Finally got round to doing the pads on my dads D*lly having swapped gearboxes. Obviously I had the calipers off when the new box went in. Changed the pads last Friday and when I drove the car into the barn I noticed it took a couple of pumps before I got a pedal. It was the same today. I tried bleeding them to no avail, it doesn't look like there's any air in the front system. However, still it requires a good pump before anything significant happens. Then, when it does, the rear brakes work far better, it's quite easy to lock the back up, while the fronts are working, they don't seem anything like as effective as they should be.

What have I done wrong? It worked fine before I took it apart in April.

Actually, come to think of it the brakes were a bit spongy before I took it apart.

Must still be air getting in there or already in there

Have you got a vacumn pump like you use for oil etc?

Maybe a sticky piston inthe MC?

Dunno why im saying anything i actually dont know.

Changed rear cylinders? Some dodgy ones escaped our usual process, would cause that symptom.

Have you had the pipes off the master cylinder? Front pipe goes to rear outlet of master cylinder.

I haven't changed them but it was rechassised not long before we got it so it might have had them done then. I'll have a look tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the pipes are the right way round. Thanks for the pointer. I'm pretty sure there's no air in the front system.

James
thats the 2nd stage of learning "conscious incompetent" follows on from "unconscious incompetent" of which there are a good few examples around

Russel
its easy to get some air in the master when its drained and it can be a right bugger to clear

Prime the master by taking the pipes off one at a time and pumping a bit of fluid through.
then do the rears then the fronts again when doing the fronts push the pads and pistons fully back in to the caliper as this reduces the volume available for those bubbles to hide in.
Are the disks running true if there is a wobble they will knock the pads off?

if that doesnt work youve fucked up yet another good car with your tinkering

remember to get the pipes the right way round, on the master the port in between the reservoir is the front.

Sean,
plenty of those in France, judging by the state of a freshly imported '68 AZU I've made the mistake of having a look at...

Zero exhaust valve clearances, minimal brakes, slipping clutch, last oil change in the previous century from the amount of sludge in the rocker covers, rear dampers fitted back to front, split driveshaft *gaiter and so on are about par for the course.

Same goes for that huge 'covers all evils' tin plate pop rivetted to the sills, floors, toe board and chassis, but someone's gone to another level by mating later hubs and *outer driveshafts with the original inners.
Whenever the front end is jacked up, both driveshafts fall apart.

Curiously, the charging system seems to be working OK, hope I haven't spoken too soon though.

ken

Too soon, surely?

Yep, so fixed now.
Although in my defence I've been struggling to see the screen since my first cataract operation 6 weeks ago.
Second one next Monday, after which it will be worth getting some reading glasses as I should have perfect distance vision for the first time in almost 50 years...

ken

( Have to say it's a very odd feeling to have someone poking around inside your eye with an ultrasonic probe. Luckily, the drugs do work. )