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Technical Soft brake pedal

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 1959 F100, Jul 9, 2016.

  1. 1959 F100
    Joined: Feb 21, 2014
    Posts: 121

    1959 F100
    Member

    When I first drive My '54 Buick Century, the pedal is soft, going past 1/2 way till I hit firm brake. The further I drive it the pedal gets firm. The brakes have been bled 3 times and master cylinder was rebuilt, and is full.
    What could be causing this issue? I backed off the manual adjusters all the way, according to the 1954 Buick shop manual I have.
     
  2. If you bring the adjustment up, the pedal should improve quite a bit. Give that a try first.
     
  3. ALWAYS adjust the shoes to the drum prior to bleeding or you will never make any firm pedal progress. Not to insult you, but did you bleed the farthest wheel cylinder from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest? Bleeding any other way than that will leave you with a spongy pedal.
     
  4. Is there anything that is not factory stock on your system? Does it have power brakes? Are you running silicon brake fluid?

    Charlie Stephens
     

  5. 1959 F100
    Joined: Feb 21, 2014
    Posts: 121

    1959 F100
    Member

    Nope, manual brakes,stock everything on it. Using what fluid they had on the shelf, synthetic DOT3

    I backed off the adjusters 15 notches as per the shop manual, and as for the bleeding, manual called for a LF, RF, LR, RR bleeding sequence
     
  6. If they come up with driving you probably got air in the system.

    You can bleed brakes until you are blue in the face all you need is one leaky junction to whup you.
     
  7. Man, I must be extra stubborn. As a brake mechanic, that is the first time I have ever heard of that bleeding sequence. EVERY car I have ever done was from the farthest wheel cylinder and working your way closer to the master cylinder to assure all of the air is out of the lines. Otherwise, you are simply pushing the bubbles around. I don't know about the "15 notches" thing, but I have always adjusted the shoes to the point where I could just barely hear them drag on the drums. Any farther away from the drum and they are too far away....in my opinion.
     
  8. Backed off? you need to jack each wheel of the ground and adjust until you have a slight drag when you spine the tire.

    Then you can bleed the brakes,start at the farthest point.HRP
     
  9. 1959 F100
    Joined: Feb 21, 2014
    Posts: 121

    1959 F100
    Member

    Yep, that's the sequence My 1954 Buick shop manual had, LF-RF-LR-RR... So instead, go RR-LR-LF-RF? Front wheels have slight drag, they will rotate about 1 revolution before stopping. I can re check the rears
     
  10. I would start bleeding at the RR, then LR, then RF and finally the LF ending with the closest to the master cylinder.
     
  11. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Suggest you adjust up the brakes til you hear a slight drag when you turn the wheel. Adjust all brakes, get in and pump the pedal a few times, and check them again. Try to get all 4 the same. Now you can bleed the brakes.

    After a couple of weeks driving adjust the brakes again, they will probably need it. Once they are broken in they should only need to be adjusted once a year or so unless you drive a lot in heavy traffic.
     
  12. 1959 F100
    Joined: Feb 21, 2014
    Posts: 121

    1959 F100
    Member

    Thanks will do that
     
  13. 1959 F100
    Joined: Feb 21, 2014
    Posts: 121

    1959 F100
    Member

    Ok thanks, will do that
     

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