TomRhere Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I just can't seem to win here.... Spent last weekend wrenching on the '86 BRAT fixing bad front wheel bearings, ball-joint, rear brake adjuster issues. Started driving the BRAT on Monday, everything seemed ok until Thursday. Noticed that it didn't roll any when I stopped for a red light and let my foot off the brake pedal, it usually does at that particular light. Now what???? Drove about 7 miles to the Bar I occasionaly stop at. Get out and feel all 4 hubs. PS front is hot, not real hot, but hotter than the others. Great.... Sticking caliper "again". Grrrr. I have to read my repair log to see when, but I'm sure I replaced that caliper not to long ago, but,, it was a used one. Had no choice but to drive home, and still no choice but to drive it to work on Friday. Heading into work Friday morning, as I pull up to a stop sign, I both feel and hear a "POP". Felt it thru the brake pedal and the steering wheel. No jerk of the wheel, just felt like a bump. Brake pedal felt like it kicked back at my foot. I let off the pedal and hit again, I still have brakes, but they feel different now. Great,,,,, I just blew a line somewhere was my thought. Drive the roughly 4 miles into work. No more stops to be made, used gears to slow down for all the turns I had to make, like I usually do. Get into the parking lot, pull into my spot and stop. Hmm, seemed to stop okay. Pedal felt good, not squishy or anything. Let off the brakes, and it wanted to roll. HuH??? Get out and feel PS hub, it's not any warmer than DS. What gives here. Look it over at lunch, no sign of leakage anywhere, MC is still full. Brake pedal didn't drift any when I pushed it down, felt solid. Driving home after work, all seemed to be in order with the brakes. Get about 2 miles from the house, and the exhaust system decides it no longer wants to be under the BRAT. Dammit!!!! Hit the turnsignal to turn onto my street, and it don't work. WTF!?! It just did, 3 minutes ago....... Was planning to do some wrenching this weekend, but not on this stuff.. Got parts here to fix some of this, not to sure about the exhaust though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 (edited) I think I would have ended your story with one of these..: I think we have all been there and best just to say: "I understand." (If you have ever seen the episode on "2 and a half men" when Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen walks around and says, "I understand." then you would see some humor in the post...) It seems to come in groups when things break... I call it, "bonding time" with my 84 Brat but it comes with driving an older rig. I like how quickly many repairs and services can be done on these rigs but I think that can breed a dangerous mind-set or expectation and I have found what works for me as I have tried to become more attentive in my repairs by double checking my work, assuring proper torque, using a realistic time line of pending work and avoiding mid-night repairs by candle light, rush repairs or the "One more bolt, rush, rush mentality" etc.. as that is when I seem to make most of my mistakes and those mistakes are the ones that come back too haunt me. Once in awhile I will do a quick job but I just try to be more thorough and try to avoid shade tree mechanic mistakes. Edited February 28, 2009 by Indrid cold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Is you hill holder spring broke ?? if you dont have a hh disreguard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Is you hill holder spring broke ?? if you dont have a hh disreguard I slackened the adjustment on the HH way back when I 1st got the BRAT, as it wouldn't release until clutch was fully released. That was 3 years ago, sticky caliper is recent issue, like in the last 6 months. But I'll look into that. After installing the rest of the new exhaust system under the Wife's '93 Sunbird, I got the BRAT into the garage and up in the air. Seems I should have supported the XT6 mid-pipe a bit better than I did. Outlet pipe on the 2nd cat tore off of the cat. I have no way to fix that... Spent some time looking at various sections of pipe I have here, nothing would work for me. OK, call the local parts store, see what we can come up with. Got a Cherry Bomb muffler and assorted adapters. Was getting near suppertime, and Wife decreed I was going to the bar and getting food. Darn, I "have" to go to the bar? Bummer.. I'll be back out there as soon as the sun is up this morning. Hoping I can remedy the exhaust issue quickly and get onto the brakes. Said the heck with it last Sunday and ordered in new loaded calipers and soft lines for the fronts. They arrived on Thursday. Edited March 1, 2009 by TomRhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Exhaust is fixed..... Took alot of test fitting, cutting, braizing, another trip to parts store for one more adapter piece, but it's done. And properly supported this time..... It really don't sound much different than it did with the XT6 mid-pipe under it. Might have to do with the length of pipe after the muffler. Muffler is sitting under the backend of the tranny, and about a 1/2" below driveshaft and off to the DS a bit. Haven't worked on brakes yet. Came in to warm up, it's cold out there. Forecast was for scattered clouds temps near 25*. But it's cloudy, snowing, 19* with windchill of 9* blowing right into the garage. Can't get BRAT in far enough to close the door, got an ER-27 W/tranny sitting in the way. Sure do wish Jerry wasn't using his lift this weekend....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 "Forecast was for scattered clouds temps near 25*. But it's cloudy, snowing, 19* with windchill of 9* blowing right into the garage. Can't get BRAT in far enough to close the door, got an ER-27 W/tranny sitting in the way. Sure do wish Jerry wasn't using his lift this weekend......." I feel your pain brother, i got ice and frozen mudd all over the undercarriage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Didn't swap any of the new brake stuff in, but I did do a good lookover of the whole system. Nothing looked out of sorts, and brakes are working as they should. Atleast they worked properly on the trip to/from work yesterday, no wierdness. I put in for a vacation day on Friday, that'll give me 3 days to get things sortted out come the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Got the new calipers and soft lines installed. Del got her leg work out helping to bleed the lines out. Only problem I had was removing the clips that hold the soft lines to the brackets, but they finally came out. Thinking I need to get a new Master Cylinder. Bled the crap out of the brakes, but the pedal still goes toward the floor more than I believe it should. Haven't drove it anywhere yet. Installed a new accelerator cable too, (ordered that back when I got the bearings). Had to file the hole in the firewall abit though, seems that end of the cable is a tad bigger. And,,,,, in keeping with the "I just can't seem to win here" statement. Seems I've popped both inner front axle boots. New GCK axles, installed Jan '07. Sucks!!! Do believe I have a couple boots here, gotta hunt for them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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