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Post by sixty9santa on Apr 23, 2008 1:24:44 GMT -5
So I was out cruising a few times and I noticed that my brakes were a bit funny. Sometimes when I applied the brakes, the pedal would be very stiff, but then would be normal for the rest of the time.
Well, the same thing happened but now the front passenger side brake locked up (the wheel would squeal until the car stopped) and the pedal was very stiff. So I thought to myself that maybe the caliper has locked up/jammed and that I'd remedy the problem at the next light.
At the light, the same squealing sound from the front right tire and the same stiff brake. So I assumed that the brake locked up and if I pressed the pedal all the way to the floor, that maybe the brake would ease off. I was pushing the brake to the floor progressively when all of the sudden, I had lost my brakes! I also had no E-brake since, to my surprise tonight, the line was cut...
So when I had gotten home, I checked all the brakes and sure enough, the front right brake line has burst. My question now is did the line get air in and then burst the line or is there much more to what happened?
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Post by Jeff Roblin on Apr 23, 2008 7:31:49 GMT -5
I think that all that burst the line is old age and rust. I've changes a couple lines on mine but none for years since it has been stored indoors year round.
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Post by robic58 on Apr 23, 2008 10:10:08 GMT -5
That type of failure can have absolutely disastrous results. Count your blessings that the only damage is to the failed brake system. Mechanical breakdowns like this can be just about eliminated by mandated safety inspections. Many states and several provinces have compulsory annual safety inspections for vehicles. We, in New Brunswick, have a very stringent inspection program.Pennsylvania, like wise has a very though program. A mechanic puts his license and livelyhood on the line if he/she fails to thoroughly inspect a vehicle in New Brunswick. To my mind, a very strict annual inspection should be inforce throughout North America. I've seen vehicles which looked A-OK fail the "pry bar" ball joint test. I'm told the most common failure is the "E-brake/park brake" seized because of lack of use. Ralph
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Post by Jeff Roblin on Apr 23, 2008 10:23:58 GMT -5
Ralph,
Ontario & Quebec are not near as good for safety records. In Ontario, one a car is safety-checked, it does not have to recertified until the ownership changes. Vehicles '87 and newer have to be emission tested every second year for pollution though.
Annual inspections are only required for trucks over a certain weight.
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Post by sixty9santa on Apr 24, 2008 23:56:42 GMT -5
Let me tell you all that I did count my blessings that night since I was going about 90mph on the freeway........... Luckily, my car doesn't need testing and that's why I'd like to remove the Thermactor system. Especially since my pump is dead, the rest is simply dead weight to me. I haven't gotten around to lifting the front and doing the pry test for the ball joints yet, but I will as soon as I'm installing the new polyurethane bushings and chopping the front springs a bit. I guess this is also an excellent opportunity to install my B&M Launch Control/Line Lock. Thank you all for your input and concern!
Chris
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Post by hipogranada on Apr 25, 2008 0:06:08 GMT -5
As Jeff noted, 30+ years of general age, rust, rot, wear and tear make it likely that items like brake lines need to be examined carefully. Replacing the flexible rubber front lines goes without saying.
Even if you're just cruising an unmodified car around for the fun of it, making sure the brakes are reliable only makes sense. If you're modifying, if you drive hard or the car's a daily driver, a thorough brake system rebuild could likely prevent something pretty serious, even save a life.
Not to get all sappy about it, but if you're gonna run 90+ on the freeway in a 30 yr old car, please be sure those brakes are up to the job!
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Post by sixty9santa on Apr 25, 2008 22:42:05 GMT -5
Gary, you're absolutely right about getting the essentials inspected, and I did. I've got a buddy of mine that does it for a living, and I also checked it with my father (he's had a few cars that needed new brake lines). All was good but I kind of took the parking brake for granted. We inspected the discs, the drums, the hubs and everything in between while we were at it and that is also the reason for the new bushings. Except the parking brake must have been forgotten due to all the talk about the car.
Upon removal of the busted line, it turns out that a rock, or something, must have hit the line since there was a sharp bend that caused the breakage.....does not answer the stiff brake problem....Could be something else?
I do also have new rubber hoses on order as well as a new parking brake line.
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Post by jhkaster on Apr 26, 2008 5:53:08 GMT -5
I find this topic very interesting, especially from the perspective of using the parking brake. I always use the parking brake when I park the car. It was something that my grandfather told me to do when I was a kid and I have always done that as a matter of habit. But oddly, most of my old car buddies (meaning the cars are old, not the buddies) never use their parking brakes. Seems to me you have to keep them exercised to avod them rusting or locking up. What's the advantage to not using the parking brake, if any? I feel like I'm the only one that uses it.
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Post by robic58 on Apr 26, 2008 6:38:02 GMT -5
Guess I was ingrained in the same logic. I use this feature regularly. It's just one more step in getting going or coming to an extended stop. Ralph
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Post by sixty9santa on Apr 27, 2008 5:43:03 GMT -5
Gary, Forgot to mention that I'm happy that your out of surgery and hope all went well.
On a side note to my dilemma with brakes: DOT 3 is what I need, right?
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Post by hipogranada on Apr 27, 2008 23:11:07 GMT -5
Yeah, the exploratory was a success. They did find a heart. After all these years of hearing how heartless I am....
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Post by sixty9santa on Jul 4, 2008 1:32:20 GMT -5
So my brakes have long been fixed but alas, I have a new problem.......the line to my trans cooler is busted and leaking trans fluid everywhere. I'll change the gas line at the same time as well, just to be sure.
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Post by Jeff Roblin on Jul 9, 2008 17:08:48 GMT -5
Are you going to try to find factory bent lines? If so let me know what you find.
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Post by sixty9santa on Jul 29, 2008 22:27:46 GMT -5
Jeff, I tried to find factory bent lines but I was unable to in my search. In the end, new brake lines were bent with a tubing bender. As for the trans cooler line, it has completely rotted off where it enters and leaves the trans itself. The fuel line has been previously patched with some rubber tubing over the line so that'll be next right after the trans cooling line is fixed.
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Post by sixty9santa on Aug 17, 2008 7:20:26 GMT -5
Just another little update, the fuel pump needed a replacement as well. Took us (my father and I) about an hour and a half to unbolt the power steering pump, remove the old pump, scrape the gasket material off and intall everything back on again. Trans cooling lines have been replaced as well.
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