[T3] Leak under front driver side

[Dave Hall]

Firstly, there are 2 grease nipples each end of the beam, one for each of
the torsion arms.  The ones on the back top of the beam are not so easy to
find, but they're vital too.

Yes, the wheels should spin freely - very slight noise wouldn't be a
problem.  The brake pads should retract fractionally from the disc when the
pedal pressure is released, and allow the wheels to rotate freely.  If the
discs are heavily corroded, there may be rust in the way, but this will wear
off.  
The only thing that moves the piston away slightly is the flexibility of the
seal in the piston - as the piston is pushed out, the seal twists slightly,
and when the pressure is released, it twists back and moves the piston a
fraction into the caliper.  

On your '72 you don't have any adjusters on the front as you have discs, and
the pads simply wear down gradually.  The pistons move out gradually as the
pads wear, and the brake fluid level will go down a bit, so don't do the
next bit with an over-full reservoir.....

It's most likely the calipers are partly seized - it's a common problem,
particularly if not used regularly, and can often be overcome by exercising
the piston until it moves freely -  lever the pistons back into the caliper,
then work the pedal to move them back out. I usually remove the pads and
replace with an old thinner set. Repeat a couple of times, and replace the
good pads if you removed them (keep them in the same positions).  See if
that has helped.

The flexible hoses may have closed up, as mentioned in another reply -
that's common, and traps fluid in the caliper under pressure.  They can look
fine externally.  To check that, release the bleed nipple and see if fluid
spurts out (careful - you don't want to break it or it's a major problem).
If it simply oozes out, the hoses are probably not the trouble.  If they
look even slightly cracked, change them anyway.  If the bleed nipples don't
have rubber seals on them, they may be rusty inside.  They must have those
fitted to keep out the wet.

Also, check the rubber outer seals in the calipers are undamaged - they stop
the cylinder corroding from damp, but are easily damaged by carelessness.

Dave.
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Jacob Adam
Schroeder
Sent: 17 March 2013 16:24
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] Leak under front driver side

I had the car up on jacks this morning to pump in some grease in the front
end.  I pumped grease into the one grease nipple on each end until I saw
grease coming out the seal on the other side.  While the front end was
jacked up, I tried to spin the front wheel.

On the driver's side, the wheel spun freely, but I could hear it dragging on
the brake pads all the way around.  On the passenger's side, the wheel would
not spin freely and it was certainly dragging on the pads, and facing
resistance, all the way around.

If the brakes were working perfectly, then I assume the front wheels should
freely spin (with no drag on the pads), is that correct?

Jacob



On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 12:52 PM, Jacob Adam Schroeder <
jacob.schroeder at gmail.com> wrote:

> The fluid washes off with water only, no soap.  So it looks like we're 
> dealing with brake fluid ... bummer.
>
> This likely means that fluid is leaking out of the master cylinder.  
> What is next?
>
> As far as the brake check, I will perform the first test you 
> suggested, Jim, and see if I can detect movement in each of the 4 
> pads.  I may wait on the other test (15 minute drive, etc.) until 
> after I fix the leaking master cylinder.  I know that when I drove the 
> car, I did not notice any pulling and after driving home from work (~ 
> 30 minutes) when I did so a few weeks back, I checked and did not 
> notice any excessive heat coming from the rotors or drums.
>
> Jacob
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 9:54 AM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
>
>> On 16 Mar 2013 at 8:55, Jacob Adam Schroeder wrote:
>>
>> > I'm starting to think that the leak is brake fluid now, especially 
>> > in
>> view
>> > of the corrosiveness of brake fluid.  The areas of the front end 
>> > that
>> are
>> > "wet" are that bright orange/fresh rust color.  I do not have 
>> > enough of
>> a
>> > leak on the floor right now (haven't driven it in about a week) to
>> perform
>> > the oil/water test under the sink to see if it is water soluble.
>>
>> Can you just wet your finger on the rubber part and see if the wet 
>> part rinses off without soap?
>>
>> > So if I want to verify my brakes are up to speed, aside from 
>> > flushing
>> out
>> > the old fluid, what next?  Should I remove the cylinders and have 
>> > them rebuilt?
>>
>> There are a couple simple tests you can do.
>>
>> Have a friend push hard on the pedal while you see if you can feel 
>> the pad move in the back of each caliper. You can do this while lying 
>> on the floor and reaching in from the back side of the wheel. Lay 
>> your finger on the caliper and the rear of the pad. You are hoping to 
>> feel the pad move in when the pedal is pressed and move back slightly 
>> when the pedal is released. Check all 4 pads.
>>
>> If you find one or more pads that don't pull back, send me the 
>> calipers to be rebuilt.
>>
>> If that works, take it for a 15 minute highway drive, then stop at 
>> the top of a hill, letting the car slow down without using the brakes 
>> any more than absolutely necessary. Get out and feel each rotor and 
>> drum. Be careful, because something may be VERY hot. If there's 
>> anything that's hot enough that you don't want to leave your finger 
>> there, then there's a problem. In that case, let us know which wheels 
>> are hot and we can go from there.
>>
>> In general, I think calipers should be rebuilt in pairs, just so both 
>> get off to the same fresh start. Rear wheel cylinders are best left 
>> on the car and rebuilt there. I can also rebuild your master cyl if 
>> there's a problem with it.
>>
>> Once you get everything in good shape, I recommend changing to DoT-5 
>> Silicone Brake Fluid. That will keep everything in good shape MUCH 
>> longer than standard DoT 3 or 4.
>>
>> --
>> *******************************
>> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
>> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
>> *******************************
>>
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