Brake pedal gone hard

[martinj]

The brake pedal on my Westy has become quite hard to press down, the brakes still work fine but just require a lot more of a shove on the pedal.I have checked the discs, pads, shoes, cylinders etc and all are in good condition and working as they should.I have replaced the vac pump with another one I was given but its condition was unknown and the pedaL remains the same.the one way valve in the pipe from the pump is working ok but the pump does not seem to have much suck.Any ideas what elese it could be.

Thanks
Martin

[kit]

Servo? although I am told this is rare, sounds like the vacuum pump are you sure the non return valve is the right way around?

[Fin]

which way round should it be?

[California Dreamin]

Vacuum pump/vacuum pipe/one way valve/servo.

1. Vacuum pump making sufficient vacuum
2. Vacuum pipe intact/not holed
3. One way valve correctly works (able to suck with some resistance from the engine side but not from the servo side)
4. Brake servo operation....(the large rubber internal diaphragm intact and not holed)

The pipe should be easy to check (pull off at the engine and servo...see if you can suck from the engine side, have someone put their thumb over the pipe servo end, it should be air tight.

My guess would be the mechanical vacuum pump has packed up...but do the checks first.

Martin

[Fin]

So if one were to um......maybe fit a massive engine to ones VW............and possibly not fit said little non return valve...............
What would be the resulting...............poor ass brakes that you have to hammer .....erm cough :/

[mark]

you forgot to buy the anchor and 4m of rope.
ho and the non return valve

mark

So if one were to um......maybe fit a massive engine to ones VW............and possibly not fit said little non return valve...............
What would be the resulting...............poor ass brakes that you have to hammer .....erm cough :/

[California Dreamin]

Fin...yours is a Scooby lump...still petrol and so you must have the servo pipe attached to a vacuum take off on the inlet manifold.
Leaving the one way valve out doesn't mean NO Brakes...just NO reserve, so if you stall the engine the pedal instantly goes solid (no servo assistance, purely mechanical) ...normally you get 2 or 3 applications with assistance before the pedal goes hard and assistance ceases.
Obviously much more dangerous and an MOT fail.

Martin

[Fin]

Yeh - cool cheers, I've got one on order
I had the bloody thing and now I've put it somewhere "safe"

[Fin]

you forgot to buy the anchor and 4m of rope.
ho and the non return valve

mark

So if one were to um......maybe fit a massive engine to ones VW............and possibly not fit said little non return valve...............
What would be the resulting...............poor ass brakes that you have to hammer .....erm cough :/

You've seen my van right?

[mark]

mark

you forgot to buy the anchor and 4m of rope.
ho and the non return valve

mark

So if one were to um......maybe fit a massive engine to ones VW............and possibly not fit said little non return valve...............
What would be the resulting...............poor ass brakes that you have to hammer .....erm cough :/

You've seen my van right?