Re: 1955 Packard- weak brakes

Posted by fred kanter On 2011/5/29 21:25:01

Start the motor, run for 30 sec, turn off. Then depress the brake pedal, you should hear the sound of air "hissing " a bit under the hood. Do it several times and see if the pedal gets harder to depress. This is checking that there is vacuum and the power brake unit is functioning. If not, then the problem is most likely in the unit.

Next most likely are the wheel cylinders. If the car was ever sitting unused for many years the cylinders may be rusted/frozen inside. The power of the brake unit is not sufficient to apply the wheel brakes. Take to a mechanic to diagnose