hi guys and girls. so i a have a 72 cutlass 350 with power brakes. disk in the front and drum in the back. my car was a garage find that was sitting for 17 years. i finally got it running and now i need it to stop. when i first got it i noticed i had no brake pressure and fluid was coming out of the combination valve button when i pressed the brake ( not much fluid but some). so in my rush to judgment i bought a new combination valve and had alot of fun putting that on. then i was all set to bleed the brakes and go for a ride (yeah right). i opened the bleeder valve on the drivers side had my buddy press on the brake and nothing( no pressure and nothing comin out of the bleeder). i had another buddy pressing the button on the combination valve while deppressing the pedal and that didnt help either. Then on the new valve we had noticed some brake fluid coming from the combination valve button. at one point i opened the master cylinder and saw when the brake was pressed a stream of fluid was flowing around. so pretty much im stuck. no matter how much i jumped on the pedal no pressure. the master never got low. please help, i wanna drive this thing so bad.

 

Well first off it could possibly be leaking as you have a blockage in the lines. I think I would first start in the back and pull the bleeder screw out and have a friend press the brakes and see if fluid comes out and if no fluid comes out then I'd release the rubber hose and have a friend press on the brakes and see if fluid comes out. Have you replaced the wheel cylinders or hoses or calipers or master? The hoses could possibly swollen also the bleeders could be clogged. When you bleed the brakes you normally go from passenger rear to driver rear to passenger front and then drivers front. Also be careful with brake fluid as it will eat the paint off.

 

I haven't replaced anything except the the combination valve which had some brake fluid coming out the front button. If anything is clogged in the lines wouldn't I get some pressure at the pedal?

 

I suspect from your description the internal seals in the master cylinder have failed, I would replace it rather than try to repair it if that is the case.
I think an overhaul of the entire braking system is called for on any car that has been idle for 17 years
I would replace all flexible hoses as a matter of course, they will certainly have deteriorated, this may not be obvious from an external examination.
If the tires are 17 years old they also should be replaced, even if they appear as new the rubber will have deteriorated, again not necessarily obvious from an external look.
Brakes and tires are your first line of defense in safety, dont let your first trip in your find be your last.

Roger.

 

Good advice, I bought my '70 S in 1999 with tires from '81. Needless to say the left front lasted 1 week and split from bead to bead straight accross the tread. That was pretty cool at about 25 mph

 

If your hoses were swelled up inside, you should get some firmness in the pedal but either be unable to get fluid out from the wheel bleeder, or have the brakes fail to release.
That may not be the problem here right now, but you should take a good look at the hoses anyway, because if they weren't fairly new when the car was put away, they're probably ready to be replaced.

My first thought here is the master cylinder, but like fallbrook said, loosen the bleeder on each wheel and see if you get fluid out through any of them when pressing the pedal - if not, then your master is probably gone, which is not unusual in a car that's been sitting.

Expect to have to change the rear wheel cylinders too, as they tend to go with sitting.

- Eric

 

If it were me, I would remove, the master cylinder, and rebuild it, if it is original to the car. If not, then buy a new one. Then I would remove the four wheels, and completely rebuild all the wheel cylinders and calipers. Replace the 2 rubber lines in the front, and the one over the rear axle. While the rubber hoses are off, blow air through the lines to purge them of any old brake fluid. Once everything is done, bleed the brakes, and before you take to the road, push as hard as you can on the brake pedal, to make sure that there is no weak spots in the old brake lines. Brake lines usually rust from the inside on cars that have been in storage for a long time. Regular brake fluid is hygroscopic, and absorbs water. This is why many automobile manufacturers suggest changing brake fluid every 2 years.

 

thanks for the tips. i have a master cylinder. now i just have to figure out how to bench bleed it. im sure past posts can help.

 

There must be a hundred ways of bench bleeding a master cylinder.
The most important thing is that it must be level while you do it, so that all the air can float to the top.
The little tubes that go back into the reservoirs are probably the best, but the screw-in buttons that they supply nowadays have worked fine for me too.
Once when I was a kid and changing a M/C in a parking lot, I bled it with a hammer, by placing the handle against the end of the piston and the head against a tree, holding the M/C firmly, and pressing against the tree repeatedly.

- Eric

 

im sold on buying the brake hoses. do u guys think napa will have them or where do u recommend? i live in maui and year one and summit charge alot for shipping.

 

Well you should be able to get them from any auto part store near you they might not have them in stock but they should be able to get them for you. If you go to auto zone I don't believe they charge you to have an item ship to their store.

 

When you start replacing brake system parts, be prepared for the cascade of events, as removing the hose destroys the fitting it's attached to, and removing that fitting destroys the line it's attached to, etc.

Last time I went to change two lines, I ended up changing four lines, three hoses, two wheel cylinders, and a caliper. I could have saved some of them, but did I really want to spend two hours repairing the threads on a fitting, vs 20 minutes just replacing the part?

- Eric

 

I say visit Rockauto and check their shipping rates. You could order everything you need there for your brakes. Great prices and service and I posted a discount code on this site recently (do a search).

Of course most of the local places offer lifetime warranties if you plan on keeping the car for long. Napa should be able to get them. Never hurts to check.

Whatever has rubber should be replaced. Calipers could be easily rebuilt, as the kits are out there cheap.

Do not forget the rear brake hose over the axle - I bet it is original since it is hidden...

OH - be sure to use a special line wrench on the fittings, unless you want to strip the hex off of them and make your life miserable... They are available from many places.
Use little sockets to break open the bleeder screws for the first time.
WD40 on the threads the night before can help too.

 

Tell you what - United 2 leaves O'Hare/Chicago every day around 6AM.
I'll pick-up the parts with your CC, and bring them and the necessary tools with me, and fix your car in your drive/garage in Maui.
Plane fare, room + board, and a little spending money would do it!
Lifetime guarantee on labor, too!!

 

I smell a little evil in the brewing here....

 

Hey - it's worth a shot!!

Been to K.C. Kansas on a '57 Eldo, and Raliegh, NC on a Berlina that way!!

 

My cc number is ...... sorry, not sure if I have the funds. I'm originally from chicago, u would love this car. It literally has 99% no rust. No snow= no salt, except by the beach!