First day back on the road. Not fun! :(

[vmrod]

This was the day I have been waiting for! I secured insurance, then registered my car. Within minutes, a new license plate was hangin on the rear bumper. The car fired up eagerly. I fueled up, then cruised off to get a 4-wheel alignment. The ride was a little shaky, but not bad. When I replaced the rear trailing arms, I made sure to put the spacers back exactly as they were before. I was able to eyeball the struts fairly well.

Then, like a cat creeping on a mouse, it crept up on me. It felt like something was holding back my car. I put it in neutral and the engine revved up easily, however I suddenly felt the car slow faster. I left the road and inspected the rotors. These things were super hot! I drove a fairly short distance to a little store. By the time I got there, one of my rear brakes was totally locked up!

I tucked my tail between my legs and called a flatbed. I had little tools with me, and this was not the time or place to tear it down. By the time the tow-truck came, the brakes had loosened considerably. Once I got home, and unloaded my wounded car, the brakes felt fine.

What the heck is the problem?
Very good master cylinder.
New stainless steel lined, o-ring style calipers.
New stainless steel brake lines.
New brake fluid throughout the system

Before the lockup, the brakes were working perfectly. Nice firm pedal, fast reactions.

I checked my master brake cylinder, and the rubber seal is now stretchy. (The seal and the fluid will be changed soon!)

Help!

 

[vmrod]

Update:
The seal on the master cylinder was really stretchy and was replaced. I sucked out all of the break fluid that I could and replaced it with DOT 4 fluid. (higher boiling point and compatible with DOT 3 fluid). I removed the pads and with a brake pedal-pusher, 'excerised' the pistons back and forth a few times. I bled the rear brakes and took it out for a quick spin. So far so good.

I drove it for about 15 miles, then let it rest. (The pedal was feeling pretty normal.) I took it out on the interstate and give it a nice little run. Geez! I have missed that! Well, no brake probs yet.

I suppose that I will keep making these short trips, then eventually take longer ones as I gain more confidence in the car.

Maybe I can update my avatar soon.

 

[L48]

I wonder if something between your foot and the master cylinder did not get stuck - basically holding the brakes on. When the parts cooled a little it released.

Was it all four corners hot? If just the rear maybe something was forcing the ebrake to engage (exhaust pushing up on the cable maybe).

 

[vmrod]

It was only the rear brakes. I think it was mostly the back right, but it could have been both of them. I thought about the e-brake cable, but that wouldn't make my brake pedal feel like a concrete pad. I no longer have anything back there to touch it. (sidepipes now)

I have a feeling that it was a stuck piston(s) in the caliber. I 'excercised' them, and got them moving in and out really well. It is surprising, cause they are brand new and have less than 5 miles on them. However, they had been sitting for a couple years, and that may have caused them to stick.

At any rate, I have taken the car out for a 10 miles drive and back again with no problems. Of course, I quickly discovered how bad I need windshield wipers and how much my raggy rag top leaks! (and my defrost does not work.)

the work continues...

 

[vmrod]

I think the problem was that the pistons in the calipers got stuck. The calipers were brand new, but sat up for a couple of years. (installed on the car) I think I addressed this by 'excerising' them in and out, bleeding rear brakes, changing some fluid...etc. Seems good so far...

...back to the defroster...I tried to use it and some smoke came out...I opened up the hood to see this...

All of the wires near the blower motor resistor have fried! All of the insulation has melted off of the ground wires in the area! (?!)

After a couple of hours, I was able to splice it up neatly. There's still one ground wire left to redo. I think I'll look into upgrading my blower motor next. (the motor may have shorted, I don't know)

 

[srs244]

I think the problem was that the pistons in the calipers got stuck. The calipers were brand new, but sat up for a couple of years. (installed on the car) I think I addressed this by 'excerising' them in and out, bleeding rear brakes, changing some fluid...etc. Seems good so far...

...back to the defroster...I tried to use it and some smoke came out...I opened up the hood to see this...

All of the wires near the blower motor resistor have fried! All of the insulation has melted off of the ground wires in the area! (?!)

After a couple of hours, I was able to splice it up neatly. There's still one ground wire left to redo. I think I'll look into upgrading my blower motor next. (the motor may have shorted, I don't know)

you just pointed out one of the best reasons to make certain that you always have a fire extinguisher on board and that it is alway fully operable!!

 

[vmrod]

I can promise that I will get one the next time that I am at Walmart. It may not only save me or my car, but may possibly save someone else.

Very good point!

 

[Bob Chadwick]

It's going under it's onw power. Congratulations.

 

[vmrod]

Thanks Bob, you know how long I've been around and how long this poor car has slept. I tell you, it will get there! After seeing what your car looks like with the sanding job....my car is bascially there right now! (hehe maybe I can play that 'swap the vette at the paint booth'..)

 

[lov-n-life]

Before the lockup, the brakes were working perfectly. Nice firm pedal, fast reactions.

I checked my master brake cylinder, and the rubber seal is now stretchy. (The seal and the fluid will be changed soon!)

Help!

It's very possible the ebrake was rubbing. This would account for the extreme heat, which in turn could have boiled your brake fluid... leaving you with spongy brakes, if any. As everything cooled your brakes would come back, although maybe not to 100%... and if it was your ebrake, once the shoes cooled and pulled away from the drums, no more rubbing! (But the shoes and/or drum could be toast and you not know it). I know you said everything seems to be good now in later posts, but you may want to pull apart the rear brakes, if you haven't already, just to ensure you still have good ebrake shoes.

 

[lnirenberg]

It's very possible the ebrake was rubbing. This would account for the extreme heat, which in turn could have boiled your brake fluid... leaving you with spongy brakes, if any. As everything cooled your brakes would come back, although maybe not to 100%... and if it was your ebrake, once the shoes cooled and pulled away from the drums, no more rubbing! (But the shoes and/or drum could be toast and you not know it). I know you said everything seems to be good now in later posts, but you may want to pull apart the rear brakes, if you haven't already, just to ensure you still have good ebrake shoes.

Easy for you to say with an '04 as your emergency brake actually works! I had my e brake rebuilt over the winter for the sole purpose of passing inspection as the gentleman at the station I got the sticker from last summer made it clear the $20 I descreetly slipped into his palm would not cut it this year. My ebrake almost works adequately for stopping backwards movement (although I wouldn't want to rely on it on anything approaching an actual hill)but is useless for stopping forward movement even on the slightest grade. My guess is Vic's ebrake works about as well as mine. The punchline is that I went for my annual inspection sticker yesterday at a different station than last year and the kid (he was younger than the car) was so enthralled with the car that he told me I was basically exempt made sure all my lights worked, cleaned the old sticker off with a sense of obligation unseen in my many year of sticker getting slapped on the new one and I was out in about 60 seconds. Isn't this a great country?

 

[like2drive]

ref: e brakes

heck, on the day of inspection, I adjust my e brakes to work; after the inspection, I loosen them so they 're be in good shape next year!:cool
The only time I've ever used the ebrakes were in the "old days" when getting away from the Fuzz,(no brake lights) or using to brake while keeping the rpms up in the mountains....(before learning heel & toe)...
Its such a pain to replace, as I did last year...that I would rather do without.
Besides, thanks to a great friend, I now have a Muncie that'll slow it down..if things get reeally bad. :eyerole good luck , jim

 

[vmrod]

I haven't torn down the e-brake system, but I'll do a check to see if the cable was rubbing anywhere. I definetly had 2 caliper pistons that were stuck, so the blame falls there for me.

The e-brakes were (and hopefully are) brand new. (part of the trailing arm reconditioning)

With luck, I'll take it out to get an alignment on Friday. If all of the lights are still working, I may cross my fingers and try to get an inspection sticker.

Next month looks like it may be 700R4 month. woohoo! Maybe one day, a paint job!

 

[vette-dude]

One other suggestion on your brake situation is to not overfill the master cylinder. There has to be enough room in it for the fluid to return to the reservoir after you apply the brakes. If it is overfilled it will keep your caliper pistons extended until the pressure slowly relieves itself back to the MC. Just fill to the full line, no more.

Randy

 

[lnirenberg]

I haven't torn down the e-brake system, but I'll do a check to see if the cable was rubbing anywhere. I definetly had 2 caliper pistons that were stuck, so the blame falls there for me.

The e-brakes were (and hopefully are) brand new. (part of the trailing arm reconditioning)

With luck, I'll take it out to get an alignment on Friday. If all of the lights are still working, I may cross my fingers and try to get an inspection sticker.

Next month looks like it may be 700R4 month. woohoo! Maybe one day, a paint job!

Not to date myself, but in the "old days" with my 65 roadster they had me at the wheel when they checked the ebrake. Its amazing how well the ebrake seems to work from a standstill in 3rd gear!