up service replacement from the local, but franchised auto parts store, no telling who did the work or where, China, Mexico even Oshkosh, I'm sure would be better. You are looking for stainless steel sleeved calipers rather than steel that rusts over time due to the affinity of DOT 3 liquid to attract moisture...thus the rust and deterioration of the caliper seals.

Do some study before plucking down a $1,000.00 to redo the brake system. It's a lot of work and even a lifetime warranty is a pain in the *** if you have to redo in a few years.

JayRay

Thanks for the Info, your Amount of $730 ($610 if I turn in my cores) was right on. I was able to get the Chrome Brake Booster and Master Cylinder Combo from Jegs so it will clean up the engine compartment also and ordered the rest from the local auto store. I am going to keep my cores and send them out for a rebuild also. Will check into the Lonestar guys you mentioned. I had a ton of rewards credit built up at Autozone I could never spend so the actual cost was lower.

Thanks for all the help, I am sure I will need more when the parts start arriving and the real fun begins.

I found the leak, turned out to be a Rear Passenger side Caliper.

JayRay

Wanted to report back in since I hate threads that start and never finish.

I finally finished this Brake Job. I replaced the Calipers on all 4 wheels and soft brake lines. I also replaced the hard lines over the Axle in the Back.

I held my project up a bit so I could paint the Calipers before the install. Little detail but I think makes a nice touch with the wheels back on. Plus the Calipers I received 3 were the same color and one was a different color Grey.

The Brake hard line fitting where the soft and hard lines connect was a bear to get off, stripped them. Going to get some replacements ordered. Is it worth it to get the pre bent lines VS bending myself? They don't seem very expensive buying them pre bent.

Time for a beer then back at it. My Chrome Brake Booster and Master Cylinder has arrived so I will be tearing into the brake system once again sometime soon and will surely be needing more help from the community.

bazza77

a lot of work ,but from what I can see your car looks great with the new calipers. I would just get the straight lines and bend them yourself ,easy enough to do and you would probably need to tweak the pre bent lines anyway.

Nice shiny pieces for the engine bay too , that's a fun job ahead of you but definitely worth it when you finished .

Haggisbash

Suggest bench bleeding the master cylinder before you fit it, this will save a lot of time. Also I have heard that the booster changeout is rated right up there in terms of awkwardness, suggest you do some reading on this before you start!

JayRay

Awkward is right, got claustrophobic at one point trying to get the clip back on the pin. Took about 4 hours and a 6 pack from start to finish in 100 degree heat but I am happy with it. Make's my alternator, among other things, look really bad now and think I am going to replace it even though it works fine.

I also found another use for the door spring tool, it is perfect for pushing the pin back through once you get it started, curves around the steering column perfectly, clip is all luck though.

Still have to bleed out the lines but saving that for tomorrow morning.