Brakes- What Brakes?

[ORCoaster]

Yesterday I was exiting the freeway and got near the end of the exit and had to stop at the light.  I went for the brakes and there didn't seem to be any.  Or at least not what they should be.  Drove around leaving plenty of stopping distance between me and next car.  Jacked it up on the front and spun the wheel.  Touched the brake pedal by hand and the wheels stop abruptly.  Try it with the rears, ahh nothing happens unless I really get a foot on them and push like crazy.

I am not in a good place to be doing mechanic work.  Limited tools, no air compressor and working in the street with lots of traffic.  Also no helper.  What would you think is the problem.   Blocked line at the Master Cylinder?  Other blockage in the reservoir?  How would you approach this one.  Remove the fluid in the reservoir and try to blow back through the rear line at the MC or at the brake?

Ideas ladies and gentlemen?  Thanks.

[R.O.R-2.0]

well, being that your rig has a proportioning valve, thats why the backs dont work great, and the fronts do.. when the car is jacked up, it has about 10% of the fluid going to the rear brakes..

gotta have a decent load in the car to open the prop valve to get the rear brakes working..

im gonna wager a bet that your vacuum pump went out and you have brakes that are super hard to push..

[ORCoaster]

Drove it to church this morning and the brakes didn't seem overly hard to push.  But didn't seem to be grabbing like they should.  Maybe I should have stayed and asked for a little extra protection until I figure this out. 

Will check the sucking side of the vac pump.  I wish I could get a gauge on it but that is back at the workbench 225 miles away.  Might just have to go for the hickey on the forearm test.  If hickey then good vacuum. 

[ORCoaster]

Well, started the engine and pulled the line off the booster.  No whooshing sound, this is bad.  Touched the end of the check valve to the forearm.  Barely stays on.  More not good.

Shut of engine and pulled the vac pump off.  Oil pouring out the air inlet and outlet.  Ahh more bad.  Took the side off where the check valves and springs are located.  Oil city, is that supposed to be like that?  I don't think so.

Took the top off all seems attached but a bit sloppy, might need a bushing at the bottom by the gear. 

Apart comes the diaphragm. Oil all over the place!  Again looking bad.  Shouldn't this be a nice clean air thing, not have this oil filling the space trying to create a vacuum?  Cleaned every thing off and sure as snot, crack diaphragm. 

So tried a repair with the sealer I had on hand but know full well this thing needs a rebuild. 

Time for parts.  Is there a kit for these things?  Or can we just slap in a new rubber dealy and call it rebuilt.  Somewhere recently I thought someone posted a rebuild link on this site.  Time to go fish.

I think this hole may also explain why I have so much air in my system.  It isn't blow by but manufactured air from the constant building of a vacuum for the brakes.  Driving heads up for a week till the parts show up.  Usually takes about a week. 

[CRSMP5]

since your pulling air from the crank case for it.. yes oil common... lots of it everywhere oil...

i run a breather/pvc style filter on mine.. a little k&n one... then block off the block.. or t that into the intake breather hose..

why... well when that diafram ruptures it will drink all the oil in the engine pretty quick.. and i hate all that oil in there...

[Patrick]

put a vane pump on it .....

[ORCoaster]

Looked for Vane pumps at auto salvage yard, no find, can buy one on line for 200.  Think I will just do the diaphragm over again.  Anyone know where the little o ring that comes in the kit goes?  I didn't see one on my machine when I disassembled it.  On the shaft on the pistons side between the diaphragm and the metal plate is where I am guessing it goes. 

Tell me if I'm right, tell me if I'm wrong, but do tell me.

[R.O.R-2.0]

put a vane pump on it .....

both my vain pumps have been hit n miss at best.. they work more often than not. but they still act up.

[theman53]

I don't know on that oring. I just fixed one of my vane pumps that *NEVER GO BAD* it was taking forever to make vacuum and I took the cover off the top. It had about 1/8" of metal gone from the top cover where the vane spinner rides against it. I also got all the seals for it.

Mine had an Oring in the center of the gear portion. Maybe that is where yours goes as well.

[ORCoaster]

Not having the Vane style pump but the cranking piston/diaphragm one I am not sure where an O ring would go.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Not having the Vane style pump but the cranking piston/diaphragm one I am not sure where an O ring would go.

around the base of the shaft.. seals the oil in.

[theman53]

Diaphram or vane the gear that the IM shaft drives to drive the oil pump and make vacuum...inside that look. There maybe an O ring to seal around the oil pump shaft.

[ORCoaster]

Well, I knew better but I called the Stealership and sure enough NLA  but wait....  Oh available in LA, prices?  90 for the diaphragm and 69 for the check valve kit.  Wow dude!  Oh in a hurry?  20 for expedited FED EX..

Have a good day,  That is like 5 times what I see on German Auto I think.  Time for online to save us again.

[theman53]

I have a complete kit that I bought thinking it was for a Vane pump. No such kit for a vane pump.
If you want it $5.00 plus shipping. I could send it tomorrow. I got it from azautohaus for roughly 20.00 IIRC it is new not opened.

[ORCoaster]

PM to you my friend!