2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Lost brakes on the way to work

[CCiatteo]

Luckily nobody was in front or behind of me. The light went red quicker than I had expected and rather than run the light I jumped on the brakes. Just as I reached the white stripe/stop bar the pedal goes to the floor and the truck rolls out into the intersection. I threw it in 2nd, let the clutch out and jumped on the E-brakes (while holding the handle) and the truck stopped. I looked down and the brake light was on so I knew I had a problem. I limped it about a mile down the road to the nearest garage and sure as pooh, the rear line had rusted through near the fuel tank.



$200 dollars later I was safely back on the road. I was gonna do it myself, but by the time I paid for the tow home, blah blah blah. Sometimes its just easier to pay, today was that day.



Keep on eye on those brakes lines. The factory line looked to have a protective rubber/vinyl covering on it, which I think would exaggerate the problem, by trapping moisture???



I was lucky, if someone had been in front of me, it would not have been a good way to start the week.



Chris

 

[LBARTLETT]

glad you're ok, I'm going to change all of mine out one of these days, getting pretty close to 10 years old

 

[jkern]

happened to me about 2 years ago... was doing routine maintanence in the shop... pulled out and pumped up the brakes and there wasn't any. pulled back in and found the rear line rusted thru around the fuel tank... i am thinking the line may need to be a replacement part every 5 years or so.

 

[CCiatteo]

happened to me about 2 years ago... was doing routine maintanence in the shop... pulled out and pumped up the brakes and there wasn't any. pulled back in and found the rear line rusted thru around the fuel tank... i am thinking the line may need to be a replacement part every 5 years or so.

At the very least something that should be inspected every year.



I kinda blame myself for this because I've read of it on here numerous times and never set the time aside to check it because of the work involved and because it's not glamorous in anyway. Lesson learned.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but with the bursted line in the rear the combination valve should have shifted over and blocked off the rear brakes and the front brakes should have still worked but with less pedal of course. I had a line to the rear brakes wear a hole in it where it crossed the frame on a 97 Merc and I still had front wheeel brakes????? I think you also have another problem with the combination valve. bg

 

[bmoeller]

I had the same thing happen a week before I was to go to CO, in Feb. Was lucky it happened in the yard and not on the road with a trailer. I could stop the truck with the front brakes, but had to pump the pedal. Blew between the frame rail and tank.

 

[jkalchik]

I know the feeling.

20 years ago, hauling a load of tart cherries for Dad on his 1972 Chevy C60, I had to stand on the brakes for some pinhead who pulled right out onto the highway in front of me. I didn't realize at the time that I'd ruptured a rear brake line, but found out 20 miles later when I made the turn into the processing plant. The truck has power brakes, but it's also a single circuit, so I did lose EVERYTHING.

 

[TboneMan]

I was at a company picnic last year and had a couple too many adult beverages to drive home, so my wife drove the truck (a rare occurrence).



We get home and I walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail. I see this line of fluid on the driveway, and I think, "what the heck is that".



I follow the fluid right up the truck and I take a quick look underneath. What a mess. So I ask my wife, "were the brakes working correctly?" She said, they were a little mushy. Well, at least we made it home.

 

[CCiatteo]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but with the bursted line in the rear the combination valve should have shifted over and blocked off the rear brakes and the front brakes should have still worked but with less pedal of course. I had a line to the rear brakes wear a hole in it where it crossed the frame on a 97 Merc and I still had front wheeel brakes????? I think you also have another problem with the combination valve. bg

The combo valve may have done its job. The pedal went to the floor initially and with every pump after that I had a longer pedal stroke until the brakes worked, but mush at the bottom? How could you test the combo valve without simulating a system failure?



The master never went dry, but the brake light did come on everytime you hit the brakes after the initial failure?

 

[bmoeller]

20 years ago, hauling a load of tart cherries for Dad on his 1972 Chevy C60, I had to stand on the brakes for some pinhead who pulled right out onto the highway in front of me. I didn't realize at the time that I'd ruptured a rear brake line, but found out 20 miles later when I made the turn into the processing plant. The truck has power brakes, but it's also a single circuit, so I did lose EVERYTHING.

Don't even get me started with the brakes on the old Chevy straight trucks... ... ... ... .



Almost got t-boned by a loads concrete mixer several years ago, in the C70. Lost all vac assist. Pedal was hard as a rock. Did get it stopped in time, but BARELY. The mixer had to swerve a bit to miss me. Would've got me in the drivers door.

The master never went dry, but the brake light did come on every time you hit the brakes after the initial failure?

The light was on from most likely the loss of pressure in the line. Mine did the same thing.

 

[B.G. Smith]

The combo valve may have done its job. The pedal went to the floor initially and with every pump after that I had a longer pedal stroke until the brakes worked, but mush at the bottom? How could you test the combo valve without simulating a system failure?



The master never went dry, but the brake light did come on everytime you hit the brakes after the initial failure?

The light is activated by the combination valve switching over to one side or the orher. There is a shuttle in the center of the unit which is balanced as long as both front and rear systems are not leaking, when one side loses pressure, the shuttle shifts over to that side and blocks it off and puts the light on. Evidently yours worked as the light came on. Easy way to check to see if the valve is functioning is to open a bleeder on a wheel cylinder/caliper and press the brake pedal with the ign. on. The light should come on. I would not recommend doing this unless you syspect you have a problem as it's just another way to get air into the system if your not careful. bg

 

[jkalchik]

Don't even get me started with the brakes on the old Chevy straight trucks... ... ... ... .

Actually, that's been a pretty darned good truck. Dad bought it brand new with a grainbed and cattle racks, and it's still running, better than 35 years later and gotta be close to 200k miles. 1 new clutch. The 366 has been rebuilt once.



While I don't think I could lock up the brakes with a full load on it, for sure I could put an unprepared passenger right into the windshield.

 

[mfburns]

Also check under the cab where the line follows the frame. Mine wore through from rubbing on the frame. This should be a periodic check item for everybody. Better to replace early.

 

[crasher]

I bent a new piece of line from the front block all the way to the rear axle. Dropping the tank to do that allowed me to finally get the fuel gauge working again. I thought about doing a fuel module fix but figured I only wanted to jack up the bed and drop the tank once. Since you're going to have to bleed the brakes anyway, it's a good time to replace all the flex-lines to the front, and put the Chevy 1-ton brake units in the rear drums. Good thing we have all this free time on our hands, right?
(/me runs before getting hit with a thrown hammer... )