I agree with buying new or rebuilt. I also recommend DOT 3 or 4 fluid only. Not silicone DOT 5. If concerned of moisture flush it every 12 to 24 months.
Brakes are not "my thing", but I seem to recall problems with the slide pins- the piston would release, but the slide pins would be corroded and keep one pad tight against the disc.
Dave H M wrote: I am with the old biscuit. After messing around and gettin them apart I usually fouhnd pits in the bore anyway. I would never consider messing with them now that I am well over the 6 decade mark.
Heck Dave, you're just a youngster. I have you beat by 2 decades.
Thanks for your informative response re: pitting. I was wondering about that and remember seeing pits when rebuilding wheel cylinders and using a honing tool to remove them but sometimes making the bore too large. Perhaps it was my up-bringing during the Great Depression. It was due to necessity that I and my brothers learned to do things ourself. If we didn't know how to do something then we learned how by trying. Mistakes became apparent pretty quick and we avoided them in the future. I could bore you with many stories where I had a "professional" do something they messed up either due to ignorance or laziness, usually the latter.
Getting back to the subject at hand, I don't have much of an idea what the former owners did to the MH so I may as well rip everything apart and decide what's what.
Replant wrote: Wow! Thanks for some interesting comments, guys. I just cannot understand why they charge $45 to rebuild a caliper and yet I only paid $34 for a completely new master cylinder. Before the brakes locked up I had to apply heavy pressure to stop at a busy intersection. When I got home and let the MH sit for a few hours I notice that the brake pedal is high up and hard - like it is frozen in place, without the engine running. I haven't checked it today. I hope the booster isn't on the replace list also.
Replant, I'm not familiar with the booster on your rig, but if the master cylinder has been leaking into it, you'll need a new booster too. Symptoms are as you describe, ie, very hard pedal as the MC fills up with brake fluid. Typically you'll notice a loss of fluid in the MC reservoir, but there will be no fluid on the ground as it's going into the booster. Had to do this on one of my cars years ago so it's something to consider.
1. Dot 3 or 4 fluid has usually reached its saturation point in 2 years anyway and most manufacturers recommend fluid replacement in that time.
2. The cause of only one rotor getting hot is much more likely the caliper or a bad line and not the booster. Also all the air is exhausted after about 3 pumps of the pedal without the motor running, so the pedal getting hard is normal, and probably indicates the booster is working correctly.
3. You should also get the front rotors turned while you’re there. The excessive heat from the sticking caliper causes them to warp and you can feel it in the pedal as a pulsing when you press the pedal to slow down or stop.
4. As has already been said, just replace the calipers, rebuilds are sometimes doable but aren’t worth the time and trouble.
I am with the old biscuit. After messing around and gettin them apart I usually fouhnd pits in the bore anyway. I would never consider messing with them now that I am well over the 6 decade mark.
Being in the Older Generation, I do all of my own work on everything also, and have been all of my life.
If I can't rebuild it myself, I don't buy "Rebuilt" anymore, ever. As I have had to replace so called "Rebuilt" stuff to many times in the past. Yes, new is more expeaive. But there is less chance of a "Faliure" also compaied to a "Rebuilt" anything. I hate having to do a project two times over one time.
Not kowing for sure just how good your entire Braking System is, and what you have already done. I would go one steep further, and really check out everything really good.
Myself, just for peace of mind, I would re-work the entire system. Your already into it for the rear Wheel Cyclenders, and Booster. I would go ahead and replace all the older parts.
I would rather spend the money, and know for sure, that my brakes are going to work perfectly, every time on a down hill run with our Motorhome.
If you have ever lost Brake Power. for any reason, you'll never, ever want to go through that again.
When we bought our Motorhome, it only had 12,061 miles on it. I still went complety through our Motorhomes Brake Syatem, and also replaced all of the OEM Belts and Hoses, and replaced all Fluids, just to be "Sure and Safe",
Two things we never, ever go "Cheap" on, is "Tires" and "Brakes". No amount of money is worth our lives. Good Luck. Happy Travels. Dan & Jill
Hi Ron,
The hard pedal thing is very new. Prior to that problem has been a soft and mushy one but no fluid loss at all. I discovered it while trying to find the source of the electrical power loss. Yesterday I stepped on the pedal and there was a lot of resistance and when I tried to start the engine it turned over but that's all, yet it sounded great the day before. It seems like everyday it's something new hence the name "Pandora's Box".
Tomorrow I'll install the new master cylinder if the booster looks OK. It could be that somehow the booster or old MC built up a lot of internal resistance. To get the engine started the new fuel filter has to be installed first but the impression I got was that there was no ignition. It will be interesting to see if the old one is clogged with rust. The outside of the tank has a lot of deep rust like everything else under there.
What amazes me is that the 30 mile trip on I-95 to the tire place went flawlessly but on the way home within a couple of minutes all heck broke loose. I lost power to the dashboard outlet that was supplying power to the backup camera and the GPS that I was using to check my speed. The RABS light came on and stayed on. When I got into heavy traffic the brakes locked up. It seems that something breaks just sitting in the driveway.
Hi Dan,
I agree with what you say but the calipers that cost $45 are indeed rebuilt - not new. I haven't checked into new ones yet. The master cylinder that I bought is new with a cast iron body made in Japan, not China. The boosters are rebuilt also and cost $70.
Replant wrote: Hi Ron,
The hard pedal thing is very new. Prior to that problem has been a soft and mushy one but no fluid loss at all. I discovered it while trying to find the source of the electrical power loss. Yesterday I stepped on the pedal and there was a lot of resistance and when I tried to start the engine it turned over but that's all, yet it sounded great the day before. It seems like everyday it's something new hence the name "Pandora's Box".
Tomorrow I'll install the new master cylinder if the booster looks OK. It could be that somehow the booster or old MC built up a lot of internal resistance. To get the engine started the new fuel filter has to be installed first but the impression I got was that there was no ignition. It will be interesting to see if the old one is clogged with rust. The outside of the tank has a lot of deep rust like everything else under there.
What amazes me is that the 30 mile trip on I-95 to the tire place went flawlessly but on the way home within a couple of minutes all heck broke loose. I lost power to the dashboard outlet that was supplying power to the backup camera and the GPS that I was using to check my speed. The RABS light came on and stayed on. When I got into heavy traffic the brakes locked up. It seems that something breaks just sitting in the driveway.
When you pull off the MC, check the end where it goes into the booster. If it's been leaking there and filling up the booster, you'll need to replace the booster. This assumes you have the common setup with the MC mounted on the booster. Check for plugged brake hoses too, very common on old vehicles.
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