surge brakes

[machicj]

just bought a used boat & trailer. when i checked the master cylinder, it was full of rusty, brown watery gunk. i'm not to sure as to how you bleed a system like this. thanks for any help

 

[bobder41]

Re: surge brakes

at the baking plate for the brakes at each brake is a bleeder port at the back of the brake cylinder. You fill the master cyl and i use the reciever adapter from my truck to pump it up. When it is pump up my son pushes against it and i open a port to flush and bleed the system. this is repeated until i get clean fluid out.<br />you will be wise to adjust and check your brakes. When i bought my used boat i had the same thing found i had to replace wheel cyclinder and shoes they were leaking and had no lining left on shoes<br />Bob

 

[JB]

Re: surge brakes

Trailer topic.

 

[burp]

Re: surge brakes

Buy a MityVac brake bleeder tool for around $30. It connects to the bleeder port on the backing plate/caliper of each wheel and uses vacuum to pull the brake fluid through the brake lines. Makes bleeding surge brakes a 1 man job.

 

[dingbat]

Re: surge brakes

If the master cylinder looks like that I can tell you that the rest of the system is even worst. Better plan on doing a complete brake over haul.

 

[jlinder]

Re: surge brakes

Try reading this thread http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=22;t=001413#000000 I use the 2x4 method. Picture is at the bottom of the thread.<br /><br />It takes 2 people, but you don't have to buy anything (you probably have a piece of scrap lumber around), and you get a real feel for the brakes. When I started, the 2x4 would push the coupler all the way back with ease - with a cluck.<br /><br />As I bled the brakes I could feel the resistance build until when I was done I could not puth the coupler all the way in no matter how hard I tried.

 

[Solittle]

Re: surge brakes

Best to pull the drum and inspect the cylinders, speings, shoes & stuff first. If they are shot bleeding is a waste of time. IMHO disc brakes are the way to go.

 

[jlinder]

Re: surge brakes

machicj,<br /><br />Do you havde drum or disk brakes? Did you pull the wheels and check the brakes to see what condition they are in?<br /><br />If you have problems you should get that fixed before you worry about bleeding the brakes.<br /><br />Let us know your progress

 

[dingbat]

Re: surge brakes

To bleed your brakes all you need is yourself, a 30" piece of 1/4" clear PVC tubing. a can of brake fluid and a fairly decent sized screw driver.<br /><br />Take the pvc tubing and push it on over the bleeder nipple. Now set the can of brake fliud on the ground and put the other end of the tubing in the can making sure to you loop the tubing up above the wheel cylinder before going into the can. The loop will act as a "fluid trap" so air will not get back into the cylinder once its been purged. <br /><br />Now open the bleed valve and go up to the coupler with the screw driver. Just about every coupler I’ve ever seen has hole somewhere in the outer housing where you can stick a screw driver and actuate the master cylinder. On the Tiedown unit the hole is right on top of the coupler. Actuate the coupler until you don't see anymore bubbles passing thorough the PVC tubing when you compress the actuator and then go back and tighten the bleed valve before you remove the PVC tubing and move on to the next. Do the wheel closet to the cylinder first and then progress on from there.

 

[milkyway]

Re: surge brakes

I agree that you must first ascertain that the entire brake components are working before bleeding. Bleeding is usually the very last thing that you should do. This is the area that you can't go wrong even if you do it for the first time. Since this is a used trailer, check first that all components are working. Go to the website of Champion Trailers http://www.championtrailers.com/techsup.html to get an uderstanding how the brake system works. It also explains how to bleed. Dingbat covered it all about bleeding. Don't run the gunk in the system by bleeding it. Pump it out, scoop it out, suck it up - just don't bleed it out.

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: surge brakes

And when you get the bleeder screws broken free, (not OFF!), apply some anti-seize to the bleeders. You can get little packets at the discount auto parts stores. This anti-seize does several things. Obviously it prevents the bleeders from seizing up in the future, but more importantly now it helps prevent the brake hydraulic system from sucking in air when you are bleeding the brakes. Either with the MityVac (avail from WallyWorld) or with the bottle and hose method. I liked the method illustrated in the link provided by Jack L.

 

[tommays]

Re: surge brakes

on a dico model 60 i had problems bleeding with my might vac maybe the check valve <br /><br />i had to do it he old way with a tube into a coke bottel <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[machicj]

Re: surge brakes

thanks everybody for all the great advice. i like that two by four trick. tonight i tried to get the brake drums off. is there a trick to that too? i beat on em pretty hard with a two # hammer and they wouldn't budge. i did find a sticker on the frame that states its a EAGLE made for the boat. wellcraft 192 american. its good to know that the trailer was made for the boat. i got on Eagles web page and its states that all 5 lugs wheels came with 10" x 2.25" drums. now if i can just get them off!!!. ps i got the master cylinder lookin' pretty clean inside just by suckin' out all the old crud. i used the wife's turkey baster and blasted the inside back and forth about a dozen times til it now looks clear. thanks again

 

[tommays]

Re: surge brakes

a hammer is not the tool you want to use on brake drums unless your throwing them away <br /><br />many times a layer of rust builds up on the rear of the drum were the brake shoes dont rub <br /><br />it can be hard to get the high spot on the drum to pass over the brake shoes <br /><br />if your Adjusters still work you can use a brake adj tool and close up the shoes enough to get the drum off <br /><br />if they dont work you may need to use the wheel to try and roll the drum over the shoes and pull at the same time <br /><br />tommays

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: surge brakes

Have you removed the bearing buddy and spindle nut and front bearing, trailer drums are usally a one piece hub/drum assembly not seperate like a car? If so pop out the rubber plugs at the bottom of the backing plates and see if you can loosen the adjuster, this you will need a brake adjuster tool or a very wide flat screw driver, back off adjuster and pull drum.

 

[rwidman]

Re: surge brakes

Loosen the adjustment and make sure the brakes are not engaged (coupler pushed in).

 

[jlinder]

Re: surge brakes

Once you get it off, look at the drums. Even if they are clean and smooth, you might want to get them turned if there is a lip on the edge (probably is).<br /><br />Then check the rest. Probably want to replace the shoes in any event. Even if they are not worn out they may be glazed. Compare the cost of the parts vs. the work to get this all apart.

 

[machicj]

Re: surge brakes

i'm a idiot!!!! i'm thinkin' rear (car)drum brakes. remove the wheel, tap on the drum with a hammer (a little) and pop the drum off. after further review, if i take off the Bearing Buddy, remove the cotter pin------loosen and remove the NUT---the drums will probably COME RIGHT OFF. i fill like a MORON. sorry guys, i guess i couldn't see the forest for all the trees. thanks again

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: surge brakes

Hey no need to beat yourself Your not the first to think that way, but the good news is the rest it pretty much like a car.

 

[tommays]

Re: surge brakes

you allways learn MUCH MORE when its hard to do the first time <br /> <br /><br />tommays