66GalaxieMan

Picked up a 66 Galaxie 500, has an issue with the brakes that feels...i dont know, weird.

There is about 1/2 to 3/4" total travel, from when I apply pressure, to when the brake pedal is rock solid and I cant push it down further. In that short pedal distance it engages the brakes and stops the car but it obviously isn't right and feels so odd that I have to find out what it is and fix it.

I cant figure out how else to explain it other than I touch the pedal, put pressure on it, hard or soft, and it stops the car. There is such a short amount of travel its odd...but it doesnt lock up the brakes, it just brings the car to a halt. It feels like something is broken, not working right, I dont know. Anyone here know what I am trying to explain?

ford59galaxie

do you know if new brakes were recently installed? Have they been this way since you bought it?

dianewny

you need to bleed the whole brake system, including the master cylinder, repair or replace the wheel cylinders a spongy pedal is usually air in the system

ford59galaxie

Are you sure wouldn't there be more travel and less pressure if the cylinder's had air in them?

jwko

I agree. Doesn't sound like air in the system. If you mash real hard will the pedal go on down? If so it sounds like a bad power booster.

R.S.LOGAN

Pump pedal a few times with engine off to evacuate servo and hold pedal down . Then start engine and pedal should move down if servo operating o.k .

ford59galaxie

I was thinking if u had newer brakes that the shoes might not be adjusted quite right. I think 66's had auto adjusters but maybe it aint adjusting right. Just jack up your front or rear end and spin the tires by hand and see if you can hear grinding. Im not sure on the 66's but i think there should be a little hole in the back bottom of your brake backing plate that you can stick a flat screwdriver or tool in and click the adjustor up or down to adjust shoes. Adjust until you can spin the wheels without much grinding.

ford59galaxie

Or maybe if your shoes are riveted they are worn down to the rivets and are catching on the drum??? Have you had any luck?

Jmcelhonek

Did you ever determine the problem and solution? I have the same problem right now with my 66 Galaxie. We have changed the master cylinder! Bled the brakes, booster seems to operate okay or at least there seems to be decent pressure when we test it against our hand pressure and there doesn't seem to be any leaks. Was it a wheel cylinder?

QUOTE=66GalaxieMan;1350584]Picked up a 66 Galaxie 500, has an issue with the brakes that feels...i dont know, weird.

There is about 1/2 to 3/4" total travel, from when I apply pressure, to when the brake pedal is rock solid and I cant push it down further. In that short pedal distance it engages the brakes and stops the car but it obviously isn't right and feels so odd that I have to find out what it is and fix it.

I cant figure out how else to explain it other than I touch the pedal, put pressure on it, hard or soft, and it stops the car. There is such a short amount of travel its odd...but it doesnt lock up the brakes, it just brings the car to a halt. It feels like something is broken, not working right, I dont know. Anyone here know what I am trying to explain?[/QUOTE]

CatSkinner

Had a 72 'Stang with 4 wheel drum brakes. The car would stop on a fifty cent piece, maybe. Anyway, had similar problems, and replace 2 cylinders, and the problem came back. I finally put the car on blocks, pulled all 4 tires, and dad my wife pump the brakes while I flushed out the lines until all the fluid was nice and clear. From then on, the pedal was nice and firm. It still took the car forever to stop, but that's what you can expect from the heaviest of Mustangs with 4 wheel drum brakes.