Help! Drove car to work. Towed back home

[White75]

Well I decided to take the 78 to work on such a glorious day and got almost to work and she started acting up to the point I had to get her towed back home. I want to know where to start looking to fix the problem.

The Situation:
Highway driving at 65mph. Slowed down for some traffic. After the slowdown, I started accellerating, well trying to accellerate at least. 4th gear at the time. I continued to slow even as I was giving her gas. Had to downshift to 3rd, then second, and finally 1st just to get off to the side. I think I smoked the clutch trying to get her over but no smoke or anything billowing. I shut her off and took a moment to make sure everything was safe. All gauges were good. Started her back up, Runs just fine in neutral. Put her in first and tried to pull forward and wouldn't go. The rear loaded up because I felt it hunker down a little bit but would not budge. It felt as if the e-brake was on (if they actually worked).
I called AAA and they dispatched, meanwhile a flatbed pulled up and loaeded me to get me off the freeway. He got her pulled up just fine (car in neutral at this point). AAA didn't have a problem getting her up on the bed either.
Got home and AAA dumped her in the garage. We were able to push her in fairly easily the few feet to clear the garage door.

What's next?
Well now I want to know what could be the problem. I've eliminated the engine from the equation, it runs fine in neutral. I questioned a locked caliper but the fact she rolls almost eliminates that, as well as rear end and tranmission. I was thinking maybe the clutch but that's not slipping and engages/disengages fine it seems.
I'm hoping that it's an easy and cheap fix but need some people more mechanically inclined to help me figure out where and what to look for?

Can CAC help me out with some ideas? I'm hoping to at least get the rear in the air tonight if I can dodge the barrage of ridicule from the wifey.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Assuming you've at least had a look underneath for obvious things wrong, try driving it up and down the driveway or the street a few times. If everything is OK, go around the block.

My guess is rear brakes, either the flex lines or master cylinder. You might want to pull a wheel to see if the rotors show signs of heat discolouration.

 

[Rex S]

First guess would be a badly cloged fuel filter. If they get bad enough they will allow the engine to idle OK but no power. Next up would be a crack in a fuel line/ hose allowing air to be sucked into the fuel line and reducing flow to the carb (had a 64 Ford do this and it drove me nuts for a coulpe weeks as there was no external leak). Fuel sock stuck against the inlet or the OEM sock falling apart and getting sucked into the line. Way off chance the fuel pump is going out but they generally totally fail.

I don't see it being a brake system problem the way you stated the symptoms. Only way the brakes could hold the car back that hard would be all 4 wheels having high pressure captured in the lines and while possible not to likely.

 

[White75]

I wanted to look underneath but that's not the wisest thing to do on the side of the road with traffic whizzing by at 70mph.
I'm going to look at the brakes when I get the chance as that was my first thought too. I thought about fuel too but the engine revs fine too. It's as soon as I put it in gear and let out on clutch like I'm leaving when it bogs (while giving it gas) and the rear drops like it's loading up (brake torque?). I'm still going to look at the filter though, who knows when it was replaced.
Once I get home and have some time, I'm going to play with it and see if I can get some better symptoms and report back. I also didn't see any leaks or smell of fuel.
Thanks and keep the ideas coming!

 

[damoroso]

Did it drive fine until you slowed down? When you slowed down did you use the brakes, or down shifted? Was everything normal then? What happened when you tried to move the car after you stopped? Can you get it into gear okay? Did the engine rev normally but no movement? Same in forward or reverse? Can you push the car? That'll tell you if you've got brake issues. I'm thinking it may be a clutch problem.

The winch on a flat bed pulls pretty well, and a stuck caliper wouldn't stop it, but a stuck caliper shouldn't keep you from moving the car with the engine either. If it was stuck that bad, the tire would have probably dragged onto the truck.

 

[White75]

Did it drive fine until you slowed down? When you slowed down did you use the brakes, or down shifted? Was everything normal then? What happened when you tried to move the car after you stopped? Can you get it into gear okay? Did the engine rev normally but no movement? Same in forward or reverse? Can you push the car? That'll tell you if you've got brake issues. I'm thinking it may be a clutch problem.

The winch on a flat bed pulls pretty well, and a stuck caliper wouldn't stop it, but a stuck caliper shouldn't keep you from moving the car with the engine either. If it was stuck that bad, the tire would have probably dragged onto the truck.

Drove fine before. When I slowed I used the brakes but I don't remember downshifting at that point. Everything seemed normal after that, the distance from the slowdown to the stop was about a mile or just less.
It goes into gear OK, Engine revs fine. Car wouldn't move when stopped and felt like the rear wheels were tied down.
Car was pushed a few feet into the garage with 2 people.

 

[GerryLP]

I agree with Vettehead Mikey. Take a gander underneath. Check the bell housing with a flashlight and see what jumps at you. Also u-joints? If nothing else, Is there unusual vibrations when starting? A cracked flywheel could be giving you problems, but I caution against thinking of complicated stuff. Maladies are usually simple things. :eyerole

One of my kids had a similar problem last Monday. I went to rescue him off the freeway. The u-joint gave way. Towed it to Autozone, bought another (2 each joint caps were lost), and installed. Thought everything was fine, but it would not into fwd gear. After a while, discovered bell housing cracked. Towed back to his house.

It was a 1995 K1500 truck, but he had very similar symptoms to your car.

GerryLP:cool

 

[White75]

well I got to spend a few minutes with her when I got home. I don't see any cracks or leaks. I cranked her up and moved her a few feet backwards and forwards with no problems. Pulled her out of the driveway, made a loop in the cul-de-sac and put her back in the garage. Not a single problem, no vibrations, nothing. Now that I got her pointed in the right direction in the garage, I should be able to jack her up and look underneath for a closer look. I've decided as time allows to change all the fluids and filters and see if that helps as well.

 

[Kenny]

By the symptoms given I would guess brake hose collapsed inside. You applied brakes to slow. Pressure was trapped in caliper by the line as you drove heat build up caused fluid to expand increasing braking until you could not move. During your wait everything cooled off brake relaxed. Look for heat discoloration on rotor and glazed pads. Good lock

 

[fm1]

By the symptoms given I would guess brake hose collapsed inside. You applied brakes to slow. Pressure was trapped in caliper by the line as you drove heat build up caused fluid to expand increasing braking until you could not move. During your wait everything cooled off brake relaxed. Look for heat discoloration on rotor and glazed pads. Good lock

I had the exact scenario happen on a Cadillac that I owned a few years back. As I was reaing this thread I thought of the same thing that Kenny suggested.

 

[White75]

By the symptoms given I would guess brake hose collapsed inside. You applied brakes to slow. Pressure was trapped in caliper by the line as you drove heat build up caused fluid to expand increasing braking until you could not move. During your wait everything cooled off brake relaxed. Look for heat discoloration on rotor and glazed pads. Good lock

Thanks, I'll look at the brakes but all the lines are Stainless braided replacements as far as I can tell. Do those collapse too?

 

[fm1]

The braided is only on the outside protecting the rubber from the outside. The rubber lines collapse within the braid on themselves.

 

[Rex S]

The braided is only on the outside protecting the rubber from the outside. The rubber lines collapse within the braid on themselves.

Not true, ours have a much stronger inner core. Go to www.brakequip.com and check out the SS lines page. We make them and use them on our Vettes too.

 

[tmkassin]

Here is my 2 cents worth. It sounds like the master cylinder is not releasing properly. That can lock up the brakes and cause these symptoms. After the brakes cooled down they finally released.Try bleeding them out and see if it helps.

 

[fm1]

Not true, ours have a much stronger inner core. Go to www.brakequip.com and check out the SS lines page. We make them and use them on our Vettes too.

Ok , I checked it out, point taken. So are all braided lines constructed this way ? Is it possible that the OP may just have some crap brand replacement lines?

 

[fm1]

So OP , what did the issue turn out to be ? Its been a couple of weeks now, just wondering.

 

[White75]

So OP , what did the issue turn out to be ? Its been a couple of weeks now, just wondering.

Still looking. I checked all the fluids and everything is topped off. No burned fluid smell from the diff or tranny. Brakes are still firm. No cracks in anything. I cleaned the underside to help in tracking down this and the oil leaks that are rampant.
I took it out over the weekend for a drive and didn't have a problem. Granted I was never at highway speeds and when I took it out on the highway Monday, there wasnt any problem either.
I'm thinking it could be a one off but until I get a longer drive planned with highway support, I won't be completely comfortable with a solo drive over long distance.
Time will tell.
Thanks everyone for the ideas.

 

[gmjunkie]

By the symptoms given I would guess brake hose collapsed inside. You applied brakes to slow. Pressure was trapped in caliper by the line as you drove heat build up caused fluid to expand increasing braking until you could not move. During your wait everything cooled off brake relaxed. Look for heat discoloration on rotor and glazed pads. Good lock

Thats exactly whats happening!!
Had to change tons of Brake hoses for this exact reason,I don't care who made them,They'll All Do It Over Time!!

 

[White75]

Thats exactly whats happening!!
Had to change tons of Brake hoses for this exact reason,I don't care who made them,They'll All Do It Over Time!!

Even Stainless lines?

 

[gmjunkie]

Even Stainless lines?

If it's got Rubber in it!
Most Quality High Pressure automotive hose have at least 1 layer Stainless Steel and several layers of Nylon webbing under the outer rubber casing anymore,depending the amount of pressure it's designed and capable to handle!!I've replaced the rubber brake hoses on my C30 Chevy Car hauler at least 3 times in the last 15 years because of interior deterioration causing the same problem your having!!
I've replaced customers hoses too for the same reason,Some of them have even replaced Master Cylinder's,Brake Calipers and Rear Wheel Cylinders thinking 1 of these has to be the problem,before bring it to me and have to pay me 40-50 $ an hour!! Buts whats Cheaper,Attacking it with a "Full Assault Wallet"(Thanks "Schrade":L) or have someone that knows what their doing repairing it???