<VV> ultravan brake issues

[djtcz at comcast.net]

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snipped and bottom posted 

Dan Timberlake 
Westford, Massachusetts, USA 



-------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- 
From: djtcz at comcast.net 
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org 
Subject: Re: VirtualVairs Digest, Vol 44, Issue 13 
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:48:39 +0000 

snipped and bottom posted 

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: LonzoVair at aol.com

Hey guys,
One of our newest unofficial club members has acquired Ultra Van #379, and  
she has told me the rig has "mushy brakes"... "you need to pump them up to make 
them work"... She said the pedal does NOT go to the floor once you pump it,  
which just sounds like air in the lines to me...
She also does NOT have a parking brake, since it has rear disc brakes on  it. 
...............snippety snip 
Later,
Lonzo

Usually air makes the pedal feel somewhat mushy, but low on that first application.  

I'd start by very gently applying the brakes for a minute or so. If the pedal slowly sinks the master cylinder is not sealing internally (unless there are external leaks, which would be visible).

Then I'd adjust the drum brakes. Shoes set too far from the drum require "two strokes" to reach the drum.

Normally disk brakes are self adjusting, but lots of rotor runout (not the same as non-parallelism) can knock back the piston(s) and create the "two strokes" required symptom. In that case static testing would need two strokes, but the pedal would then stay high and firm until the wheels rotated. 


Dan Timberlake 
Westford, Massachusetts, USA