[Schoust]

I am having a problem with my brakes and cant seem to repair it.The car is an 86 Transam with four wheel disks,I have tried every thing,checked the master has good line pressure,blead all four calipers,also checked to make sure pistons moving properly,checked the booster and check valve also check out ok.What am I missing,very hard petal,can not get to lock up.Help!!!!

[Schoust]

I am having a problem with my brakes and cant seem to repair it.The car is an 86 Transam with four wheel disks,I have tried every thing,checked the master has good line pressure,blead all four calipers,also checked to make sure pistons moving properly,checked the booster and check valve also check out ok.What am I missing,very hard petal,can not get to lock up.Help!!!!

[Bill Eveland]

How did you check the booster? With the car off put your foot on the pedel and when you start the car the pedel should drop.

[meanolegoat]

the pedal is firm, but it wont stop....acts like a booster?????? check out the rear calipers, they adjust off of the e-brake.
Once upon a time there was a recall on these cars for the e-brake ratchet/pistons sticking.
Take a look at the finish on the rear rotors, if they look funky I'd bet the calipers are out of adj. If so pull the wheels and pry outward on the piston lip at the outer edge of the boot seal while jacking the parking brake adj. up and down with a pair of vise grips...Its' worth a shot.....if that doesn't work give Travis a shout out... he's turning wrenches while I'm retired
"Mean"

[Schoust]

I thought it was the booster to,picked up a known good booster from the bone yard installed it(what a bitch)the same thing pedal is very hard.I adjusted the rear brakes,have good line pressure front and back.I have never been stumped on brakes this is unbelievable,they wont lock up at all,I figured if the backs were the problem the fronts would lock but they dont.Could there be a problem with the proportioning valve?I removed the master and blew out the return ports also????????I dont want to have to resort to the dealer.PLEASE HELP........

[Bill Eveland]

Did you have the car off the ground and have someone push on the brakes to see if all 4 wheels would stop? Just because you have line pressure , you might have a caliper not working properly, you didn't say it pulled , so maybe one of the back calipers?

[Schoust]

I have not tried that yet but I assumed the calipers were ok because I took the fronts apart cleaned them up and put them back together,and I adjusted the backs.The backs could be messed up I suppose but why wouldnt the front brakes lock if that were the case???????????

[Bill Eveland]

Does it have abs?there should be some wiring going to sensors at each wheel or a sensor in the middle of the rear diff.

[Schoust]

No it does not.

[meanolegoat]

Try jacking up the back, I know it sounds crazy,
but it bit my ass bad once upon a time. Check the rear calipers..........
"mean"

[meanolegoat]

schoust, Here's another thought....take it to a pontiac dealer...tell him theres a recall re: the rear brakes. The service advsior will act like you have just grown 14 heads!!!! A safety
campaign is for life. (If I could only work out a steering wheel for my 68 gto)...They will run your vin # on gm dealerworld, and realize its not there. Have some fun, insist it to be performed, hell even call pontiac cust assistance if you have to...We replaced the calipers, caliper pistons, some if not all of the emergency brake cables, e-brake ratchets etc... under this campaign on the firebirds and fiero's. The beauty of it is, wont cost u a thing, and eliminates the back 1/2 of the car.
And if you wanted to be a real ass, when you get it back and its not fixed blame it on the dealer (hah!!!!) BTW I never wrote this and no-one ever read it.......
"mean"

[Schoust]

You know I think thats a good idea,as much as hate those sobs at the dealer I am going to check it out.Do you think if I call the dealer and tell them the situation with the saftey issue they would take care of it?You wouldnt happen to have the number for Pontiac customer assistance would you?????

[Bill Eveland]

I happen to be a dealership technician,its bad enough we have enough asses walk through the door ,its another thing to promote it.

[Schoust]

Hey Bill not for nothing I am just trying to figure out whats wrong,the last thing that I want to do is go to a dealer.I never had much use for them anyhow.............

[Bill Eveland]

Thats why when the other guys can't figure them out they end up at the dealership anyway.

[Bill Eveland]

I can understand your not wanting to take it to the dealer, if it was me and I didn't know how to fix it ,I wouldn't want to go to the dealer either .
All I was trying to do was help,Thats why this forum exists .But if you want to refer as all dealership people as sob's without considering any person at their job that works at a dealership anywhere ,thats where I have a problem.

[Schoust]

Bill I think your taking my coment out of context.I never ment to say that all dealer people were sobs,maybe I schould have been more specific about the resons why I am a little bitter towards them.Oh well so much for the brake questions.....