Hey everyone, This is my first time posting here, but I've been a lurker for about 6 months now. I inherited a 1990 GMC K1500 a few years ago that had thrown a rod in 2007 and sat in CA until it was towed to Denver in 2014. I just got around to fixing it March-May of this year (had to replace the engine...cracked block). This forum has definitely helped me get the car running. Thanks for all your help!
Anyway, about a month ago I noticed a puddle of brake fluid at my driver's side rear wheel. It was the day before I was going on vacation, so I ignored the problem until I got back, about 10 days later. When I started working on it, the portion of the master cylinder to the rear wheels was completely dry. The truck was parked on the street, so I filled up the master cylinder, started it up, and carefully backed it into my garage (ps probably the most terrifying thing I've done, backing up a truck with my wife behind it guiding me into the garage and suddenly feeling like I have zero brakes).
I got to work on the truck, replaced the wheel cylinders, brake shoes, all springs and had the drums resurfaced at my local NAPA. I adjusted (duh) the adjusters until I could barely get the drum on and there was a little resistance when I spun the wheel. I put everything back together, bled all 4 brakes, and that's when the real problems started.
I have bled the brakes about 6 times, tried both the one-person method with the tube and a bottle, and I've tried the 2-person method with my wife pushing down the brake, me opening/closing the bleeder valve, her letting off the brake and repeated until no bubbles came out of each brake. I also did it in the right order, RR, LR, RF, LF. But I still get a soft pedal when I start the car.
I even replaced the master cylinder, thinking I had somehow screwed that up. I bought a new one from summit racing, bench bled it with the syringe until no bubbles came out of either portion of the master cylinder.
And yesterday I tried bypassing the RWAL per another post in this forum. No change
No matter what I try, I still have the same problem: brakes feel great when the engine isn't running, but as soon as I start the vehicle, the pedal is as soft as can be.
Does anybody have any ideas of what I'm missing?
Thanks for your help!
Anyway, about a month ago I noticed a puddle of brake fluid at my driver's side rear wheel. It was the day before I was going on vacation, so I ignored the problem until I got back, about 10 days later. When I started working on it, the portion of the master cylinder to the rear wheels was completely dry. The truck was parked on the street, so I filled up the master cylinder, started it up, and carefully backed it into my garage (ps probably the most terrifying thing I've done, backing up a truck with my wife behind it guiding me into the garage and suddenly feeling like I have zero brakes).
I got to work on the truck, replaced the wheel cylinders, brake shoes, all springs and had the drums resurfaced at my local NAPA. I adjusted (duh) the adjusters until I could barely get the drum on and there was a little resistance when I spun the wheel. I put everything back together, bled all 4 brakes, and that's when the real problems started.
I have bled the brakes about 6 times, tried both the one-person method with the tube and a bottle, and I've tried the 2-person method with my wife pushing down the brake, me opening/closing the bleeder valve, her letting off the brake and repeated until no bubbles came out of each brake. I also did it in the right order, RR, LR, RF, LF. But I still get a soft pedal when I start the car.
I even replaced the master cylinder, thinking I had somehow screwed that up. I bought a new one from summit racing, bench bled it with the syringe until no bubbles came out of either portion of the master cylinder.
And yesterday I tried bypassing the RWAL per another post in this forum. No change
No matter what I try, I still have the same problem: brakes feel great when the engine isn't running, but as soon as I start the vehicle, the pedal is as soft as can be.
Does anybody have any ideas of what I'm missing?
Thanks for your help!