I'm hoping I'll get to go this year, whether my car makes it or not. It falls on the same weekend as the Lonestar Roundup once again, but I've already been there done that. I think it would be really fun to trade Packard war stories, in person, with real Packard owners and enthusiasts. Plus it would be nice to meet some Packrdinfo-ers in person. I don't plan on pre-registering my car because that bit me in the rear last year with the Roundup.

Hope to be there,

Hey Jim,

The two things I did that started this whole "fiasco" were: letting some fluid out of the passenger side rear wheel cylinder and, loosening the connection of the hard line to the rear brake hose because the rear hose was twisted. Once I did those things I bled the rear brakes to remove any air from the system. After doing those things is when I noticed the brakes had become soft.

So... Being that I replaced those leaky rear wheel cylinders with new ones; I think those can be ruled out. So then the question moves to the brake hose. Did I compromise its integrity by allowing it to be twisted? I will say this, I did notice a tiny bit of fluid around the connection between the hard line and hose a week or so ago. But that seemed to be fixed by tightening it up a little more.

This is one of the most perplexing problems I've had with this car. Should I try getting a new brake hose?

Thank you,

I've been doing the bleeding the conventional way having a helper push in on the brake pedal. As for the master cylinder, I "bench bled" it on the car using the vacuum to pull the fluid through till there were no more bubbles.

Well...

A whole lot of work and the brakes still seem the same; the pedal is too soft. The pedal used to be extremely firm when I would press on it (engine off), to the point that it would hardly move. Now... The darn thing travels its full motion with engine off. I assume this means my master cylinder is to blame? The wheel cylinders are good, and the brake hoses are still really nice.

I feel so defeated right now. I really don't understand how or why this happened in the first place. They were working fine until I let a little fluid out a few weeks ago

Hey Howard,

Thank you, there is always tree debris building up on the fender drip rails that finds its way onto my reservoir, so some form of cover was in order. I like your setup with those U-bolts. I would have liked to have used those, but I don't think there is enough clearance with the steering column. I'm hoping these modifications are enough to keep my brake system clean and in good working order.

Hey guys,

The system has been completely cleaned out with alcohol and compressed air. Luckily the front wheel cylinders were in much better shape than the rear so I was able to reuse them after a good cleaning. To help prevent the re-occurrence of this moisture/sediment contamination, I made a little shield out of sheet metal to protect my reservoir. It pivots up so the only tools needed to add fluid are your hands. I had thought about moving the reservoir to a different location, but where it sat seemed to be the prime spot.

Also, the brass covers for the master cylinder are only held in by the friction of the rubber cups. So, to make sure they don't go loose inside their seat I made some copper wire retainers.

Tomorrow I will bleed the entire system and adjust the brakes accordingly. If the prior problems I was having remain, I am pretty certain the problem is the master cylinder. But... I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

Cheers!

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Hey Howard,
I don't have a gasket between the booster and cylinder. MPB didn't include anything like that in my kit. The unit was never submerged, and I've never even driven in the rain. It is very odd to me as well that water was able to find its way in there. Luckily the piston comes all the way back to a relaxed position (albeit over the rough spot), but this whole issue with my brakes is very confusing. It is the newest system on my car and, the one that has deteriorated the fastest. I'm concerned that this problem may happen again because it didn't take long for it to happen this time.

-Garrett

Hey guys,

Bought myself some denatured alcohol and have begun flushing out my master cylinder. At the very beginning of the bore there is some rust/pitting, but from there it appears to be fine and blemish free. so far it seems the master cylinder is okay, with minimal sediment.

Question: Is the rust at the beginning of the bore a problem as far as the performance of my brake system goes?


Thank you,

-Garrett

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Hey guys,

I've got the master cylinder out and I'm in the process of cleaning it out. What solvent do you all recommend to clean everything out? Isopropyl alcohol, or something else?

Thank you,

-Garrett

Hey guys,

Kev, I went out to check the bore on that cylinder and those spots didn't wipe off, so it is most certainly pitted. The location of my reservoir takes a lot of the blame here. I have it mounted on my inner fender where it is directly under the crack of the hood/fender. I'm sure some water found its way into the vent hole on the cap. I'm going to relocate the reservoir somewhere "better". I am so glad this problem reared its ugly head on my routine check-up and not on the road. This should be a warning to any of you all to make sure your brake system is in good working order, even if it seems to be working fine.

Question: If I have bled the brakes to where I am only getting clean-golden fluid, do I still need flush out the system?

-Garrett