International Vintage Volkswagen Forums

I am having brake truble with my 67 beetle, any help would be appreciated.

All the info,

4 wheel drums, with split master cylinder

master cylinder, brake lines, brake hoses, adjusters, wheel cylinders,
pads, drums, and hardware are all new.


I bled system and there is absolutely no air. The master cylinder doesn't
build enough fluid pressure to apply brakes on front wheels. all brakes are adjusted.
I disconnected where the steel line meets the rubber to check pressure, the pressure
is very light, which rules out the wheel cylinder. I have also ruled out the master cylinder,
this is the forth one I have tried. I tried the one that was on the car, 2 remanufactured,
and another brand new. From all my experiance, this would normally point to the master
cylinder, but I am stumped this time. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Here's a link that you can use to confirm what you feel about your brake job and possibly give you some directions to try. As you read further down you will see where your description about the front not braking is also discussed and similar to your situation. just an idea to possibly help you resolve you situation.
https://www.geocities.com/vwresource/brakes 

Byron

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Dusty, here are some possiblities to look at - Byron

Brakes[/b]

Note: Before you assume that a brake problem does exist, make sure that:
A) The tires are in good condition and are properly inflated.
B) The front-end alignment is correct.
C) The vehicle is not loaded with weight in an unequal manner.

Vehicle pulls to one side during braking.

The tire pressures are incorrect.

The front end is out of line (have the front end aligned).

The front or rear tires are not matched to one another.

The brake lines or hoses are restricted.

The drum brake or caliper assembly is malfunctioning.

The suspension parts are loose.

The backing plates or calipers are loose.

There is too much wear of brake shoe or pad material or disc/drum on one side.



Noise (high-pitched squeal when the brakes are applied)

The brake pads or brake shoes are worn out. You'll want to replace pads/shoes with new ones right away.

Make sure to check the disc/drums for damage as well.

Brake roughness or chatter (pedal pulsates)

The disc lateral runout is excessive.

There is uneven pad wear.

The is a defective disc.

The drum is out-of-round.



Excessive brake pedal effort is required to stop the vehicle.

There is partial system failure.

The pads or shoes are excessively worn.

The piston in the caliper or wheel cylinder is stuck or even sluggish.

The brake pads or shoes are contaminated with oil or grease.

The new pads or shoes that were installed are not yet seated. It will take a while for the new material to seat against the rotor or drum.



Excessive brake pedal travel

There is partial brake system failure.

There is insufficient fluid in the master cylinder.

There is air trapped in the system.

The brakes are in need of adjustment.



The brakes are dragging.

The master cylinder pistons are not returning correctly.

The brake lines or hoses are restricted.

The parking brake has been incorrectly adjusted.


There is grabbing or uneven braking action

The brake pedal mechanism is binding.

There is grease or oil on the brake lining.



Brake pedal feels spongy when depressed.🅱

There is air in the hydraulic lines.

The master cylinder mounting bolts are loose.

The master cylinder is defective.

The brake pedal travels to the floor with little resistance.

There is little or no fluid in the master cylinder reservoir caused by a leaking caliper or wheel cylinder piston(s).

The brake lines are loose, damaged or disconnected.



Parking brake does not hold.

The parking brake cable is improperly adjusted.

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OK wow looks like you covered everything except the pedal push rod is this ok is it pushing in enough into the master cylinder to give you the pressure you need, are your pedals loose on the floor?

You say you disconected the lines and you get no pressure. Try clamping the flexi hoses carefully all 4 at once and see then if you gat a good feel at the pedal, then undo a clamp at a time and try the pedal after you have unclamped each flexi hose. When the pedal looses pressure then thats the brake that is causing you hassle. It all sounds a bit odd it will be something rally simple.
You could take each drum off in turn and whatch as a friend presses the pedal to see if the brake shoes actually move outwards on each hub.

Keep us informed or failing all phone a mobile mechanic and get an hour of his time to diagnose then once he finds the fault you can fix and save the labour. another experienced pair of eyes might find the fault quicker than you. Well worth £25
Simon