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As we know, the brakes are the 2nd most important part of your car (after the stereo) so I'm quite keen to sort my Lada brakes out relatively sharpish! Long story short - my pedal started to sink - I wasn't losing fluid front the reservoir at all but if I sat in traffic with my foot on the brake it would gradually drop almost to the floor but still operate the brakes (just). I'd then need to pump he pedal to bring it back up. This lasted a few days then it sank when I was driving I bought a new master cylinder and fitted it this weekend, followed by a bleed of the system - hit the brakes, jobs a goodun! Took it round the block, nice firm pedal with no sinking. Went back out to the car later on to find the brake warning light illuminated so popped the bonnet and had a look and the fluid was really low. I looked at the back of all the wheels, no fluid anywhere, nothing under the car... I filled the reservoir again and went out no problems at all until the next day before heading to work - brake warning light back on! Sure enough no leaked fluid and a very low reservoir. Topped back up and went to work - the level hasn't dropped all week! However... Went for the brakes at the top of my road today and the pedal was quite stiff and almost none power assisted on first press - quick second one and back to normal with no problems all the way to work... Could the missing fluid have been filling up the servo perhaps?
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MrSpeedy
East Midlands
www.vintagediesels.co.uk
Posts: 4,789
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I would think that's a good guess as to where the fluid has gone
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Not if the master cylinder has been replaced- unless you're really unlucky. peer at the brake back plates- is one damp looking? it'll be a weeping wheel cylinder on the back,or the pipework adjacent.
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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That fluid has to be going somewhere.
Double check all your back plates for dampness and also check flexi hoses and solid lines for leaks. It would be unlucky if that the new master is a dud but it sounds like that may be the cause. A couple of things that can indicate that fluid is getting into the servo are
a) with the engine running when the brake pedal is pressed the revs change notably, your essentially feeding oil into the intake so giving it more fuel.
b) a puff of smoke when applying or shortly after applying the brakes.
Those symptoms can have other causes but combined with a mysterious loss of fluid would have me looking at the seals between the master and servo.
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44 1974 VW Beetle 1303s 1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV 1988 VW LT45 Beavertail 1998 Volvo V70 2.5 1959 Fordson Dexta
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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Pull off the servo pip and stick in some rolled up paper, if it comes out wet (which i recon it will) you have a duff master.
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R.I.P photobucket
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Thanks guys, all flexis and solid pipes have been checked and are ok - the level seems to have stopped dropping now (I'll double check before i head home) but I'm experiencing the solid pedal and seemingly no power brakes on the occasional press which isn't too nice, a quick pump and its ok again. I'll dip the servo when I get back too
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Kieran
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,092
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On Jenns Lada, the aluminium tee block bolted to the axle had corroded and seeped fluid under pressure.
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The Ashby Jackson fleet:-
1979 Mini Clubman 1.8 K series 1978 Skoda 110r Project 130RS K-oupe 1978 Austin Allegro 1500 SDL Estate 1984 BMW K100 Sidecar outfit 1999 Yamaha FZS 1000 Fazer 1991 Kawasaki ZXR400 race bike 2002 Kawasaki ZX9r race bike
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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Thats a good point are you checking for leaks with the system under pressure? You may find one easier if you stick a brick on the brake pedal whilst looking for leaks.
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44 1974 VW Beetle 1303s 1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV 1988 VW LT45 Beavertail 1998 Volvo V70 2.5 1959 Fordson Dexta
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add a few drops of red food dye to the master cylinder and stir up till its all red then leaks are easy to spot
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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How is red fluid all over the underside easyer to spot than normal brake fluid ? a wet backing plate is a wet backing plate red or not, what if he has a red brick drive? or a red Lada ? appart from the fact i'm fooked if i'd add anything to brake fluid anyway?
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R.I.P photobucket
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food dye comes in all colours green blue red etc etc i always use a different colour to the car ,when its in there and mixed if you have a small leak say down the bulkhead or inside from master cylinder its much easier to see if its a small leak,so you find the leak, then most normal people will change the entire brake fluid anyway after stripping the sytem down it needs to be refilled,the amount of food dye you is is minisucle to get an even colour,as for not adding anything to brake fluid,it absorbs moisture hence having to be changed every 2 years, you can make the stuff from shampoo and a little alcohol,and various other ways, so don't be afraid to add the dye,I have found pinholes in good looking brake hoses,just done it to a porshce 911 76 vintage the small leak was above the steering
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Dec 12, 2012 16:25:21 GMT
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Doesn't sound like this is the problem you're having, but it might help for the reference of other people reading this in the future.
I just had/solved an issue with my brakes where after driving a small distance the brake pedal would drop a long way, then pump back up fine and feel good until I moved any distance again. It turned out to be a loose wheel bearing. The disc moving side to side slightly was causing an issue common with floating discs called pad-knock-back, where the movement in the disc hits the pads and resets the piston slightly each time it hits, so by the time you press the pedal you have to push the piston back out again with your first stroke or 2. Nipped up the bearing and everything's feeling good again.
Good luck getting to the bottom of your issue, have you checked the servo for fluid yet?
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Last Edit: Dec 12, 2012 16:27:09 GMT by RobinJI
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Dec 12, 2012 16:42:49 GMT
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Doesn't sound like this is the problem you're having, but it might help for the reference of other people reading this in the future. I just had/solved an issue with my brakes where after driving a small distance the brake pedal would drop a long way, then pump back up fine and feel good until I moved any distance again. It turned out to be a loose wheel bearing. The disc moving side to side slightly was causing an issue common with floating discs called pad-knock-back, where the movement in the disc hits the pads and resets the piston slightly each time it hits, so by the time you press the pedal you have to push the piston back out again with your first stroke or 2. Nipped up the bearing and everything's feeling good again. Good luck getting to the bottom of your issue, have you checked the servo for fluid yet? Interesting, never knew about that! No I haven't had a chance and I've been getting lifts but that's gonna change now - I'll have to break a torch out later and have a look.
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Dec 12, 2012 16:43:47 GMT
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On Jenns Lada, the aluminium tee block bolted to the axle had corroded and seeped fluid under pressure. seems dry as a bone, just cannot find a leak - I can only imagine that the servo is full of brake fluid :/ I'll try and look later and report back.
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