Elderly Cub hauler brakes

[BigMike]

The other day I had to step on the brakes in my 98 F-150 hard enough that the anti-lock activated and then the pedal when to the floor.I knew I still had brakes and my suspicion was confirmed when I found the back of the resevoir empty.Tonight I looked for a leak in the front and cannot find a thing that is wet.I followed the lines from the master cylinder to the calipers and notta.....what the heck am I missing?

[Merk]

Mike,

Remove master cylinder from the booster. Back seal in master may be causing the problem.

[JLazar]

Elderly, haha! My Cub Cadet hauler is a '82 F-100.
The fluid has got to be going somewhere. Check the insides of your rims. The rubber flex lines [3] . I had a master leak between the booster due to rust breaking the seal and thus leaking between the two. No soaked carpet right? Boosters dont fill up do they?

[tompepper]

on my 92 it was the steel line for the right side.we couldn't find it till some body steeped on the pedal and somebody else watched.I thought it was the master also cause no wet spots.

[ksanders]

It's not a manual, is it? Slave cylinders have been known to leak if so. Yes, a brake booster can fill up with fluid. I've had it happen and had to replace it.
I was hauling a Cub home a few years ago and lost all brakes on the interstate from a rusted line that went. If it was crowded I'd have been screwed. Luckily there happened to be no traffic. No E-brake at the time either, which I promptly found the ambition to fix after that I'm just waiting for some of these rusted lines to go one day. 86 Ranger.

[J Hayes]

proportioning valve need reset ??

[cub1450]

Ederly

Mine is a 69 c10

[billor57]

Kevin,
Get those brakes fixed don't want to here about a misshap because of neglect.

[ksanders]

Believe me Bill, I'm all over it. I'm a paranoid enough person as it is. The truck has $400 worth of all new brakes on all 4 corners. Only the lines aren't replaced and I have replaced the worst ones already just out of piece of mind. This spring I'll probably buy a new set of lines bent already like factory. I can't see myself bending every line for the whole truck.

[J Hayes]

Can ya check out the proper procedures of bleeding the brakes If you have any at all. my cheby drove me nuts trying to do the rears then the fronts .. procedure on mine further-est rear then opposite front.

[BigMike]

I swiped the bottom of the booster and all it had on it was condensation.Pulled the vac hose to check for fluid....bubkiss.Sprayed the the bolts with PB and Saturday I'll pull the master and take a look-see.

'98 is elderly here because in the next few years it will disolve into a pile of iron oxide.

[Scott C.]

Mike,
I had the rear seal on my 71 F-100 leak back down the rod to the pedal and down behind the floor mat. That took a little to find.

[jpackard56]

And one other thing that I've seen as a former Ford truck mechanic is the power booster vacuum hose actually sucking the brake fluid out of the booster after it leaked past the seal between the master and booster and dropping it in the intake manifold so it gets burned with the fuel and air mixture. That is hard to find
Good luck

[BigMike]

Well I pulled the master and found it clean and dry.I put some fluid in and pumped the brakes and heard fluid squirting so I KNEW I was closing in.I crawled under and looked around up front,notta.Then I see fluid dripping.........in back,yup the rear line rusted out where it hooks to the hose.I have never seen a system that ran the back of the back of the master and the front off the front but this truck is that way.Went and got some line and started making new lines......hopefully tomorrow is warmer and dryer than today and I can get the lines on and the bleeders loose.

[BigMike]

Well my trusty steed is ready to ride again.I got the lines run,bleeders came loose without breaking and I drove it to work today.
I'm glad that's done....thanks for the help guys!