From: "twolaneblacktop" <twolaneblacktop@xxxxxxxxxxx>Subject: IML: '68 brakes - Worked fine one day, next time pedal to the floor...Greetings all, I had been driving the car about recently and all seemed well until about 2 weeks ago. I got in the car one day and fired her up. I put my foot on the brake to put the car in neutral as I always do with a Torqueflite. The pedal went almost to the floor, or so it seemed, but I just thought it was me, as it is not my daily driver. The car stopped at the gate to my condo garage, but the pedal was pretty much to the floor. I then became very cautious and pulled out onto an empty street and took her up to about 20 mph and put on the brakes. The pedal went strait to the floor. Thunk! The car did stop, but pumping did not help, and I turned her around and got her back into the garage right away, my left foot on the parking brake the whole way.just in case. As I just had the brakes checked and all seemed well, could this be due to a wheel cylinder (or two) that suddenly started leaking? I am baffled and don't have funds to fix it at present. I put this out to you all for your input as to what may be the cause. If anyone has had a similar experience, please let me know. The wheel cylinders are rebuild-able, are they not?
Check the master cylinder. If it's full of fluid, then you most likely need a new M/C. If one or both chambers is empty, then that circuit is leaking - could be lines, calipers, slave cylinders, whatever. In my '69, the large chamber is the front brake circuit, and the small chamber is the rear brake circuit - some cars are set up diagonally (one circuit is front right, rear left, and the other is vice-versa) instead, which is better, really. You say the brakes don't pump up, so it probably isn't air in the system that needs bleeding.
The slave cylinders in the rear brakes are readily available in parts stores. So is the M/C. Both of those are relatively cheap and easy fixes. If the calipers have let go, they can be rebuilt, but will cost $150-200 apiece, and the removal / re-installation is fairly time consuming, so it won't be cheap.
I'm at the beginning stage of replacing the entire brake system in my '69 (also Budds). I hope to have it done by the end of the month.
-Kle.
'69 Crown 4DHT
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