Skip to main content

Just restored a '72 Pantera. New brake master cylinder. New booster. Rebuilt front and rear brakes. New lines, etc. All was not perfect with the brake pedal feel after I got done and after some trouble shooting and references from this forum, I removed the insides of the valve assemble brake pressure control and finally had what I would consider a normal brake pedal feel. Everything with the brakes worked great driving the car many times several hundred miles over a 9 month period of time (winter in Minnesota prevents driving most of the year!!) So great brakes, no issues!

Today the brake pedal wouldn't release pressure and the brakes stayed mostly "on". The pedal stayed near the top too when this happened vs. normal when the pedal drops an inch or two when depressed. I was able to power the car to a safe pull off location and let the car sit for 5 minutes and all is good again. Well the car is good again, but not me... Frustrated as I can't figure out what is causing this and certainly don't want to drive it again until I sort this out.

The emergency brake was not pulled, so that wasn't it. The pads are like new. All four wheels were warm to hot and from the way that it drove and from the wheel temperatures, it feels like all four brakes are dragging.

Ideas on what is happening?? Reading forums and I don't see anything the same as this...  Thanks for advice.

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Thanks.. The brakes are dragging bad enough that I need a lot of power to keep the car moving. Once I step on the clutch the car comes to a stop very quickly. No brake is locking up per se meaning no rubber patches left from a locked up brake.. It seems as if all four brakes are dragging bad.. This is from the driving feel and the wheel temperatures from hot brakes...

Greg,

Referring to Forest's suggestion, try adding a washer (actually, two washers, one left and one right) between the master cylinder and the brake booster ( or adapter if you have an aftermarket master cylinder).  You can either loosen the master's bolts and slip the washers in place, or remove the bolts and center the washer over the master's bolt hole.

Washer thickness can be 1/16" or more, as long as both washers are the same thickness.

John

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×