Brake help needed (1 Viewer)

[96 Bronco]

Hello all and thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I just bought this 72 fj40 and the first thing of note was the rear brakes dragged. I replaced all 4 wheel cylinders and bled the rear brakes. I do not believe I got the shoes adjusted correctly at this point. I think they were too far in. Performance was not improved notably but the squeak of the dragging brake was gone. Next I installed an OME lift and 33’s and immediately felt I needed a brake upgrade. I installed the JT outfitters front disc conversion. Install went fine and performance was slightly improved. I was still running the factory single resovoir master with NO booster.

So I ordered a booster and master from JT outfitters along with their bracket to get the booster past the firewall rib. Now this is where my problems started. I installed these new parts in the pics attached which also needed replacement of the majority of the brake lines. I lengthened the brake pedal rod and got the pedal back exactly where it started. I verified the distance from the back of the master to the plunger and made sure the nipple in the front of the booster moved forward enough to get action on the master. I also bought a Toyota wheel cylinder adjustment tool and turned the shoes out till they made the drums drag, then backed them off a bit until I could turn them freely

Since completing the install I have bled the brakes multiple times via the 2 person peddle method and moved a qt of new fluid through the system. I still can not get the pedal to build any pressure, you can pump all day and the pedal will continue to go all the way to the floor - it does have pressure or resistance but goes all the way down. I have also bought a harbor freight air power bleeder and it turned out to be a dud, pulled very little suction when I put it up to my finger and would not get hardly any fluid moving on the truck.

Yes I did bench bleed the master and also made up a set of lines to bleed it again when it was on the truck. This master booster combo is extremely tight and required finagling of the carb linkage to get it on. I’m wondering if I still have air in the system because of all the new lines or is there something wrong with my master booster combo? Notice the height of the loop on the front line off the master and it’s a bit higher than the fluid level in the reservoir - is this contributing? Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[Tancruiser]

Are you getting full pedal on first push or are you getting more if you double pump?

 

[96 Bronco]

Pedal feels same all the time. Has pressure, but goes all the way to the floor. Double pumping does nothing

 

[okieshan]

I had a similar problem with a recent brake overhaul. Try tightening the drum cylinders all the way to the point you cannot turn the adjuster any further, bleed, then test your pedal. If this helps then you will need to back off a couple of clicks. If not, you have air somewhere.

I think it is a common error to adjust the drums too loose.

 

[Pin_Head]

What do you mean “has pressure”? Do you mean that the pedal is firm but slowly drops until it hits the floor? If so, the new master may be leaking internally.

Your rear drum brakes are not adjusted properly. They are supposed to drag. Tighten them until the wheel wont turn and then back off 2-3 clicks.

 

[96 Bronco]

by "has pressure" I mean that the pedal does not fall to the floor with no resistance. it takes effort to push it in, but it never builds enough so that the pedal stops somewhere mid stroke. every car i have ever bled even with spongy brakes you could pump them up and after several strokes get the pedal to maintain a height somewhere mid stroke - this FJ does not do that.....just keeps going all the way to the floor.

 

[Pin_Head]

Maybe a bad master. Remove the hard lines at the master, put your fingers over the holes and have someone step on the brakes and see if it can blow your fingers off the holes. If no pressure, disassemble the master and check if the seal is installed improperly.

 

[96 Bronco]

it pushes fluid through to each bleeder so I'm assuming it would pass the finger test you describe.

 

[Pin_Head]

Not Necessarily. It will leak out by gravity too.

 

[96 Bronco]

look at my third pic in the first post. that is the rig I made up to bleed the master on the truck. it pushes fluid uphill and around that big bend, so wouldn't that indicate that the master has pressure? you can visually see it working in this configuration. I appreciate the suggestions, I just don't want the thread to stop b/c folks think its answered. I believe the master has sufficient pressure based on the above.

 

[Tancruiser]

How much free play do you have in the pedal linkage maybe try tightening that up .

 

[96 Bronco]

don't think i have much free play at all. the pedal is set all the way out against the brake light switch. I used a really long coupling nut to extend my linkage and i'm pretty certain the linkage is solid and doesn't have much free play.

 

[Coolerman]

Listen carefully: If you can get a semi-firm pedal by pumping a few times that then goes to the floor if held down AND you do not have fluid leaking externally somewhere, you have a master cylinder that is bypassing internally due to a faulty or incorrectly installed seal. but first YOU MUST BE CERTAIN THAT THE REAR SHOES ARE ADJUSTED AS PIN HEAD DESCRIBED ABOVE!
It takes a lot of fluid to move those shoes if they are not adjusted correctly, but eventually, IF there are no leaks, or a faulty master cylinder, you can pump them up and the pedal will NOT go to the floor.

 

[96 Bronco]

i will focus on the rear shoes again and then report from there. thanks to all for the input.

 

[thebigredrocker]

Friendly reminder. The WB wire w/ split ring connector is the most important ground on your Landcruiser. It grounds the entire harness. I learnt that from Coolerman

 

[96 Bronco]

good eye. I've seen that wire since the day I bought it (3 months ago) and have always shyed away from it. all of my features function so i was not too concerned. where is it supposed to hook up? looks like i'd have to run an extension down to the frame from where it is

 

[Coolerman]

Originally that White/Black went to the voltage regulator E (Ground) terminal. Does your 1972 have an internally regulated alternator installed?
Just put that terminal under any screw on the body to ground it.

 

[Pin_Head]

Beautiful looking cruiser by the way from what I can see.

 

[96 Bronco]

not sure on the alternator, i'll look into that tonight as well as the other suggestions and report back tomorrow. Thanks for the compliment on the truck. i have one pic of the FJ handy on my laptop but its pre-lift install. I bought it with an excellent body but i'm going through everything else. things have been pretty good until the brakes. also have some small descrepancies on hardtop variances - it came with a softtop and I sourced parts locally. I think I have a way to go so I'll be around the board!

 

[thebigredrocker]

Here’s where the external voltage regulator resides on some cruisers. This is riggers 69

Very nice work on your 40

Last off topic comment from me. Do you have a fusible link on the big White/Light blue wire that connects to your starters + lug? I ask because, my rig came to me with a melted harness. If not, coolerman sells fusible links.