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Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

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Old Dec 29, 2015 | 10:10 PM
  #1  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

So I've never driven this car without this brake issue.
So the pedal feels very soft,and I gotta press it all the way down to get a small amount of braking power while going 5 MPH.
I noticed the master cylinder was leaking where it mates up to the booster,so I replaced the master cylinder. I'm 100% sure I bled all the air out of the new one. I'm also 100% sure I bled all the air out of the system. I made sure there were no bubbles in my bleeding hose. I bled a whole 32 ounce bottle through it making sure there were no bubbles left.
I have no idea what the problem can possibly be. The only thing that's improved by replacing the master cylinder is I don't have to keep filling it up with fluid.
What the actual hell is wrong? I've checked the check valve and it works. I'm told a bad booster wouldn't have symptoms like this,actually it'd have the opposite. There's no fluid leaking at my wheel cylinders to indicate they're bad.
I wanna pull my hair out cause of this damn thing.
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 01:46 AM
  #2  
fervernt's Avatar
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 578
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From: Colorado Springs
Car: 91 firebird Formula 350
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: N/A, working on a t5 swap
Axle/Gears: 3.73 posi
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

So its not losing fluid at all anymore?
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 05:27 AM
  #3  
eseibel67's Avatar
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From: Kitchener, ON
Car: 1988 GTA
Engine: LB9
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.45
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Did you bleed the master on a level plane on a workbench or after it was bolted to the booster? If you did it on the car there will still be air trapped in it.
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 11:00 AM
  #4  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by eseibel67
Did you bleed the master on a level plane on a workbench or after it was bolted to the booster? If you did it on the car there will still be air trapped in it.
I did it in a vise and it was level. I followed the bleeding instructions sense it's a step-bore master cylinder. At the end I couldn't push it in any more than 1/16 of an inch.
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 11:01 AM
  #5  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by fervernt
So its not losing fluid at all anymore?
Correct
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 11:48 AM
  #6  
//<86TA>\\'s Avatar
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From: Central NJ
Car: 86 Trans Am
Engine: 408 stroker sbc
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: Moser full floater m9, 3:70 trutrac
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Rear drums?
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 11:49 AM
  #7  
//<86TA>\\'s Avatar
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From: Central NJ
Car: 86 Trans Am
Engine: 408 stroker sbc
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: Moser full floater m9, 3:70 trutrac
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

If so adjust your parking brake cable
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 12:52 PM
  #8  
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From: South TX
Car: 92 RS
Engine: Sbc With h/c/i/e holly4150
Transmission: 700r
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

does your car have ABS?
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 12:57 PM
  #9  
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From: South TX
Car: 92 RS
Engine: Sbc With h/c/i/e holly4150
Transmission: 700r
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

possible things I have seen.

Master cylinder, abs bleed through, prop valve, drum adjustment, air, or a leak
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 01:17 PM
  #10  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by //\\
Rear drums?
It has rear drum brakes,yes.
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 01:18 PM
  #11  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by Amillionoh7
possible things I have seen.

Master cylinder, abs bleed through, prop valve, drum adjustment, air, or a leak
It doesn't have ABS,so it can't be that. How can I test for a prop valve issue?
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 01:19 PM
  #12  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by //\\
If so adjust your parking brake cable
Where do I go to on the car to do that,and how?
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Old Dec 30, 2015 | 05:27 PM
  #13  
//<86TA>\\'s Avatar
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From: Central NJ
Car: 86 Trans Am
Engine: 408 stroker sbc
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: Moser full floater m9, 3:70 trutrac
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Remove the rear wheels, remove the drum. Adjust the shoes with the adjuster on the bottom of the assembly until the drum goes back on and justjust touches the drum. If the shoes are loose and have too much slop, you will have no brakes just like you describe
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Old Jan 1, 2016 | 05:40 PM
  #14  
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Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Bouy 2 brass or steel screw in plugs that fit the MC. Remove lines and screw plugs in. Step on pedal, firm pedal your problem is downstream. Bad pedal you have MC problems. If the pedal is firm reconnect and isolate furthur down the line. You can clamp the rubber hoses one at a time to isolate or remove lines and cap them. you can remove hoses from caliper and use a bolt/nut with the copper washers to isolate. Or you can guess.
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Old Jan 9, 2016 | 09:27 PM
  #15  
'91CamaroRS's Avatar
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Car: 1991 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 4 Speed Automatic
Re: Soft brake pedal from hell?!?

Originally Posted by '91CamaroRS
So I've never driven this car without this brake issue.
So the pedal feels very soft,and I gotta press it all the way down to get a small amount of braking power while going 5 MPH.
I noticed the master cylinder was leaking where it mates up to the booster,so I replaced the master cylinder. I'm 100% sure I bled all the air out of the new one. I'm also 100% sure I bled all the air out of the system. I made sure there were no bubbles in my bleeding hose. I bled a whole 32 ounce bottle through it making sure there were no bubbles left.
I have no idea what the problem can possibly be. The only thing that's improved by replacing the master cylinder is I don't have to keep filling it up with fluid.
What the actual hell is wrong? I've checked the check valve and it works. I'm told a bad booster wouldn't have symptoms like this,actually it'd have the opposite. There's no fluid leaking at my wheel cylinders to indicate they're bad.
I wanna pull my hair out cause of this damn thing.
Well I figured out the engine isn't pulling a proper vacuum,and that's most likely the issue with the brakes.
Reply
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