Bug Brake Problem

I picked up a beetle and the brakes were shot. Just put on new shoes, cylinders and machined drums. Bled the brakes and the pedal feels crapola..But in saying that I never felt the pedal before I replaced them so don't really know how great 50 year old brakes will feel. And never driven a beetle before

The pedal stars to get a slight firmness to it about an inch from the floor. You can continue to push it all the way to the floor and then if you push the pedal again there is no pedal feel, give it a break for a second and pedal feel returns.

It doesn't pump up so don't think there's any air in there.

Just realized that there is fluid that has come out of the reservoir cap, and when I took the reservoir cap off it gave a 'psst' noise so the fluid has been pushed back up into the reservoir...is this normal?

Can only think that I've somehow stuffed up....can't see how i could put the cylinders or hoes on....or the master cylinder is flogged as this hasn't been replaced.

Ideas? Guessing the seals in the master are flogged and fluids going backwards passed them?

Bleed the system again, sounds like air in the lines to me. Or your master cylinder is fully shagged.

have all the brake shoes been adjusted evenly?
how are the flexible hoses?

one of my bugs that hadnt been driven for years had hoses that looked fine on the outside but had actually collapsed internally

-Joel

Well the lines do look like they have been replaced at some time down the line. Or they are some damn good lines to look that good after 50 years in comparison to the rest of the braking system or car for that matter.

If I apply pressure to the brake to the point where the pedal gets firm and the add more pressure I can feel the pedal pressure slowly reduce. So fluid is either leaking somewhere or a seal is buggered I would presume?

I have bled the brakes with 500ml of fluid, if there still air in the bastards I'll be damned if its coming out any time soon. Plus I can not pump up a firm pedal as you usually can with a pedal with air in it.

And the wheel cylinders that I took off were completely seized and had leaked everywhere and pitted badly, so I would imagine its safe to presume the same would have happened to the master?

sometimes the bung thing on top of the master cylinder is perished enough to let air in,as thats what happened to my 61,a new one fixed my brake pedal woes👍

HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 58
BLOW PAST IN THE MASTER CYLINDER
banged in a new cylinder re bleed brakes problem gone 👍

sounds like the master cylinder passing fluid around the bucket to me. expecially if the reservoir is getting pressure back up in it.

sounds like the master cylinder, the pedal should return back ,after being depressed to the floor.

pod wrote:sometimes the bung thing on top of the master cylinder is perished enough to let air in,as thats what happened to my 61,a new one fixed my brake pedal woes👍

Hi

You must also make sure that you have the steel washer in place under the bung, otherwise the bung blocks off the port in the MC.

You don't want to skimp on brakes, if in doubt buy a new MC or get yours re sleeved in stainless and re kitted.

Steve