Escort brakes

[Diane]

I'm having my first brake issue. This happened once last year but slightly different and it's not the same solution this year.

Hitting the pedal it's full hard. And when it's full hard, they don't work.

Last year when this happened, they went full hard, full soft (no pedal) and OK. Turned out one of my calipers was walking off the rotor. (think I have a pic).

Now when it happens it's always full hard. Calipers are fine and no evidence of them walking around. It rarely does it twice in a row. Pads are new, system was flushed. Ford brake fluid. Same brands of everything that was used last year.

For lack of a better word, it really freaks me out when it happens and I'm petrified to go as deep in a corner as I can. I also will give them a tap (or 2 or 3) before the corner to see if they're there which slows me down as well.

Despite this I was still a full second quicker than last year but would like to fix this!

It's never happened on the street either, though I don't drive for half a mile or so warming up the brakes on the street normally.

The only thing we can find wrong is it seems my master cylinder cap is leaking a bit, even though I'm sure I replaced it. I'll get a new one anyway and we'll go through the system again but I'd love to hear any ideas?


Thanks,

Diane
ITB #21
NER

[Joe Craven]

Yes, you definitely have to get this fixed.

I'd start by looking at the vacuum booster and perhaps the master cylinder.



[This message has been edited by Joe Craven (edited July 14, 2003).]

[Racescort]

I was going to say the same thing as Joe Craven. Maybe the booster or Master Cyl.

------------------
Doug
ITB Escort
[email protected]

[tderonne]

We had a ZX2 do about the same thing. Root cause was there was no check valve in the line to the booster (Mazda uses a valve that you can't see, inside a rubber line). Things were ok on the street, lots of part throttle and hence vaccum, so brakes felt ok. Got to the track and at the end of the front straight at Grattan, the pedal felt like a rock, no vaccum left after a few seconds of WOT. Ok driving around in the pits, ok in other corners. Put the right hose back in, with the check valve in it, (custom intake manifold, custom booster hose, opps.) and it was fine.

In your case, I think the check valve is the more traditional type, right on the booster, but I'm not sure. Worth a check though. It was confusing to us until we realized what happened.

Tim.

[joeg]

Change the booster and MC; check the vacuum lines and check valve...immediately!

[tderonne]

Any update?

[RSTPerformance]

Originally posted by tderonne:
Any update?

Ya Diane! you should run the escort at the NARRC Runoffs! Then give us all an update!

Stephen

[Diane]

Sorry guys, missed your last 2 posts. I came in to re-read the responses, good thing as I forgot the check valve comments.

Haven't driven the car since July. Too loud, too many DOT officers near work.

Hopefully working on the booster this weekend. Want to run Lime Rock in November.

If I take the escape road, problem is not fixed.

This has been a miserable year for working on cars if you don't have a climate controlled shop, hasn't it?


Diane


[This message has been edited by Diane (edited October 10, 2003).]