QuestionHello again. Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the information but this is a Giulia GT, the first version of the GTV. It has four wheel disc brakes. Of course there are drums for the parking brakes but, as you know, they are outside of the hydraulic system. I should mention that, in spite of using the pressurized bleeder, there still appears to be air in the system. Is there a trick for getting it out? Today I tried rapidly pumping the brake pedal while the system was pressurized and being bled through a caliper that had a drain hose sunk into a container of brake fluid so it couldn't suck air back into the system, but this only got some of the air out. Thanks again for your help!
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Followup To
Question -
Hello,
I am working on a '67 GT. It has a Bonaldi brake booster which I thought had gone bad when I found it was drawing brake fluid into the vacuum line. Also, the brake pedal started developing more travel and eventually went to the floor, at which time I lost my brakes. So I rebuilt the booster, using a Bendix/Bonaldi kit. All the parts seemed to fit properly. However, no matter how much I bleed the system, the brake pedal still goes almost all the way to the floor now. So I rebuilt the M/C. Same thing. I have a big Matco pressure bleeder so I don't need to pump or vacuum the lines to bleed them but, while I don't get any air out of the caliper bleed screws, or the connecting lines to the booster, the pedal still nearly hits the floor. It is adjusted properly & any change only seems to affect the resting position but not the length of travel. Anything I'm missing?
Answer -
Yes. Drum brakes need the shoes adjusted to just less than drag on the drum--they also need to be centered. Adjust the shoes to drag then apply good pedal pressure then back off the shoe adjustment to just no drag or it the shoes are very worn you may need to leave in just a bit of drag. (Europeans did not use self adjusters in the '60's).
You are, of course, using Castrol LMA . Or you will be doing a complete seal replacement soon.
AnswerSorry, I just did a quick glance in my old book and missed that part. Went back and looked more closely.
On the line to the rear brakes is a pressure adjuster that reduces pressure to the rear brakes as the rear of the body rises under heavy braking. If you have been bleeding with the rear axle drooping then full pressure cannot get to the rear and you must raise up the rear axle to fully bleed the rear of the system. Otherwise there is corrosion/dirt inside one or more of the brake lines that is blocking the bleeding process. I say this because I have never had trouble using a pressure bleeder on any system unless there was that kind of a defect or the pressure regulator is frozen in the reduced position.
For problems bleeding there is nothing like a FIAT X/19 or some Volvo's.
