Look mom, no brakes

[bobs67]

converted a 67 camaro, manual brakes, to power brakes today. Added an 11 inch, stock single diaphram, with a new master cylinder, bench bled the master cylinder, proportioning valve, and all 4 corners. The pedal goes all the way to the floor, with the engine not running!! Swithched to the old master cylinder, just to be on safe side, i knew it was a good master cylinder, no good, same results, still no pedal what so ever. Is there a difference between manual brake prop valve and power brakes? I have 4 wheel drum. Any sugesstions? HELP????:

[Ruslow]

Sounds like you still have air.Are you doing it yourself?i would enlist someone to help and just push the pedal down once,then open a bleeder and do this for each wheel.If you are 'pumping' the pedal then you are breaking the buble up into smaller bubbles and making it harder to bleed.[think of it like a glass of milk and a straw you start with a big bubble on top but blow into the straw and what happens to the bubble?] Same thing happens when you 'pump' the pedal.STAn

[clill]

With the master cylinder off does the rod pop out of the booster when you step on the pedal ? If it does, is the rod the right length ?

[bobs67]

ruslow, I have my wife handling the brake pedal chores, We have fluid at all 4 corners. Seems to me, if i have fluid, i should have pedal???? dang old cars!!lol. would'nt trade it though.... Still think it is air though, somehow.

[Ruslow]

Not always true.the air bubble could be broke up in the line.wait overnite and try again.Also is the m/c adjusted correctly in the booster? you should have about 1/16 of free travel between the booster push rod and the m/c.Stan

[clill]

One of the best tools I have purchased lately is this brake bleeder. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Vacula-Basic-Brake-Bleeder-VAC-180051_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43998QQihZ018QQi temZ280046529841QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

I was having a hard time bleeding the clutch master cylinder on my 32 Ford. Air bubbles don't like to go downhill. This thing got it done in about 15 seconds. You simply add a hose from the bleeder to the bleed screw and turn it on and make sure you don't run the master cylinder dry. It pulls fluid thru the system fast enough to bring the air bubbles with it. No mess either. You need a air compressor to power it though.
Yes if you step on the pedal witth the master cylinder unbolted from the booster you should see the rod move that is sticking out of the booster. Check the length of the rod also and make sure when the master is bolted back up tat the rod almost bottoms out in the master. If the rod does all it's moving before it contacts anything in the master you have a problem.

[rwhite692]

Don't know what method you are using to bleed them, but, the hand-operated vacuum-pump bleeders are worth every penny of the $40 or so...Use one once and you will wonder how you ever got along without it...-Rob

[clill]

Rob...I have one of those Mighty Vac hand pump units and this new Vacula unit is 10 times faster, cleaner etc. Really is that good.