Spongy Brakes

[caesar]

Hi All
Bus is a 68 bay

Last night on my way home from devon, i had to brake hard at some traffic lights...... Alot harder than i normally like too.

Everything seemed fine after that and i got home fine, but ive just taken the van out again and it drove fine for a few miles and then at a round about the brakes went all spongy and i struggled to stop, and have remained like that.

It feels like the more pressure i apply the spongier they get and i can almost put the pedal to the floor.

Any ideas folks?

Thanks

 

[ground hugger]

you could have popped a brake cylinder.have a look for leaks or drop in fluid level

 

[uber cool]

WHS^^^ and if no visable leaks I would suspect the master cylinder seals have gone.

 

[noddy]

Sounds like air in the system, try pressure bleeding each wheel cylinder using a gunson kit.

But I have to agree with an earlier post if you are getting loads of travel on pedal either a wheel cylinder is gone and you are unable to build any system pressure or the master cylinder sounds faulty. The only other thing I can think of is a burst flex hose.

What brake set up are you running drums disk?

 

[caesar]

Cheers for the reply's all.

Its drums all round, that were all blead a few months back.

It just weird how it didn't start immediately after braking hard yesterday.

I will get out tomorrow and have a look, hopefully its just a flexi hose gone and the fluid level has dropped.

 

[Gambacorners]

I had exactly this problem and it was cured with a new master cylinder. Air in the system will give you spongy brakes all the time.

 

[caesar]

Hopefully nothing too expensive then!

Nice of it to happen over christmas and new year! lol

 

[noddy]

It may just be seals which ar still avalable for some master cylinders and wheel cylinders.

Master cylinder rebuild is very easy, just lay the parts out in the order you take them out of the master cylinder.

Try this web site for avalibility of T2 parts, http://www.vagcat.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you will need to register first (its free), then you can access the parts data base which show what is avalable and disscontinued, once you have the part number do a web search there is usualy someone selling one somewhere.

 

[caesar]

All sorted guys.

The accelerator cable had eaten its way through one of the solid brake lines coming from the master cylinder.

Im pretty sure they shouldn't have been touching each other at all, but will relocate it a bit when i refit.

Thanks again for all your help and advice peeps.

 

[Gambacorners]

Don't want to pee on your party but if you've got a fault that comes and goes it won't be because you've got a knackered solid brake line - you'd lose the brakes on that circuit completely if that was the case.

 

[caesar]

Don't want to pee on your party but if you've got a fault that comes and goes it won't be because you've got a knackered solid brake line - you'd lose the brakes on that circuit completely if that was the case.

Sorry to pee on your post, but i never said i comes and goes! :wink:

The problem came and stayed, due to lack of fluid in the brakes.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Gambacorners]

You did indeed Sir!

Last night on my way home from devon, i had to brake hard at some traffic lights...... Alot harder than i normally like too.

Everything seemed fine after that and i got home fine, but ive just taken the van out again and it drove fine for a few miles and then at a round about the brakes went all spongy

All I meant was that given that the problem came, then went away again, albeit not for ages, does not suggest air in the system.

Anyway, let's not argue, 8) hope you get it sorted

 

[Araon]

Gamba if you re read it theres only one mention of poorly performing brakes, he initially hints to the offending incident (having to slam on the anchors) a subsequent drive the following day and the spongy issue reared its ugly head.....

I initially read it as two episodes too....

 

[caesar]

You did indeed Sir!



Anyway, let's not argue, 8) hope you get it sorted

Hey man, lifes too short and this isn't VZI..... :wink:

 

[Gambacorners]

Well said! 8)