So I could crack all four bleeders with no hose attached and the master cylinder cap open and then look for fluid at all four corners? I would then top up the master as it goes, but is that how you would do it? Does each hose have to vent into its own bottle with fluid in the bottom of it? I can tell I'm overcomplicating this, since I've done it before and it worked.
thats about the best vid I can find. should help. Start on your passenger rear till clean the DS rear then PS front,
All of the corners showed clean. What’s going on? Still have weak pedal when it’s on, but quite heavy when it’s off.
4 wheel drum Newest pic after talking to Bob. Very helpful and knowledgeable. Gonna start trying more stuff
I may have missed if it were discussed. With wheels off the ground (I do it with drums only) did you run the adjusters until the brak shoes start dragging on all four corners? If it feels "normal" for engine off when you apply the pedal, but really loose and long travel running, does it change the pedal feel when you rapidly pump with engine running? (like pumping up and building line pressure). If so, you may have an internal leak in the master cylinder. To check the booster try the following: Engine off, press the pedal several times then press and hold and start the engine, the pedal should drop slightly and hold. Then take your foot off the pedal and run the car for a minute, shut the engine off and then press the pedal, slowly three or four times, you should feel it gradually lose "boost" and the pedal get firm as in non-powered brakes.
Both the booster and master worked fine before this, and I haven’t touched them. I will try that if I am truly running out of things, but that just doesn’t seem likely
If I had a nickel for everytime a thing that worked fine elsewhere in an specific system, and then didn't when I had not touched it, and I spent hours and sometimes dollars before checking, only to find it had failed, I would need better belt. Only takes a minute to rule it out. Now, having you check specific gravity of the battery's electrolyte or ethylene glycol coolant would be silly. So, you can do that later...
And here’s a picture of the difference between the shoes. Stock ones I pulled off are the middle two.
In this pic it could be camera angle. looks like your are pointed upward just a bit. might not let the piston to operate proper. oops no pic but the one in #749
So I just swapped out the new brake shoes for the old ones, rebled everything for something near the 10th time. Still have a soft pedal when I start it. I’ve gravity bled, one man bled, etc. there’s gotta be no air in the lines. Probably will have to do a two man bleed tomorrow. The nerve that I have thinking that it’ll be solved like that....
So you aren't supposed to put the pedal all the way to the floor are you? I'm reading that I'll overextend the master cylinder and suck in air if I do that.
Freshly painted, first of four Before: After: EDIT: all four are done and now I need a cleaner car to take advantage of the clean looking rims