brake help please!! Front brakes sticking after rebuild

[mpls124]

Hello all
So I have replaced all the brake parts on my 74 spider (pads,rotors,calipers,hoses,master,compensator) and after driving for a few days with a weak pedal the fronts seem to have locked up. The car will still drive but it feels like its pulling a bus. Also the pedal went from normal feeling to completely solid, it has no travel at all now. I am assuming it is the fronts since they were really hot after driving a few blocks and the rear didnt seem to be dragging or too hot. I welcome any info and advice on this as I am reaching wits end with these brakes!! Also have run out of Italian curse words to yell at it. Please help me end this brake ordeal!

[So Cal Mark]

when the brakes get hot, you need to open a front bleeder to see if there is pressure in the hydraulic system. It's really hard to diagnose a problem without more information. Were the calipers exchanged or did you rebuild them?

[mpls124]

rebuilt but everything seemed fine. it works fine when it cools off but once you drive for a bit it does it again. will check for pressure tomorrow and see what that does

[So Cal Mark]

you could have bad hoses, defective calipers, misadjusted pushrod on the booster, improperly assembled hardware preventing calipers from sliding, new pads with shims on the back that are too thick. The list goes on so without more information just start picking problems out of a hat

[Dougieb]

Hi,

I have known the rubber flex lines to the brake caliper to "collapse" on the inside when they get old. You will not be able to see it, but they will act like a one-way-valve by not letting the brake fluid go back toward the brake manifold when you let your foot off the brake. If your lines are old, you may consider replacing them. You aren't going to be sure what is going wrong with your car until you take things apart, but that is another possibility.

Hope it works out for you.
Dougieb

[majicwrench]

Your master cylinder pushrod is too long, and willnot allow the pressure to release. Make sure you have play in your pushrod.
Keith

[mpls124]

Thank you Keith!! Was exactly the problem. Everything works great now