|
|
need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
|
|
| |
|
|
bristack
New User
Oct 7, 2009, 5:39 PM
Post #1 of 10
(4022 views)
|
|
need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
I have a 97 Ford F250 7.3L Diesel 4X4 truck with brake troubles When I first apply pressure to the pedal I get some braking but eventually it fades to the point that the brake light comes on. If I try to pump the pedal then it's extremely hard to push down and there's very little braking. I have to push really hard to get any braking. Is this a sign of the diesel brake booster vacuuum pump going bad or is it the master cylinder.Help please
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 7, 2009, 5:56 PM
Post #2 of 10
(4017 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
Is the fluid level dropping at all?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
bristack
New User
Oct 7, 2009, 6:31 PM
Post #3 of 10
(4011 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
Yes the brake fluid is at the same level I don't see any signs of brake fluid leaking.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 7, 2009, 6:35 PM
Post #4 of 10
(4007 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
If your pedal is slowly dropping to the point that it puts the brake light on and it's not losing any fluid, then that indicates a bad master cylinder.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 10, 2009, 4:49 PM
Post #5 of 10
(3989 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
Arggh! Just went thru this with the similar Chev of my own. Raining to beat the band so you can't really tell but in that case fluid was lost! As Hammer said if not loss of fluid it can be the master cylinder alone doing that and hope your 1997 will bleed out without additional headaches. Mine was short areas of brake line rusted out and master survived bleeding process - some won't at the age and add to the costs of course.
IMO - Fords are more brake and fuel line rust resistant than GMs. If rust isn't an issue where you are then as Hammer said this would almost always be a master cylinder problem. If you find that to be the issue - I strongly suggest paying the extra for new over reman ones,
T
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 10, 2009, 4:52 PM
Post #6 of 10
(3983 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
Let me add that in some cases it can also be the ABS unit bypassing but that's pretty rare. You always look at the master first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
re-tired
Veteran
/ Moderator
Oct 11, 2009, 7:56 AM
Post #7 of 10
(3978 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
ford trucks have had a problem for years with the firewall flexing during braking ,causeing symtoms similar to yours. might want to check the area around the brake mounting while someone presses the brake.
LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH
|
|
| |
|
|
re-tired
Veteran
/ Moderator
Oct 11, 2009, 9:06 AM
Post #9 of 10
(3970 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
I didn't say it did. i was just stating a fact that could be PART of the problem..Here is some items that can trip a lite.
A red brake warning light that stays on could result from a defective parking brake switch, low brake fluid level, hydraulic leak or an electrical fault. If rear wheels lock during braking you could have grease on the shoes, out-of-round or oversized brake drums, loose wheel cylinders, or your hydraulic control valves could need service.
Finally, for the car that pulls to one side during braking, causes include: a defective suspension, leaking wheel cylinder, plugged brake hose, improper tire pressure, or a stuck wheel cylinder or caliper piston.
LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH
(This post was edited by re-tired on Oct 11, 2009, 1:09 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 12, 2009, 6:08 PM
Post #10 of 10
(3954 views)
|
|
Re: need help with brake troubles on 97 F 250 truck
|
Sign In
|
|
BTT - the pedal can fade without loss of fluid and would trigger an imbalance and most vehicles would light a RED brake warning light if so. This smacks of a bad master cylinder as Hammer said.
Grease on brakes and many other faults wouldn't cause the pedal to fade! Same light will light if parking brake doesn't fully retract to off in many vehicles. If this was an ABS issue that light should be amber and on!
Frozen caliper or wheel cylinder could after driving heat up brake fluid to boiling and a soft pedal would result. That about always demonstrates itself as a hard pull if a front issue or a hot wheel even smoking hot which was not mentioned so far so I think this is a master cylinder. They can do that without warning. Best we can do is educated guessing unless we have the vehicles in front of us and we do a lot of it here,
T
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
2011 Dodge Nitro OBD scanner seems to drain battery in 10-20 minutes
Grounding Cable, 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
equipment
Howdy
