Tarzan

Sometimes I have a feeling that my braking is not as good as it could be. This is with good pads and rotors (front rotors machined recently, rear new) and new rear calipers.
It feels like this: when I need to brake hard, I have to press the pedal harder and harder sometimes to achieve satisfactory braking force. Sometimes this is not necessary. Not sure if this is what is called fading. The brake pedal never actually goes to the floor and with all my strength I can not move beyond certain point. It is just that at this point I achieve different braking every time. My mechanic said the breaks were fine, but you know the cars - they do just fine when you take them to the garage...
I was wondering maybe if I installed the master cylinder repair kit this would have fixed the problem?

Almost forgot the mileage: about 140 kkms, or about 90k miles I guess.

Scope

iTrader: (5)

By any chance did you check the levels of your brake fluid?

davebond007

You may have some air in your system. Have you rebled the system recently? You might want to try that. Plus, be sure not to mix synthetic and non-synthetic fluid. It's either one or the other.

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

Do you have abs?

if its not air, then yeah, I'd rebuild the mastercylinder.

in all of my cars the brakes are consistant, even in my mustang with 4 wheel drum/non power. I had a leaking master cylinder in that and it would do like what your saying, but I would have to pump the brakes to build up pressure. I was going to do a disc conversion but then decided not to.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

I sell Master cylinders as well as the rebuild kits.

Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

Rebuild kit will work ONLY if the cylinder bore is not damaged. I don't know if the kits only include new seals or not. If so, you have to look at the piston also. If either one is scored or pitted, junk it and just buy a new master cylinder. You could buy the kit, remove the MC and take a look. Or buy an used one cheap from the FOR SALE section and rebuild that one(if it's okay), then you can just swap and rebleed the system. vs removing and inspecting to see if the MC is worth rebuilding or not.

drstillpatient

iTrader: (2)

if its not your brake fluid level...it sounds like your brake booster canister...check the rubber vaccum hoses running to/from it...one of them tends to crack right where it goes into the manifold.

Tarzan

Yes, the fluid level is Okay and the system was rebled a couple years ago when I got the new rear calipers installed. Since then I got rotors machined and then he topped up the fluid a bit.

I do not have to pump to get good braking - if it is weaker than pumping won't help, I will just have to press stronger.

My car does not come with ABS. Just checked the pads and rotors yesterday - I have about 50% on the rears and more than that on the front and the wear is even. Sounds good to drive for another year.

Regarding the booster canister, I would have said it's possible that I have an intermittent vacuum leak, sometimes it seemes that the brakes make wheezing noise, but not always. I will examine the hose.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

Okay, the last time you bled the brakes is two YEARS ago?!

flush the fluid in the entire system and see what happens. it'll cost you all of $5 in fluid.

when you say it's harder and harder to get the car to stop, do you mean it's different on every random stop, or it gets harder and harder as you drive the car (and the brakes are heating up)

You may also have a seized caliper slider pin on the front. make sure both front calipers slide freely. you can check that when you bleed the brakes.

crsmax

[QUOTE=internetautomar] I sell Master cylinders as well as the rebuild kits.

Do your Master Cylinders come with all necessary hoses as well?

subs1000w

[QUOTE=crsmax]the only replacable hose connected to the master cylinder is the vacum line and oyu would no if that was bad

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

the master cylinder has no hoses.
It does have brake lines going to it but those are reused from the old one. (heck you don't want to have to bend new ones)

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

I second that!

Tarzan

It is absolutely random. Most of the time the braking is Okay, sometimes I come to a street light and push the brakes, but it does not slow down the car as much as I expect (or put it the way, used to). This does not happen too often and does not seem to correlate with the temperature outside or how fast I drowe or how often stopped or anything else.
If I just slam on the brakes, the car stops dead at all times, only when I want to slow down smoothly, it may bee weaker then expected. Clear as mud? Sorry!

crsmax

Oops... shows you how much I pay attention...