[T3] Brakes

[Jim Adney]

On 3 Jun 2013 at 16:46, Art Sterrett wrote:

> I have been doing a battle with my brakes!  I found a hardware kit
> through Bill and Steve's Foreign car parts, and I was told that they
> have Type 3 parts that you won't find anywhere else.  Their phone
> number is 562-923-3251.  I ordered the kit and it came complete as
> promised, although shipping is slower than some other places I have
> used before. 

Always keep me in mind, as I have almost any Type 3 brake part you 
might need.

> I have purchased 2 new rear brake cylinders and I am hoping at this
> time they will correct the problem.  When I attempt to bleed the
> brakes the rear shoes brake, but will not release.  If they are not
> the total problem then the Master Cylinder comes in question.  It was
> rebuilt by Jim back when I was restoring the car and the brakes have
> worked fine until last week.  The Master Cylinders are not available
> any more so I guess I will have to pull this one and send it back to
> Jim for a rebuild unless someone has a new one or a good working one
> to sale for a 1971 Fastback? 

This doesn't sound like a MC problem. Rear hoses are a possibility, 
but failure of the rear hoses is very rare, and this would mean that 
both of your rear hoses failed, which would be even more rare. I have 
the hoses if you need them.

There's a rather simple test for blocked hoses: Open the bleed valve. 
If fluid comes out freely without pumping the pedal, the hoses are 
okay.

> If you put a new or rebuilt master cylinder in your car is their any
> special things you should do, such as bleeding the master cylinder? 
> What is the procedure for bleeding a master cylinder?  Will wait to
> hear from you guys before attempting to purchase a new master cylinder
> from someone. 

Don't pre-bleed; that's just a way to make a somewhat difficult job a 
whole lot messier. The MC will bleed along with the rest of your 
system, after it's installed.

Before you do anything else, check your pedal free play. There MUST 
be some free play. If not, you'll have this exact problem. You should 
be able to feel the pedal move, maybe as much as 3/4", before the 
pushrod touches bottom in the MC. The exact amount is not important, 
but there must be SOME play. Feel for this with a finger, not your 
foot.

Make SURE that the pedal is returning ALL the way to the stop when 
you release it. Press down on the pedal, then slowly release it. Then 
hook a toe or finger under the pedal and see if it will pull back 
farther. If it does, the pedal shaft is sticking or the return spring 
is broken, or both. Both are common. The pedal MUST come all the way 
back on its own after it's released.

Make SURE that it's not the parking brake cables that aren't 
releasing. I have new ones of those, too. With the drums off, you 
should be able to watch while someone else applies and releases the 
parking brake. To keep from getting things out of whack, tell them to 
pull up 6 clicks and then let it back down. Don't let them just grab 
and yank.

Rebuilding your MC is probably a better option than trying to find a 
new one, but I doubt if that's what you need.

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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