Disk brakes not releasing

[popo4fun]

I search on here for my problem but wasnt able to find help so I will ask here. I have a 2004 trailer with the Tiedown break system. I was working on the brakes and still cannnot get them to work right. HEre is the problem. I can get the brake calipers to activate however when pressure should be released the brakes will not. I have to bleed the line ( either at the calipers or the master cylinder both works) to get the brakes to release. I have good fluid levels and the clalipers do realease one pressur eis gone so they work peoperly as well. I am thinking it might be the "check valve"??? My question is can this be fixed without having to buy the whole accuator thing by tie down. Can this check valve be purchased separately? YOu guy seem really well versed in boat knowledge so do you even think i am on the right path??

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

Do you have the cut off solenoid or the backup solenoid with the return tube to the master?
Also check how the solenoid is wired. If you've had this problem just start and haven't changed your tow vehicle set up, then it could be a bad solenoid or a clogged master cylinder.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

If the master cylinder is for a drum type, you can removethe residual valve.

http://www.championtrailers.com/remove_residual_valve.htm

What is the history of the brake sytem on this? Did it come new with this brake system or installed later?

 

[popo4fun]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

I bought the boat early this spring and the brakes were not working. It had harly any fluid so i started there. THat didnt fix the problem so i went to the calipers and didnt not have any fliud or pressure there. So i pumped and released a few times and had good fluid flow there. NOw until then the brake calipers were loose and i could shake them with my hand but after the pressure made it back there the calipers would not release. The only way to get it to release was to either bleed the calipers or release it from the master
cylinder. This is why I believe the problem is the backflow pressure isn't being allowed to return to the master cylinder. The backup silenoid is there with a blue wire running to it, and correct me if I'm wrong, but that should not stop the brakes from releasing. I'm not backing up, they just don't release period, until pressure is manually released. Hope this helps and thanks for trying.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

So this brake system has never worked since you've owned it. OK basics.
1. Calipers do not retract on their own. They always drag slightly on the disc.
2. Where did the brake fluid go??? This one really bothers me, I'm suspecting a leak at the master. If the master has leaked, it's probably got rust in it and pits. And usually everywhere else, lines calipers, etc. Junk. Do yourself a favor and start over! Or try this first. Get a new master for disc brakes with a hole in it for the reverse solenoid. When I ordered mine form Champion for a D60 they assured me it would have this. Nope. Drilled the top of the cylinder and installed my own.
3. The solenoid is normally open when unpowered. You should be able to bleed through it with no problems. Go to Napa and pick up a female barrel connector and install it in place of the solenoid and bleed the brakes again to check for flow. Toss the solenoid and order a proper reverse type with the back flow to the master after you've confirmed that you old one is stuck.
4. Review thoroughly our past beating to death of reverse solenoid wiring.
Let us know how it goes!

 

[popo4fun]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

Thats just it...in reference to question #2 the fluid doesnt go anywhere. NO leak that i can find. It just stays pressurized until I manually release it from either the master or the claipers. There has to be some kind of a valve that ruglates when pressure is got into the line and when it should allow the fluid to reverse back into the master. Once again the trailer is not even hooked up ...we are working on it in the yard, so i dont think the reverse selenoid comes into play. Its just not releasing. I am not sure if i am doing a good job describing this. Imagin your driving down road pulling the boat, and you ocme to a red light. You apply brakes which inturn activates the surge disc brakes. The light turns green and you pull off but the brakes never release. That in a nut shell is my problem.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

There are only two potential valves- a plastic disc inside of the master cylinder located on the tip of the plunger assy that needs a 1/16" hole in it if it doesn't have one for disc brakes. Or, the surge solenoid isn't retracting because (1) it isn't hooked up to the backup lights (NOT THE BLUE TRAILER CONTROLLER) correctly or it's corroded to the point it can't retract fully. Pull that thing out of there and put the straight female coupler in and see if it's any better going forward. It won't want to back up without a solenoid however, so be aware of this. If none of this works, you are in the same place I was this Spring. You have too much corrosion in your brake system and the only solution is to bite the bullet and rip it out front to back. I've heard too many similar stories about Tie Down disc brake systems doing exactly this or just falling apart that I can't help but believe you've got too much junk in the system. Brake fluid doesn't just disappear, but it is dissipated by water by design. The next result is when it can no longer absorb all of the water vapor, it blackens, fails and rust forms. Once that happens, the system is DONE. Kodiaks with a new master, lines, reverse solenoid, misc. hardware just set me back 650.00 from Champion.
Good luck brother!

 

[popo4fun]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

THanks dockwrecker....I appreciate your help. I am going to break everything down if it will ever quit raining...lol. I will let you know what i figure out. I can see inside of part of the master cylinder where i fill the brake fluid up at and it is still nice new and shiny, no rust. However the color of the fluid coming out from the other end with the claipers is a different story. I def have some rust somewhere. I really dont want to fork out 650 but I know that i will have to have brakes my boat is way too heavy. I have a 1993 rinker 260vee that weights over 6,000 pounds so stopping is kinda imporant....lol.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Disk brakes not releasing

I appreciate your pain, it's no fun to deal with this. Unless you've got a Kenworth towing it, brakes are a big deal. Unfortunately there's a lot of crap brakes out there and it's especially no fun to have to do it twice. I know I don't have time to do that, that's why I dropped the total replacement bomb about the system. You think it works until it doesn't, then it's too late. And I'm very aware of how something like this cuts into the boating budget, but, you've got some hard looking to do at your brakes. You've got a biggin' back there, hope our advice helps.