Brakes - setting them up

[hugh_]

I have decided to keep my car (I was going to get a capri, theres a thread on it in GG) but in compensation to myself there are a few things I want to get done. First and foremost, the brakes.

Now at the moment there are alright, I can lock the wheels up when I need to etc etc. However, when I press the pedal there is about 1/2" of travel when there is very little/no effect then they start work. Could someone point out what this is likely to be, the level in the header tank for the brake fluid is correct.

Many thanks
Hugh

[Trooper2]

How long has it been since your brake fluid was changed? How long since they were last bleed? If you step on the pedal and it takes a while to start reacting the first thing that comes to mind is air in the system. Air is compressible a fluid is not. I think most folks probably don't flush, refill and bleed them as often as they should.

[GreenV8S]

There is normally a small amount of dead travel, there is usually a threaded adjuster on the master cylinder pushrod but be warned that if you adjust it too far your brakes can jam on. I'd say that if you only have half an inch of travel then you are doing pretty well.

[hugh_]

I asked for the fluid to be changed when the car was last serviced (August, 4000mls ago). Immediately after this it was fine almost no travel, then about a week later it went in to have one of the rear brake cylinders changed because one was leaking, since then there has been this travel before anything happens.

Air in the system was my initial reaction but I'm not sure.

Thanks for the advice
Hugh

[Trooper2]

hugh_ said:

I asked for the fluid to be changed when the car was last serviced (August, 4000mls ago). Immediately after this it was fine almost no travel, then about a week later it went in to have one of the rear brake cylinders changed because one was leaking, since then there has been this travel before anything happens. Air in the system was my initial reaction but I'm not sure. Thanks for the advice Hugh

If fluid was leaking out air was certainly getting in..

It's not impossible that they missed some air when they bled after the wheel cylinders were installed. If your brakes are a diagonally split system and they just bled the rears after the work then there is going to be air remaining in the system.

>> Edited by Trooper2 on Monday 13th February 20:16