old man neri

Well thank you all for the suggestions but I have thrown in the towel for the first time ever of owning this car.

I went in today to the wrench and talked to him for about 5 min telling him exactly what I had done. He said it does sound like a MC gone south. Tomorrow morning I am taking the car in, they will first try bleeding it for faint hope that maybe there is still air in. He will also drive the car to feel for himself. Then if the bleed does not work it's a new MC he is putting in. I would do it myself but I don't have access to a heated garage, some of my tools, and my bleeder.

*sigh*
-matt

MDL

Matt,

No shame in that. Hope it works out. Better to be safe than sorry.

jakeflyer

Give us an up date on this. You have the Northern half of the country staying off the road in fear of the unstoppable P car.

rusnak

what? no.

A bad mc usually shows symptoms like you are not able to get good brake pressure, or the pressure builds when you have to pump the pedal a lot, then it bleeds off.

If you have good brake pressure, then it's something else like a bad brake hose, air in the system, or grease on your rotors. Maybe sticking caliper pistons too.

Shoot...Matt if you need more help send me your phone # and we'll talk through it.

Ed Hughes

His symptoms sound exactly like a bad M/C.

jakeflyer

----------------Ed Hughes===========

Read your brake posts here with some interest. My guess is that maybe you are an engineer??

rusnak

Could be, but what would explain the pulling to one side and normal pedal feel?

I think maybe the caliper pistons are either stuck or perhaps they are retracted too far into the calipers, on either both or on one side?

Ed Hughes

I went to school toward and engineering degree for a couple of years, but never got a degree. Beercan engineer....

The pulling is a wildcard to me too, could be independent of the pedal issue. I thought that some of the initial post was that the pedal was soft after a period of non-use, it wasn't until he pumped it that brakes came back to a better level?

MDL

The possibility exist that there are multiple problems which would explain why this may not be a text book case.

old man neri

No longer pulls to one side, that was one time only thing I have decided to attribute that to the rain/ice.

Pedal feel is not normal, it's lower that it use to be, much lower. However, the one thing makes me think it might not be the MC is that I have pressure and if I press hard on the pedal and hold it does not sink, it just stays there. It is my understanding that a bad MC would manifest itself with a sinking pedal given constant pressure.

Maybe there is still air in the system. The wrench will bleed the system tomorrow morning using his method which is a little different that mine.

I went out driving again just now and I can infact lock up the brakes. I think I was too afraid earlier to press that far down below. That and I didn't overly want to lock up my brakes in the warmer weather we had earlier because I was running on winter tires.

Thanks for your offer of the phone call but I have little tools here, a very cold garage floor, no hoist, and no brake bleeder with me so there is very little I can do.

Tomorrow morning will be an interesting day.


Ed,

You're right, at first it did sound like a bad MC but now I am no longer sure. Perhaps I have not been very accurate in my description of the middle pedal. But it very well could be. Basically it's either air in the system, fuched MC, or a caliper sticking again.


Thanks again all
-matt

old man neri

Mech eng here, graduated at the bottom of my class.




Again, the pulling only occurred that one time in the rain and that is one the pumping helped. Ever since then it has not happened again. Perhaps is was a random symptom of the underlying problem.

This is why I threw in the towel. I just ran out of time. Hopefully the wrench tomorrow is knowledgeable. They have a track ready 944 inside by the parts desk so that has to count for something.

MDL

So.... what's the prize for the one who diagnosed the problem correctly?

old man neri

I don't know. What are your guesses?

Ed says it's the MC
Rusnak: either air or stuck calipers

What's your verdict?

OttawaDave

Hey Matt - sorry to hear of your problem, but hopefully tomorrow goes well. I'm looking forward to the pics and story of your trek out west.

Are you in Ottawa or Trenton? Where are you taking the car for service?

Best of luck tomorrow!

Dave

old man neri

Thanks Dave. I will make sure to take my camera with me.

I am in Ottawa right now, I am going to import auto on woodward. Same place you went I think.

-matt