Brakes

I have a 1987 honda wagovan 4x4 and I can't seem to get the mush out of the
brake pedal. I have replaced the master cylinder twice (and bled it to
specs), i have replaced 3 lines and I brake cylinder and have pressure and
manually bled the brake symstem numerous times. I also tightened up the rear
brake shoes so they are snug too. There is no evident leak anywhere. The
pedal will all the way to the floor and if on grass or gravel all wheels do
lock up eventually. The braking power on the road stinks. I'm out of ideas
and am looking for help!

 

Hi - I was having a similar problem with my '92 Accord LX
(175,000 mi). The brakes kept giving too much (excessive travel)
and slipping quite a bit despite a new master cylinder, a check
for leaks in the lines, new pads, new shoes, machining of
rotors and drums, and even new tires (Michelin HydroEdge).
Obviously the lines were bled as well with the new master.
Finally I checked the rotors and found the thickness to be
21.5 mm, just over minimum spec. I bought an after market
pair and had the dealership install them. They had to use
extra care due to the bearings (which I didn't replace), but
these were apparently transitioned over to the new rotors
without incident. Bottom line: my brake problem is fixed!
No more slipping and no more give. A new set of plugs to
round things off added the feel of an extra 20 or 30 hp, and
now I'm ready for another 175,000 miles. - Paul

 

I think you are onto something, Paul. I've heard (but not seen myself) that
aging calipers will "take a set" - pulling the pads back to the position
they always were, which may be too far from the rotor. That would show up as
play when the caliper is unmounted or the ability to slip suspiciously thick
feeler guages between pads and rotor.

Mike