A few weeks ago the brakes started to require me to apply the pedal more and more toward the floor in order to get the car to stop. Eventually they stopped working outright, thank God I was just down the street from home. The red brake system dash light came on as well. I changed the front brake pads because they had been making noise, even though they were ceramic and I only had them on for a little over a year. And I filled the cylinder reservoirs as well. The dash light turned off. When I filled the fluid, I noticed the first reservoir had a lower fluid level then the rear reservoir, and the rear seemed to be almost overflowing. I'm guessing the master cylinder needs to be replaced but I'm not sure. It seems like the seal is allowing fluid to move between reservoirs somehow but I have no idea how this actually works. Today when I hit the brakes hard, 2 separate times it smelled like burning brake fluid. My question is, if I can't find any leaks anywhere, which I can't, what could be going on? I appreciate any tips. Thanks guys!

 

Un-bolt the master and pull it forward couple inches. Take a look at the rear of the master and the front of the brake booster to see if it is wet. Fluid could be running down into the booster and if that is the case the masters seals are bad. But first give it an inspection.

 

Thanks pcolt. I will check like you said as soon as I get home from work. If the seals end up being bad how difficult is it to change the master? What about the booster? And lastly, What about changing out all the old brake lines for braided lines? I'm tossing the idea around in my head, but I don't want to get in over my head.

 

If you apply moderate pressure to the brake pedal and it slowly sinks to the floor, the master cylinder is leaking internally. This won't affect the booster. You can replace the brake hoses at the same time. Bleed the system and you should be all set.

 

Fix one thing at a time, don’t do it all in one shot. I agree the master is probably bad. If it has not leaked in to the booster and destroyed it, it is probably OK. If you don’t hear a vacuum leak and the pedal is not hard then the booster is probably OK.

I would get your initial problem resolved first which you will probably end up replacing the master. Then when you have completed that you can do the brake lines if you wish.

 

i agree with finding the problem first, but while the system is open and needs to be bled, just swap the lines out at the same time...Why bleed everything twice?

If you are working alone, get a set of speed bleeders or earls bleeders. Will make the job a snap...

Mike

 

I can see your point and have had those thoughts also, why do it twice.

How many times have people installed masters and then can't get a firm pedal. Maybe they got excess air in the system, maybe they did not bench bleed it or did not do a good job doing in. The master goes in and out, they're on the Forum, and trying to figure out why a not so terribly hard job is going badly and taking too long.

To add one more straw on the pile, add 4 new flex lines replaced obviously with air in them initially. Now install the master and I will guarantee you the pedal is going to the floor. If you’re an ace and did it all right, you will be able to pull it off an get the job completed. Some of us have been putting in masters for 50 years. But if something with the master was not done right, the person with moderate technical ability might have a larger problem now trying to straighten it all out.

There are all kinds of people on the forum with all kinds of technical ability and experience and unless it is clear up front or from past personal knowledge of that person, you don’t really know what they can do or understand.

I try to make it as simple as possible and step by step for the posts that I write. This is just my outlook and the way I perceive how things should be done. Others have their own view and their entitled. But I try not to leave people in the dust or too much to bite off. If I feel they are technically advanced, then I will offer more information and short cuts.

When someone says " how difficult is it to change the master", that tells me to slow down with my advice and do things step by step.

Just thought I would explain myself as to why I say thing as I do and my logic as to why I said what I did.

 

Always "bench bleed" any brake part prior to installation. Otherwise, the air bubble you entrain will be huge and won't travel, instead of small that can work it's way up to the master after it gets heated and seeks to rise to the reservoir. Remember, hot air rises........

 

A hand vacuum pump for brakes works great.. A one man job..I tryed one for the first time on my 96 loved it .I just got a cheep one to try out works fine...