Dart with no rear brakes?

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agepag

agepag

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So I’m bringing my fathers 69 dart swinger to my house for the winter (purchased a hoist for winter storage) and when I went to start the car and pushed the brakes the pedal went to the floor. Cars been sitting for a couple of years, there nothing on the garage floor, I opened the master cylinder and there’s fluid in the front reservoir, but nothing in the rear? Any suggestions? I’m going to fill the rear when I go there on Sunday, but this is a first for me.

IMG_8170.jpeg
 
The rear reservoir feeds the front brakes.
Just so you know.
Put fluid in it and start pumping the brakes- see if you can track down the leak. Once located and repaired, fully bleed the system.
 
Drum or disk brakes? With drum brakes you can lose a fair amount of fluid into the drum, absorbed into brake dust, etc., before you see a puddle.

If there's no fluid on the ground and no fluid inside one or both drums, then the missing fluid was either pumped into the other chamber of the master cylinder, or out the back of the master cylinder and into the firewall insulation and carpet – In either case, it means that you need a new master cylinder, which is my first guess at your problem.

They're not expensive. A crappy one from the 'Zone won't last forever, but it will (probably) get the car over to your house.

– Eric
 
MDchanic said:
Drum or disk brakes? With drum brakes you can lose a fair amount of fluid into the drum, absorbed into brake dust, etc., before you see a puddle.

If there's no fluid on the ground and no fluid inside one or both drums, then the missing fluid was either pumped into the other chamber of the master cylinder, or out the back of the master cylinder and into the firewall insulation and carpet – In either case, it means that you need a new master cylinder, which is my first guess at your problem.

They're not expensive. A crappy one from the 'Zone won't last forever, but it will (probably) get the car over to your house.

– Eric
Click to expand...
I will check when I get th car home and in the hoist, these are original drum brakes. I might just get the car towed to my house, then tackle the brakes in the spring
 
agepag said:
... these are original drum brakes.
Click to expand...
Then it's very likely you'll need all four wheel cylinders, in addition to the master, and you'll need all three hoses, too, and possibly both rear emergency brake cables.

When I did my 100% original, running, driving car, I didn't immediately change the wheel cylinders (they weren't leaking) or the cables (the emergency brake held the car), and I ended up taking things back apart to change both.
You should be able to get everything in one batch at a good price from RockAuto.
I'd get complete spring and adjuster kits, too (they're cheap!), and shoes if you need them.
You can get the "second version" adjusters, used in many things, including '90s medium pickups, if you don't mind some fiddling to get them to work. They're supposed to be better, but I haven't used them enough to say whether they are.

– Eric
 
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