Don Mathis writes:
> I began to smell something hot about 5 miles from the office. It appears
> that my left, front disc brake is dragging.
Dirt or corrosion in the caliper, or a worn piston. (Time for a caliper
rebuild (or replace or re-sleeve). Possibly a plugged or collapsed flex hose,
but more likely the caliper, unless...
> I could feel that the brake pedal suddenly acted like I had less travel.
> (like IT had less travel) Could low brake fluid cause that?
No, not low fluid. but:
1) If the caliper isn't moving, you're pushing the same fluid into less
space, (it stays full), therefore less pedal movement.
2) the now hot fluid may exert pressure from expansion. (Altho usually
boiling fluid results in gas, which is compressable, and results in a mushy
pedal instead.
3) The master cylinder seals may be messed, and not letting fluid back in
when you let off the pedal. This would result in a hard pedal, and all brakes
remaining engaged. (And the RF may have just have worked better than the
others)
> My master cylinder does leak some.
Could only be weak seals, or fittings. (Or the cork gasket under the top
plate, which is not part of the rebuild kit.)
Either way, the M/C seal kits are cheap, and easy to install. The caliper
kits are cheap to, but are a little harder to do. Do your rear's too while
you're at it (cheap & easy), and all 3 flex hoses, and you can have fresh
hydraulics all round, after only a day or 2 of work, and probably under
$100. (unless you find worn or pitted cylinders).
________
/ _ \ Roger Garnett (Roger_Garnett@cornell.edu)
/ /|| \ \ Agricultural Economics |
| |\/ || _ | 3 Warren Hall | "The South Lansing Centre
| | || | | Cornell University | For Wayward Sports Cars"
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