Stickman

In the past week my brakes have continued to fade on my '73. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor. New brakes shoes were installed approximately 15,000 miles ago. I installed a new master cylinder thinking fluid was leaking inside the master cylinder. The new master cylinder and all the brakes lines have been thoroughly bled. The brake pedal still does not pump up. The car pulls to the right when i hit the brakes. Could i have a problem with the propotioning valve or the powerbooster?

ED DINAPOLI

Stickman,
I would check your calipers for leaks. If you get brake fluid on the pads you will experience the conditions you mention.
Ed

rollavette71

I agree with Ed. If your brakes are pulling, it's probably not the MC or
the proportioning valve. I would start by looking at your calipers and/or
for a leaking line somewhere.

Good luck,

Hank

Stickman

I have checked all the calipers. The right front has a very small amount of moisture on the caliper but i have not had to add fluid for the last two years. I would think the brakes would at least pump up to some degree.

rollavette71

Since it pulls to the right, check the flexible brake line on the front left caliper. If it
has a "weak" spot it might "balloon" up, making the pedal soft and the pull to the right.
You might be able to observe this by having an assistant brake hard while you watch
the line. (Car not moving, of course! :lol: )

R. Bruno

I have discovered that even a very minor leak can cause havoc with the system. I would suggest pulling the caliper off the rotor (easy since it is the front and you have the flexible line) and look at it, pistons, shoes etc. Fluid on the outside means more on the inside. I had a leaking caliper and was able to drive with it for a while - fluid level was fine but eventually got worse. Is the fluid cloudy looking?

ED DINAPOLI

Stickman,
It does not take much fluid to cause the brakes to pull to one side. If there is fluid on the caliper you have a leak. This may be caused by too much runout on the rotors which will let air enter your system, thus a weak pedal.
You need to check out the whole system if the problem is not apparent.
Good luck.
Ed

Stickman

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll look into the calipers a little farther.