When I bought my D in last october, I brought it back home on it's own power (10 hour ride) and among the problemSSS I got, I had a problem with the braking system.
When I was stopped at a light by example, I was holding the brake pedal and after a few seconds the pedal was going down a bit. Not at the floor but deep enough to worry. I have no brake fluid leak.
I checked for vacuum leaks and no problem at the master cylinder. Lately when it was time to check this problem I tried to hold the pedal with the engine OFF and it holds the pressure well. The pedal does'nt drop down. I was planning to change the brake fluid cause I don't know how old the oïl is in there.
Could it be a typical brake master cylinder problem???
Have a look at this video explaining how vacuum assist braking works.
It's not uncommon for it to be difficult to push the brake pedal when the car is off and there is no vacuum in place.
Your foot going to the floor when the car is running and you are using the brakes at a light or otherwise to me says you will need to rebuild your master cylinder or replace it with a new one (preferably designed for the DeLorean as the specifications are unique for our cars in terms of % going to front and back via the fluid connections).
I tought that the braking system was vacuum assisted on DeLoreans That's why I checked for vacuum leaks around the front of the car.
It is possible to rebuild the master cylinder??? I read somewhere that it was not. Is there a kit we can buy somewhere?
Thank's for the link for how power brakes work. I like very much these videos
I tought that the braking system was vacuum assisted on DeLoreans That's why I checked for vacuum leaks around the front of the car.
It is possible to rebuild the master cylinder??? I read somewhere that it was not. Is there a kit we can buy somewhere?
Thank's for the link for how power brakes work. I like very much these videos
First thing I do would be to flush the brake system with fresh brake fluid. You don't know how old the stuff is in there and you might also have air. If the master cylinder needs to be rebuilt you should be rebuilding all four calipers too. It is getting harder and harder to find kits anymore, no one wants to sell a cheap kit when they can use it to rebuild your old one and make more money. Try AutoZone and look up a 1986 Saab 900. You can also look at SpecialTauto for kits and parts. You might also have a bad hose and when you push on the brakes it swells the hose. If you change any you should change them all. Pull the vacuum hose off at the booster and see if it is wet inside with brake fluid. If it is, the booster has to be rebuilt/replaced. Pull the carpet and see if there is a puddle under the padding on the driver's side. Might as well also flush the clutch too unless you have an automatic.
Pull the vacuum hose off at the booster and see if it is wet inside with brake fluid. If it is, the booster has to be rebuilt/replaced. Pull the carpet and see if there is a puddle under the padding on the driver's side. Might as well also flush the clutch too unless you have an automatic.
So I was right it is what we call a power brake! (vacuum assited) Thank's for all these precious infos. I was planning to change the clutch fluid.
It is possible to rebuild the master cylinder??? I read somewhere that it was not. Is there a kit we can buy somewhere?
I can only speak to what I did on my car and that was to replace the master cylinder with a new one (NOS). The one I bought is shown here on the Houston webstore:
I understand the brake boosters are considerably less likely to fail, but was surprised/relieved to see on the same brakes page (6-3-0) of the parts store that you can buy replacements.
I am betting it is your master cylinder that is the problem, but like David said, look at the other areas as well. Flush the fluid and then ensure it is properly bled of any air. Puddles under the car or in the drivers footwell are obvious signs.
If you do go ahead and replace various aspects of the braking system like the hoses, master cylinder, rebuild the calipers, etc., you might want to check out the kits available on most vendors websites. Josh has some great looking performance kits for sale and there was a thread on the forum here recently talking about a brake upgrade to some degree, although I'm not sure of the status of that kit.
Needing to resurrect this, as my breaks are suddenly not braking without a lot of force. I did check my carpet today- after testing the car a few days ago, and the carpet feels damp- not wet, below,the pedals. Could be it's just needing a good cleaning as I didn't feel any wetness there or at the bottom of the floor. I recently did some work on my engine - a Chevy 350, and could swear I hear a vacuum leak somewhere - engine runs a little rough, and when I took it for a test soon there was a lot of hesitation when accelerating, plus the car was a lot harder to stop.
So where is the booster exactly, and where does the line end up in the engine compartment? I've only really had the car about a month and have been attacking little issues one by one.
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That's why I checked for vacuum leaks around the front of the car.
Originally Posted by delorean928
