Gotta Craw Under the Truck > To Look For Brake Fluid!

[HammerDown]

Of course this couldn't happen over the weekend when we had warmer weather

Brake pedal slowly sinking...fluid is disappearing from the Master Cylinder reservoir > gotta find out where it's going.
MC is original from 1988, like I need this BS.

 

[freebird01]

check under the dash too

 

[OLDBULL8]

Rear wheel brake cylinders.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

What I do in those situations, is just fire up the truck and while she's still running off the high idle just step on the brake pedal as hard as I can - what is weak will at this point blow, and will be fairly easy to locate by the giant puddle of brake fluid on the ground. When the repair is complete, the same test is performed, if nothing else blows then all is good. I know it may sound a bit on the destructive side, but it is nothing more than an emergency stop simulation, and immediately shows you the weak link that will in real driving situation make your day more miserable than ever.

 

[HammerDown]

CRAP...the hard line (running along the frame rail) just south of the 'fuel tank switching valve' is rotted

Odd to see a coupler midway in the run...I thought that had to be one continuous line.
Anyhow the leak is 1/2" south of that coupler.
The line a few inches forward the coupler is rusty too however, beyond that front and back looks like healthy line.

Can new line be patched/spliced in with some type of compression fittings, or is that a no-no???

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

Id check the master cylinder and booster, along with the calipers and wheel cylinders, also dont forget about the ABS if you have it.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

CRAP...the hard line (running along the frame rail) just south of the 'fuel tank switching valve' is rotted

Odd to see a coupler midway in the run...I thought that had to be one continuous line.
Anyhow the leak is 1/2" south of that coupler.
The line a few inches forward the coupler is rusty too however, beyond that front and back looks like healthy line.

Can new line be patched/spliced in with some type of compression fittings, or is that a no-no???

The coupler is there cause someone already replaced a section of it. Compression fittings are neither legal nor safe to use on brake systems, double-flare is what should be used. At this point it will be much easier for you to just run a new line all the way to the rear, you can use two 60" pre-flared pieces from a parts store if you want and join them with union, but I think you will still have to cut the front end of the new line off and use the factory RABS line nut on it then re-flare it. Unless you just run an adapter from whatever the RABS thread is down to regular 3/16" line nut (3/8-24 thread), in which case there will be no need for flaring, just bolting stuff together.

 

[icanfixall]

A compression fitting or a single flair will get to running again but... As posted above its not really safe or legal but it will make thing right for a while... As you have found out... You have been running with a patched up brake line for some time so... It really doesn't make you feel ok about using something thats wrong... Brakes are nothing to mess around with.. I have even wondered if changing to the hydroboost may have leagel consaqunces down the line if an accident happened. I know the hydroboost exerts twice as much pressure in the hydraulic lines as the vacuum brakes. I really believe my changing was for the better but a good lawyer could do what they do and try to prove me wrong... Hmmmm.... Modified brakes... Lets see what we can trash up on this guy... I say patch it to get you running again but know that it will be "fixed properly" when the time and weather permits... You know we wont let you forget about it...

 

[HammerDown]

Thanks for the feedback fellas, funny thing is > I'm the original owner and have no recollection of ever patching that line

 

[icanfixall]

Oh.... Thats not good.... You are suffering from CRS.... Can't remember..... Something..... Any chance someone may have done it for you at a shop without telling you... Kinda a favor.... Not to worry... I'm forgetting where I put things too... I bought another oil pump because I couldn't remember of find the one I have... Finally found it when I didn't need it.... Kinda finding all kinds if new things these days... I must be slpiing... I know it will be really bad when I make a list and then loose the list.... Then there will be no hope for me....

 

[HammerDown]

Oh.... Thats not good.... You are suffering from CRS.... Can't remember..... Something..... Any chance someone may have done it for you at a shop without telling you... Kinda a favor.... Not to worry... I'm forgetting where I put things too... I bought another oil pump because I couldn't remember of find the one I have... Finally found it when I didn't need it.... Kinda finding all kinds if new things these days... I must be slpiing... I know it will be really bad when I make a list and then loose the list.... Then there will be no hope for me....

Well, with myself being so **** about my truck there's only one shop I would let near it with a wrench...and a splice isn't something he would do so

He likes things in a 'factory type' condition when it heave his shop, and that's why I trust him.

 

[icanfixall]

Well... I gues its going to be one of those unexplained mysterys... Sure would be nice if we could remember all important things... Ever notice when you loose something its always found in the last place you looked... why is that how it goes.... Probably cause we stop looking for it when we have found it....

 

[Ataylor]

My 87 CC has a union just ahead of the cab/bed spilt. I'm pretty sure it is factory. My truck has 88k and the rest of the brake system appears to be factory.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Maybe it is factory union then - I know Ford did this with some of their passenger cars, so why should trucks b any different...

 

[Double-S-Diesel]

I think the trucks had factory splices in them, I know the SDs do.