Brake issues....stumped!

[RITTER]

I have never used anything but fuel line for my brake booster hose :idea:

 

[bill]

great....now im really confused...lol

 

[Bonnewagon]

Depends what kind of fuel line, there's all sorts. Soft stuff will collapse. It needs to keep it's diameter when under vacuum. Look at the stock stuff GM used at the booster, it's thick, fat, and stiff. (yeah, I know how that sounds. And if I was thick, fat, and stiff I'd be in porno movies)

 

[bill]

Depends what kind of fuel line, there's all sorts. Soft stuff will collapse. It needs to keep it's diameter when under vacuum. Look at the stock stuff GM used at the booster, it's thick, fat, and stiff. (yeah, I know how that sounds. And if I was thick, fat, and stiff I'd be in porno movies)

lol...between your sig and that comment...im speechless...lol. Ive got regular fuel line on it now...gonna try to find actual 15/32 vacuum hose...any ideas?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Easy test- bend it. Does it flatten and collapse? No good. Like I said, I get it at GOOD marine stores, and even then it's got to pass the bend test. Another place it gets skimped on is the power steering return line. The factory used thick double walled reinforced hose, but we just use fuel line. Bad. I have been known to pirate some hydraulic hose in a pinch, but the marine hose is my first choice. Unfortunately it means a road trip to Brooklyn to an old-timey marine store where I also get Gibbs Oil which is the best penetrating oil in the world.

 

[bill]

update: I bled the brakes again, following chiltons instructions, which says to start at the right rear and end at the left front. I changed out the vacuum hose too...using a hard rubber line that hardly bends at all. Now I have good pedal, good stopping power, and no hard pedal issues. The prop valve button wouldnt move when I tried to press it in....not sure what that means....keep ya'll posted.

 

[Bonnewagon]

"The prop valve button wouldnt move when I tried to press it in...." is normal. I think I had one car in my life that I could push it in. Supposedly you need to be able to so as to bleed the rears, but I've never had a problem doing that even with totally stuck buttons.

 

[bill]

"The prop valve button wouldnt move when I tried to press it in...." is normal. I think I had one car in my life that I could push it in. Supposedly you need to be able to so as to bleed the rears, but I've never had a problem doing that even with totally stuck buttons.

Thats a relief to hear.....I was almost ready to sell it....lol

 

[pontiacgp]

I had that problem and I drove it reverse about 3 times and slammed on the brakes each time and on the last attempt it reset the valve, I could hear it click. My next option was to buy a new valve.

 

[bill]

I had that problem and I drove it reverse about 3 times and slammed on the brakes each time and on the last attempt it reset the valve, I could hear it click. My next option was to buy a new valve.

So after that, you could push the valve in? Did it make any difference in brake performance?