Hey all, first post outside of the Introductory area!

I am long-distance troubleshooting an issue with my Dad's 69 SS. Please reference the following link to my introduction post explaining my situation with the car:

https://camaroforums.com/forum/new-members-area-95/greetings-denver-56858/

I just recevied the following update from Dad:

"What was happening to me was this: each time I stepped on the brake pedal (which felt OK, by the way) the pressure was not released in the front brake lines, rear ones, yes, front, no. The reason I know this is because it didn't take very long for the car to jerk harder and harder to a stop. The first time it happened, after checking for as many of the obvious external signs I could think of, I finally very gently and slightly unscrewed the nuts holding the brake lines to the master cylinder body. I sure didn't want to get air in there, but the brakes were locked down so tightly the car would hardly move! No problem with the rear line, but when I cracked the front line, brake fluid really came squirting out. It apparently was being held under a lot of pressure with no way of escaping. That's how I got the car back home, by doing that several more times as needed and refilling the master cylinder each time. It clearly pays to carry your tool box and some extra fluids in the car with you.

I had just had the entire brake system done, new lines, new pads, new seals, everything. So naturally I headed back to Jackson's to tell him that something was clearly wrong with his work and to try to find out what was going on. After a day or two, he called to tell me the car was ready, that he had bled the brake lines (even though he couldn't find any air in them) and that there was nothing wrong with his work. Before I got home, it was clear to me that the problem was still present, unfixed. This time, I consulted my own Chassis and Service Manuals and told him that I thought that he had installed a master cylinder from a Chevy Caprice model and not the correct one for the Camaro. He denied it vehemently and refused to look at the car further."

We just purchased a master cylinder from Rick's Camaro and Dad is set to install it. Does anyone see anything here that may lead them to believe this maybe another issue? Based on a post I found on these forums, Dad is going to bleed the lines several times after intalling the new master cylinder.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

This sounds very familiar to a different 69 I had many years ago. Mine had the original 4 wheel drum brakes though. The longer I drove the car, the stiffer the brakes would get, until they would damn near lock up. So, I adjusted the pushrod at the brake pedal ever so slightly shorter, but then the pedal would immediately drop to the floor when stepped on. That right there made no sense to me. I tried bleeding the brakes more than once figuring it must be air, but got absolutely none out. So I lengthened the rod back out a little, and the brakes felt ok. When first starting on a drive again, the brakes were fine. But the longer I drove, they got tighter and tighter. I carried wrenches with me to adjust the rod on the road, which I had to do more than once. I finally gave up and took it in, figuring it was a more serious problem that I couldn't figure. The problem? Air in the system, and I just couldn't believe it. But that's all it was, and the problem was fixed for good. With the shop power bleeding the system, they were able to get out some hidden air that the conventional at home pump & dump method didn't catch. Maybe it's something with the proportioning valve hanging onto the air? But I never found out. My question to you is, how did the guys bleed your dads brakes?

 

Thanks for the reply Camaro 69!

This was done ourselves with a 1-man brake bleeding pump. I'm not sure of the method Jackson's used, but they obviously didn't take it for a test drive of more than a mile before calling it good.

I'll see if Dad can't take it in to reputable shop instead of another one of these local wrench heads just looking to make a quick and easy buck.