The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk No Brake Fluid

Hello everyone,

Well from previous posts I drove my new 66 back from Napa to Pacifica 11/2 hour drive with no brake fluid. peddle basically goes to the floor. So I just checked master cylinder and no brake fluid.....(Master cyliner located back right under hood essentially where break pedal is?)

Can I just put brake fluid in and pump pedal?....or do I need to bleed the brakes....Don't know how to do that!

Is it safe enough to drive to mechanic to have him do it....I aleady drove it from Napa to Pacifica or is there the possibility of total break failure....Any advice would be great....

Sorry such a rookie

Took pics today will have link by Monday...Thanks

Oh yeah....awesome advice so far!!! got the choke going fires right up....never had a car with a choke (pretty darn cool).....Thanks for the input with the gears makes sense all fine there....

Plan right now is to get car to my mechanic in next couple of weeks to check for safety stuff as soon as I save a little money...ex: brakes/steering just to make sure it's safe....then I'll keep plugging away little by little...

First fill up the fluid, pump a bit and see what hapens. Check fluid level and look for leaks.

Break hoses, wheel cylinders are typical leak spots, also rusty lines, or your master cylinder is shot if you loose fluid.

If it don`t leaks and you have some presure at the pedal drive CAREFULLY to a shop that bleeds your breaks.

If it leaks, DON`T DRIVE AT ALL!!!

Ask an old hand to show you how to replace the shot parts.
Live and learn form an oldtimer is the best you can do.

Frank

I'll give it a try. What type of break fluid do I buy for a 66? Dot 3,4,5....or does it not matter?

Yikes, driving that distance with low brake fluid in a '66 is pretty risky!!! You must have a guardian angel.

DOT 3 will probably be OK. Be really careful if you drive the truck to the shop, and if the brakes fail, downshift and apply the hand brake.

You've got more ba++s than brains it seems. Haven't read anything yet on the history of the truck but if its been sitting for years or any extended period do a brake job before driving it any.

I wouldn't count on that handbrake much.. that granny 1st gear will be a godsend if you need to slow down fast and the brakes fail.

Depending on your speed, it may not just drop into 1st, but if you double clutch fast and just ram it in there, it'll go.

Then just let off the clutch and WHAM.. you'll go from whatever speed you were going to about 3 MPH in about a half a second.

If you put DOT 5, the pure silicone stuff in there, you'll gunk up whatever few good parts you've got left, and will have to replace them as well. System was designed for DOT 3. 3 and 5 are not compatible with each other. I'll echo what was said, for your sake, and the others on the road around you, make CERTAIN your brakes are fully functional before leaving your driveway under its own power again...the life you save may be your own.

Do not drive the truck until your brakes are functional - it is dangerous to you as well as other drivers. Bleeding the brakes is easy; you'll just need a friend or neighbor kid tall enough to reach the brake pedal to help (trust me, if I can do it anybody can). Use Dot 3 - you will trash your brake system if you don't.

Here is one how to online - the basics are pretty much the same for your truck: http://www.mustanghut.com/techBrakeBleeding.asp

or try

http://www.teamscr.com/brakes.htm

Once your brakes are bled, monitor your fluid level for several days. With an older truck, it is likely that you are going to have fluid leaks, especially from the brake cylinders. If you are losing fluid - see if you have little puddles under any one or more of your tires. If so, start the cylinder rebuild on that wheel.

There are a number of guys here who can walk you through that process. There are also a number of good books that can help you get started. Brake maintenance is a good place to start learning about your truck. The systems are pretty simple and can be tackled by the hobbyist in his garage or driveway.

Take care, and keep asking questions!

Thanks all...I'll give it a shot...worse comes to worse I'll just get it towed to the shop....Yeah I wanted the truck now so I just took it and drove it home...I remember thinking "I'm done for" driving that thing back over the Bay Bridge....I just kept a ton of distance between me and the next car....

You got balls the size of brass church bells to drive a vehicle with no brakes an hour and a half down a big highway, man.. and I don't imagine you had good tags or insurance, either.

You probably just outta get it towed to a place that can fix the brakes right.

I have driven my 46 without the brakes, but it was from one shop to the other on the farm.

She never came out of first (unless I was backing up) and I only goosed it sparingly. My left foot never left the vicinity of the clutch.

I agree with Fumblin. I would trailer the old girl to the mechanic. If you don't have another truck (or a trailer) to tow it with, call for a wrecker from your friendly local towing company. Im my experience, they're not too expensive, and I have used them a couple times to get my jimmy into town when the little bastard quit on me.

[is glad to be rid of jimmy]

You could try towing a vehicle that HAS brakes behind the truck and use those brakes to stop you.

Do not do this unless you have someone who has done this before. It can be EXTREMELY bad news if you don't know what you're doing.

Just saw your newest post...

Nevermind.

Just be careful on the way to the mechanic's. I wouldn't trust the brakes any further than I can throw them.

I think it would be a good idea to have a major brake overhaul done, especially if the age of the parts is unknown. A brake failure is not a very pleasant experience.

I just got to throw a little story in here.
I was driving around with my 1955 VW beatle quite a while with a shot master cylinder.

It used to break, but takes pushing the pedal 2-3 times to make it work.

It happend when this lady shot head over heels out of her driveway without even looking right and left.

I stomped on the break pedal (without thinking of pumping the pedal)- no breaking of course.

But I could steer, so I shot arround the car, slammed a young tree out of the way and come to halt in the exhibition of a used cars yard.

There where 2 Chrisler Voyagers, just far enough appart that a VW beatle without the fenders fits between them.

...well mine had fenders. So i ripped up the sides of the Voyagers and came to a soft and comfortable stop.

OH BOY!

If I had working breakes, I`m sure I would hit the ladys car at the side. With a 55 beatle, no belts, the steering column would penetrate my chest (we call that a James Dean memorial accident here in Germany)or I would leave the car by the windshield.

So it was an other grat job of my "heavy duty guardian angel".

Frank

Who is this guy who drives a truck with no brakes?Dont make much sense.Are we gonna start throwing the four letter words around this site now??? And I not talking FORD.If a man or woman cant express him or herself without using the F word,they must have quite an education.maybe the moderator better ck.this out.

Well, how's this for serendipity??? After giving my short lecture to BTH about not leaving the driveway without fully functional brakes yesterday morning....I jump in the '68 this morning to go get some breakfast, when I step on brakes at the end of the driveway the red brake warning light on the dash lights up and the truck keeps on a rollin' backwards. One more 'bolt related chore to add to the list!

Maybe its a sign and hope its not infectious. Will be getting the 59 out of the garage after sitting fo awhile so think I'll test the pedal before I crank her up.

Hope I'm not passing infectous brake virus around...It's taken care of and will have mechanic take a look to make sure I have a safe vehicle on the road...Thanks to all who gave advice.

I did use a four letter word and was talked to by moderator....Won't happen again...Used the four letter word as a comical expression but understand kids and others who are offended are on here....Apologies to all and thanks for the help!

Hey, apology accepted by all I'm sure.

Did John wash your mouth out with soap?

Well this is one of the most helpful sites I've been on so I don't want to get banned.

I'll talk trash on my other sites...

Thanks all

YEA! Watch yer forkin' language!

Fumblin, don't be a mortar forker.

I wouldn't ever fork my mortar, but I have been known to twist my petcock!

Why you futher mucker.
See what you've started Hoop?

WOW,
The scary part for those of you who don't know where Pacifica is. The access road over the coast mountain range from Daly City is one of my old test roads for testing suspension on the 20+ curves.