redoing brakes on 74 vw beetle have some issues

Is there some free play at the pedal? Push the pedal with fingers. It should move perhaps 1/4" before you feel the pushrod hit the piston.

Did you get fluid from each wheel cyl bleeder?

The reservoir cap has some vent holes; check that they are clear.

Speedy Jim

This is a long shot but on a few bugs I've had problems where the break lines to the real breaks held air in the loop over the rear wheels.

One solution was to lift/jack the rear end waaaay up in the air. The other was to use a vacuum to flush the lines clear of air (uses a lot of break fluid)

it moves about 1/4" before you can feel it engage .. but then it just keeps going till it bottoms out ...

got fluid from each cyl bleeder.

will have to check the reservoir cap to make sure those vent holes are clear...

when i go back up there this wed to work on it again carrying my vacuum peice to flush all the fluid out and make sure there is no air anywhere in there...

I can't remember where I read this, but the article said that vacuum is not the best way to do older model brakes. I use a power bleeder (postive pressure - 12lb). Had good luck with it.

I have been saying that for a good while. The seals in the wheel cylinders are shaped to seal under pressure. The more pressure, the more the seal pre3sses against the cylinder wall. If you introduce vacuum instead of pressure, the seals actually seal LESS, and may let air in very easily.

We use a vacuum bleeder at work, only to flush the fluid. We don't bleed the brakes with it. In fact we gravity bleed or do it the old fashioned

I have been talking to them about a pressure bleeder, but they don't see anything wrong with the way they are doing brakes now :)

Jan

It's not like a pressure bleeder costs a lot of money. Maybe they can't learn the New Way (which is an old way). Bring one of those that you made yourself and make a killing on the flat-rate. They might understand the language of the big buck..

Say, Jan, how would you like to tear down a Raby engine to see what the hell's been wrong with it from day one and make it right. I'll write the book. You keep movie rights.

I gave mine away when I moved... :( And I'm not sure I can make another $2 investment on specialty tools at this point. LOL

I don't have a shop and they won't let me work on my own projects at Firedstoned.. But I would love to take a peek for sure :) Email me some more details, symptoms, and a bottle of rum and I'll see if I can come up with some ideas.

Jan

can't say i have ever heard of bleeding the brakes with pressure... will have to do a search

It makes it so easy and fast you won't know what to do with all the spare time. One-man operation. Pressure to 12lbs. Bleed farthest wheel, next farthest, etc.. Fifteen minutes if you take your time.

Where do you get these or where are directions to make one? Thanks, Andy

Cool. An easy project which does not take to long. Get a spare reservoir cap and modify accordingly. The catch bottle also needs a tiny vent hole drilled in the cap.

J.

gravity bleeding has always been my prefered method.