[Guest]

My `66 has not moved for a year and a half and when I pushed the brake pedal recently I noticed it was spongy.The fluid level was O.K. - what would you recommend to do - drain the fluid and re-bleed??I have not yet worked the brakes as part or the restoration.Thanks

 

[janschutz]

I would go a step futher. I would take apart the wheel cylinders and check for pitting, if pitted, replace. If not pitting, geta rebuild kit.

John L. Anschutz
Allen, TX
68 Diamond Blue Coupe - 302
68 Acapulco Blue Coupe - I6 - 200
http://www.dallas.net/~jjmsansc/parts/Stangs.jpg

 

[Guest]

Spongy = BAD! Mine just freeze up after sitting. I hear that a switch to the new silicone fluid will fix that, but ANYWAY....
Sounds like air. Were they spongy first time you stepped on them? If so I'd look at the possibility that the master cylinder is letting fluid slip by the rubber when you step on the pedal.
If they have been getting progressively worse, I'd agree with the above post and look to pitted wheel cylinders that have started to leak (in or out).
T
ps good luck. I personally hate my drum brakes, and I hope to find a donor Granada in the near future. Look at old posts about the topic.



1966 C-Code Convertible, 59 Edsel Villager
Charlotte, NC
New Cars Have No Soul.

 

[Guest]

If your not driving the car don't worry about it now, don't really need good brakes just moving around the
shop. However, when you get to the brakes I'd swap out everything, hey, it's an old car and you can't see
the inside of brake lines etc, rubber gets brittle even if it looks good. So put in new wheel cylinders, brake
lines, the whole shamolla and upgrade to a dual master, it's really pretty cheap and your butt depends on it.


66 Coupe, 289/2v, C4, CA Red

 

[Kory]

If you just want to get them going for moving the car around while working on it, just flush the lines, add some new fluid and bleed them. If you preparing to drive the car I would do as the other posts have said. It's worth the small inventment to get some new hoses, some new cylinders. When you flush the lines, make sure you pump fresh fluid through a number of times to make sure all the old fluid is out of the lines. If you have an old single master cyl you should upgrade to a dual. Small amount of money will save you big dollars later in repairs and saftey.

Kory