My Brakes Hate Me, Advice?

[dnbonds]

So we have a family friend that is a mechanic that we go to for jobs we don't have the time or tools to do. Anyway, my brakes keep deciding to crap out on me exactly 3 days before I go to my mechanic. The last time it was that the rear drums weren't auto-adjusting and that fixed the issue. This time I have no brake pedal at all. I slam it to the floor and it barely slows down, almost ran two red lights on my way to work this morning (my fox is my DD). The last time I still had pedal and was able to slow down properly.

I checked my brake fluid and it seems to be low. Where would be common leak areas and why are my rear drums not auto adjusting? When I first got my fox I rebuilt both drums with new springs and hardware.

Thanks in advanced for any advice

 

[Mustang5L5]

You either have a physical fluid leak, or the MC seal has gone and needs to be replaced. hard to pinpoint without seeing the car.

basically pull each wheel off and check for leaks and wet spots. Also,m inspect the lines and hoses.

With the engine off, pump the brake pedal to bleed off the vacuum. The pedal should get very hard and barely budge if you stand on it. if it slowly sinks, that's a leak, or a bad MC

 

[Bullitt347]

Another reason for the master cylinder to be low is that the front brakes are worn down and the fluid that was in the master cylinder is now in the brake calipers. Does not have to have a leak to have the master fluid reservoir low. Does not explain the low brake pedal tho......It could be a bad brake booster.

 

[89oem]

didnt you have a gush sound when you pressed the brake before?

also did you change you rear brake cylinders when you did the brake job? check for fluid leaks in the rear.... drum cylinders are notorious for leaking if the rubber sits and dry rots....or they are messed up during drum removal and replacement...

 

[dnbonds]

I didn't replace the brake cylinders or the adjusters because they looked to be in good condition and I was on a very low budget at that time. The pads for both the front and rear are only 6 months old so I wouldn't think they would need replaced already. I only drive on the road/interstate and don't abuse my brakes, never locked my tires up with them either.

I still have that gush sound. In the engine bay I found the A/C Vacuum connection was dry rotted off so I just need to find some rubber tubing and a clamp to fix that. It wouldn't have anything to do with the brakes would it?

I'll have him look more deeply into the problem then just the rear adjusters then.

Thanks

 

[89oem]

check/replace all the vacuum lines that are leaking... the brake booster is vacuum dependent iirc i think everyone was leaning towards your MC as the issue, if its the MC most likely the gaskets are shot... for safety and peace of mind go through entire brake system, it wont be that expensive to fix/replace worn out parts... if the brake cylinders arent leaking and respond to brake they should be fine...

also the steps Mustang 5l5 gave you can be done in your driveway to help pinpoint... and youll be learning about your car