brakes problem!

hello
i have a problem with my brakes - it needs alot of force on the pedal to stop, i've adjusted the brakes and bleed the air out of the system but still no big improvment, i am suspecting the main brake cylinder...
is there any way to diagnose the main brake cylinder before i go out and but a new one? just to be sure...

thanx....

sounds like you need new flexiable hoses as well.

you have just diagonised the brakes by saying there hard to push so theres some thing wrong or a combination of things wrong.

why do i need a new flexiable hoses? could they be blocked or restricted?

yes they deterioate from the inside and block the fluid flow both directions.


I think there only about $40.00 each

Do you have enough free play in the pedal adjustment.

Fit the new hoses and bleed the system with new fluid this might be a quick fix

sounds like brake booster crook
get on a hill not too steep/ turn off engine & use brakes after 2 or 3 pushes on brakes peddal should get harder & require more force to stop as vaccume is used up if it stays the same booster was not working in the first place so make sure vaccume is being supplied to booster if so have booster reconditioned or as previously sugested check freeplay on M/cyl pushrod or for blocked lines fluid should flow freely to all bleeders when u bleed brakes

Do you have enough free play in the pedal adjustment.

how does one adjust the freepaly ont hebrakes and how much freeplay should there be?

Thanks

One the brake pedal theres a rod that goes into the master cylinder.

Its got a 13mm lock nut on it. Undo the nut and back of the adjusting rod using a pair of multi grips. there should be about 20 to 25 mm of pedal movement at the top of the pedal before the rod makes contact with the master cylinder pistion.

you can usually hear when the rod makes contact.

Make sure you tighten the lock nut back up again.