justinj

Hi all,

Bled the lines with a mitivac. When I press the brake pedal, it takes a while to come back up.

'62 88, drums all around, single master cylinder, power brakes. The booster is not new - but the pedal is sinking a bit when the car is started, which makes me think there's some vacuum.

Any ideas what this could be?

justinj

No ideas, huh?

This is pretty maddening. Bled the brakes twice, bench bled the MC twice. Still need to wait 20 sec after flooring the brake pedal til it comes back up again.

Weird. Guess I'll ask the HAMBers if there are no suggestions here.

RandyS

I'm thinking your MC needs to be rebuilt. You can buy a kit and do it yourself.

don71

I'll throw one idea out there..I don't know if this will stick. This sounds like a master cylinder problem, but for some reason I think brake hoses up front, debris in the system or poor hoses.

I've never worked on anything like your model. Hope you find a solution.

Tedd Thompson

This could be but when ever this type problem occurs usually you have a stuck brake at the same time. Left a lone it will after a time free up as the pressure drops off. Is the brake drum (wheel) sticking?....Tedd

justinj

Interesting. I'll take a look. It felt like the left rear wheel was a bit sticky.

I haven't been driving this car though, as there is no exhaust - typically I work on it late in the evening and don't want to drive my neighbors nuts. I really need to get an exhaust on it

nsnarsk65cutlass

Brake booster weak or broken spring internal.

Octania

weak shoe return springs and/or sticky wheel cylinders? Have the brake pieces been refreshed or at least lubed up?

justinj

- Booster is old.
- MC is rebuilt but has been sitting around.
- distribution block is old
- I made all new brake lines
- brake bits (springs etc) in the drums are new

thanks

Justin

toymobile

62 didn't have a distribution block???
Sounds like BOOSTER to me.
Good luck

Johnny

illumined

A bad booster wouldn't make it return slower, something is causing the fluid to not have enough pressure. Plus if it were the booster leaking you'd know it in other ways by the engine running really lean. Either there's a leak somewhere or air in the lines would be my guess.

EDIT: I forgot to ask, in this car do the drums have their own cylinders in addition to the master cylinder?

justinj

By distribution block I mean the little block that the 4 lines (plus MC line) connect to. Not sure what that's called.

justinj

Not to hijack my own post...(but I will)

Can anyone suggest a replacement brake booster / dual circuit MC combo that would be relatively easy to adapt to this car ('62 olds 88)?

I'm not concerned about 'correctness' or originality.

It's kind of a Might-As-Well, but I guess it makes sense safety-wise for me to consider upgrading to a dual MC.

illumined

I'd suggest making sure the MC is actually the problem before spending money on it. Evidently based on what I've been reading toymobile might be right, it could also be the booster.

nsnarsk65cutlass

The brake booster will make the pedal return slowly,it should return even if the master cylinder is not attached,that's how you diagnose it.

toymobile

I think anything from a G M after 67 will bolt on in place of your single , If you can go to a UPULL would be the best, otherwise you need someone to remove the complete system from the firewall down to the equalizer valve and ship it to you, You can do the plumbing from the wheels.
Good luck.

Johnny

justinj

Anyone know how much travel there should be between the floor and the pedal? Service manual seems to only refer to non manual brakes...

justinj

I took off the MC and the pedal returns quickly at first, then slow.

twintracks

Very often, the old leaky master cylinder will have been leaking brake fluid
into the booster. I think you will find brake fluid, and rust in the power booster, even if it is still sort of working.