Brakes failure

[Rick Fraser]

Hi Guys, recently the brake pedal on my '40 Lincoln goes right to the floor. Can pump it to get some braking but next try goes to the floor again. The brake fluid level is good.  I see there are rebuild kits for the master cylinder available. Have you guys done this work? Any nuances that I should be aware of? Thanks, Rick.

[edinmass]

Just do the entire system.......all four wheels and the master........clean and flush, get it over with as brake failure is no fun going down the road. 

[Rick Fraser]

Not too helpful,

 

but thanks??

 

Have you guys seen this?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1941-lincoln-continental-convertible-2/

[edinmass]

Rick, if you need any addition help just ask, most of us here consider this very basic service so not quite sure what you are asking. Have I done them, yes, countless times. The entire system should be serviced from one end to the other. One could discuss Dot 3 or Dot 5 fluid. You will need the proper hone to clean the wheel cylinders and master. Having a pressure pot would make bleeding and flushing much easier, but it’s an expensive tool. While not particularly difficult to do, it will take time, and having a lift instead of working on the floor would be a big plus. Bench bleeding the master when doing the entire system won’t help much. I would recommend you not change any adjustment in the drums or with the length of the rod in the master. 

[Ray500]

I'm in the process of doing mine on my 41 Zephyr Coupe.  I am changing all the parts.....master cylinder.....wheel cylinders....new brake lines.....hoses....brake shoes...the whole thing! Now it might seem like a big investment, but it's not!  Your life can depend on your brakes, a small price to pay for solid stopping power.  I had intended to put on a duel master cylinder, vacuum booster also, but left that stuff in the box and am proceeding with rebuilding the brakes to original specs to keep everything original.  I've done all the wheel and master cylinder rebuilding in the past, but not all of that works out with worn parts.  When you hone a wheel cylinder sometimes it's not really true and can leak.  Those things are inexpensive so why hassle it?   Gather up all the parts and take your time in rebuilding unless you have a race tomorrow!   

[John Kelso]

I am a believer in sending all the cylinder  to be sleeved, several companies doing it. Not much more than kits and new ones are in the rebuild.

Went through the hone, rebuild only to have to do it again a year or two later. Perhaps I was incompetent

[auburnseeker]

20 minutes ago, JAK said:

I am a believer in sending all the cylinder  to be sleeved, several companies doing it. Not much more than kits and new ones are in the rebuild.

Went through the hone, rebuild only to have to do it again a year or two later. Perhaps I was incompetent

If you use Dot 5 you won't have to do it again. The problem is all the new systems guys keep putting in their cars,  only to fill them with Dot 3 so you are at square one again in a few years.  

Doing my 51 Dodge now.  Everything new and it will be all Dot 5.  It cost more and I'm going to sell the the car in the next year or so when it's done but I want the next guy to not have to worry about it.  It's a waste of money to do the whole system in Dot 3,  then throw all those parts and labor away to do it again in 5 years or less.  Not many guys enjoy doing a brake job either. 

The Dodge has what looks like all new Cylinders now that are all starting to stick.  From the looks of the back of the rear wheels,  this isn't the first all new brake job that was done since it was restored as fluid leaked out all over the rear wheels and ate the paint up so they started rusting so I had to clean and paint them up as well.  Why continue the cycle? 

Edited July 16, 2020 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[John Kelso]

Guess I was having nightmares of the time before Dot5. That lesson I did learn