Brake Servicing

[Omegaman]

Hello to all,

I have just bought my first T25, a 1987 EMC High Top conversion, which started life as a 1900 petrol but is now a 1.6 (non turbo) CS diesel.

The guy who I bought it form had left it stand for a few months with little use and as a result the brakes were not as effective as they could be (and were before being laid up), so before I bought it he had them bled. I am looking for a little guidance with my camper, I am mechanically competent (not a lot scares me), but I want to know where I should start before replacing lots of components unnecessarily. The issue is as follows: -

Firstly the brake pedal is what I would call spongy, the van does stop but you need to stand on the pedal, this leads me to possible rear wheel cylinders or master cylinder, from what I have read. Is it worth bleeding the system again (I believe it is dual circuit?), as the pedal stiffens (not loads) when pumped before ignition on.

I think I will be putting new drums and shoes on it and new front discs but I wanted to trace if there were any other issues first, so I ask has anyone had any similar experience, or know where to start.

Many Thanks

[CovKid]

You need to follow all brake lines, inspect them carefully, including hoses at wheels. Fitting new discs and pads a great move. If wheel bearings are in good shape - reuse them if you can. If you remove rear hubs, make sure you've soaked all the brake line union at back of hubs in plusgas (not WD40) at least a day in advance and make sure you have new wheel cylinders to hand. I have yet to remove a brake drum and not find cause to fit new ones. Do all that and then see how it performs.