Another day another issue. After finally moving house and getting the front windscreen replaced after some prat smashed it, I thought I'd take the van out for a spin after 7 weeks without moving. I took off the handbrake and was just about to put the van into drive when I put my foot on the brake when it went straight to the floor without any pressure or resistance whatsoever. I pumped it a few times but still nothing and then I remembered that a couple of weeks ago I noticed a puddle under the rear right wheel. I thought it was strange at the time as it was baking hot but we'd had a couple of storms I put it down to rain evern though everything else was dry
I haven't had time to saw what went wrong but what can even cause a van that hasn't moved for 5 or 6 weeks to suddenly drop all it's brake fluid at the wheel, would that be the brake cylinder or hose going because it's under pressure from the handbrake? Also as I pumped the brake pedal a few times have I screwed my master cyclinder and need to replace that even though there was no pressure on the pedal?
1981 2.0l Aircooled ex German post office van coverted to camper.
When your windscreen was replaced, was the cover fitted to your dash pod? Is it possible the windscreen fitted knocked the brake fluid chamber, causing a leak?
Owner of Flintstone, our T3/25 Caravelle C Syncro 1.9 Petrol.
That was covered so no issue there. I'm sure it's fell out the back right but just can't get my head around the fact that it would just happen out of the blue without being used...and with a baby and young lad I'm crapping myself about the master cylinder possibly having taken unseen damage.
1981 2.0l Aircooled ex German post office van coverted to camper.
I have had the same type of thing happen on my daughter's Punto - it wasn't used for a month, went to use it and the fluid had drained due to the clutch slave failing. The car had not even been opened in a month yet it failed - weird but it does happen some how.
I have recently changed a front flexi hose and the brake fluid reservoir emptied itself whilst I fought with a stuck brake union, so a leak, fractured pipe or split flexi could allow the brake fluid to drain from your brake system. I have just replaced my brake master cylinder and the job is relatively straight forward, no special tools and for £80 plus brake fluid, which you need now anyway, you can have peace of mind although the instances of the brake master cylinder seals failing due to being pushed over an unused part of the cylinder is quite rare.
cheers. I'll check if anything at all is in the reservois, if not I'll have a good read of the Haynes and replace the master cyl. as well as whatever is broke. *please please not the brake cylinder*
1981 2.0l Aircooled ex German post office van coverted to camper.
Nicola&Tony wrote:Maybe the scrote who smashed your windscreen also cut a brake flexi hose? Hopefully not though.
Tony
Thanks Tony, I thought that might be a possibility but I drove it from where it was smashed to our new house a few miles away with no problem and it's been about 7 or 8 weeks since it was smashed. I had a quick look last night with the wheel still on and as far as I can see the pipes and flexi hose are all intact and dry so I think it's the wheel cylinder. The reservoir is empty so I'd better replace the master cylinder too. I'll take a more thorough look at the end of next week weather permitting.
1981 2.0l Aircooled ex German post office van coverted to camper.
First things first....find out where the fluid has leaked from. As you say, it could just be a failed wheel cylinder although total failure allowing fluid to just drain out is unusual.
If it is JUST the wheel cylinder then I doubt it has just GONE! it has probably been leaking for months, in which case the brake shoes will be contaminated with fluid and will need changing as well.
Personally....although there is evidence to suggest full pedal strokes damage worn master cylinders, I wouldn't be automatically change it.
Chances are you haven't caused any damage and once bled through it will work just fine.
81AirCooled wrote:Thanks Tony, I thought that might be a possibility but I drove it from where it was smashed to our new house a few miles away with no problem and it's been about 7 or 8 weeks since it was smashed. . . .
Ah right, I didn't realise that the van had moved house since the windscreen was done. That's a relief. Reckon it would be a bit scary to discover that someone had deliberately knackered your brakes. Hope you find the problem and soon get it sorted.
Looking for: window apertures for side windows, at the back of the van
T25; 1985; RHD; 1.9DG petrol / LPG; white Autosleeper high-top; Looking rusty again!
Got the drum off today and saw that the brake cylinder had gone, I could squeeze fluid out from the dustcaps. The drum I can get the brakefluid off no problem but I need to replace the pads. There's 4-5mm remaining on th old pads so do I need to replace th pads on the other wheel also? And can anyone tell me which way the brake hose turns to undo on vehicle right, it's soaking in wd40 at the moment and I don't want to shred it.
1981 2.0l Aircooled ex German post office van coverted to camper.
81AirCooled wrote:Got the drum off today and saw that the brake cylinder had gone, I could squeeze fluid out from the dustcaps. The drum I can get the brakefluid off no problem but I need to replace the pads. There's 4-5mm remaining on th old pads so do I need to replace th pads on the other wheel also? And can anyone tell me which way the brake hose turns to undo on vehicle right, it's soaking in wd40 at the moment and I don't want to shred it.
Think you can only buy brake shoes in sets of four (two wheels), change both sides.
Buy or borrow (they're not cheap) the proper spanner for the brake pipe, or you'll round it off. Pretty sure it's a conventional thread, but not certain.
In an emergency miles from nowhere I boiled a set of oiled shoes from a bike in washing powder - it got all the oil out and was safe to use until I got back to civilization.
Hopefully not though.