Brake not releasing on 78 NYB...

[Fast Eddie B]

...does anyone know if I can reach up and re attach vacuum line or am I pulling the dash?

Your answer determines how I spend my Sunday!

Thanks in advance to anyone who might know the answer.

 

[commando1]

You can reach up and reattach the vacuum line.
Shame on you, Eddie. Stick your head up under there...

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Thanks for the tip. It means I can put the wagon on hold to fix that line. Otherwise I would be tearing the gauge cluster apart on my wagon.

 

[1978 NYB]

On New Yorker's with automatic parking brake release....

Look up just to the right of the parking brake pedal and there is a manual release lever just forward and to the right of the parking brake pedal. That will let you release the parking brake until you get the vacuum lines sorted out.

 

[78Brougham]

Looks like a 1 inch wide metal tongue depressor. And you should get it sorted out, because the car will run like crap with that major vacuum leak.

 

[1978 NYB]

You can reach up and reattach the vacuum line.
Shame on you, Eddie. Stick your head up under there...

Thanks for the tip. It means I can put the wagon on hold to fix that line. Otherwise I would be tearing the gauge cluster apart on my wagon.

Depends on what end of the vacuum line is disconnected. If it is disconnected at the parking brake you should be able to put it back on in a minute. The other end goes through the firewall IIRC and connects to the power brake booster.

 

[1978 NYB]

Thanks for the tip. It means I can put the wagon on hold to fix that line. Otherwise I would be tearing the gauge cluster apart on my wagon.

Wait a minute....wagon? Are you talking about another car? No C-Body wagon built in 1978.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Wait a minute....wagon? Are you talking about another car? No C-Body wagon built in 1978.

I'm building a wagon. Need to take a brake (pun intended) and fix the NYB.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

On New Yorker's with automatic parking brake release....

Look up just to the right of the parking brake pedal and there is a manual release lever just forward and to the right of the parking brake pedal. That will let you release the parking brake until you get the vacuum lines sorted out.

I found the manual release. Thanks. Got the brake released for now, but there is no way to get any kind of hand up there behind that vacuum servo to connect anything. That is tight!

As far as the car running poor, it does run fine. So it may not be a vacuum line but something else preventing proper operation.

Problem now is the brake light is still on. The switch is depressed on the parking brake pedal so I know that circuit is closed. Is there a sender or other reason for the brake light to stay on? I didn't see any sensors on or around the master cylinder.

 

[1978 NYB]

Have you popped the master cylinder cap and made sure it has brake fluid?

 

[Fast Eddie B]

About as much as I remember seeing when I checked it a few months ago. I found the sender on the pressure regulator. I've grounded the car until I can get it on the lift and check all the brakes. The brake light would only come on if one of the two circuits was low on pressure indicating a leak.

 

[commando1]

Is there a sender or other reason for the brake light to stay on? I

The brake light switch is near the top of the brake pedal and that is impossible to reach. Good luck with that one...

 

[Polara_500]

All depends if you're talking the brake light in the instrument cluster, (warning light), or the lights across the back of the car. Two different switches for two different uses.......

 

[Fast Eddie B]

All depends if you're talking the brake light in the instrument cluster, (warning light), or the lights across the back of the car. Two different switches for two different uses.......

Instrument 'Brake' light. It is fed by the e-brake or the at least the splitting valve. I have found the sender on the valve. Just below the master and kinda buried. I will start there looking for a leak out to the wheels

 

[Polara_500]

I think there's a way to 'reset' the switch on the proportioning valve but don't have a manual handy, try that first and see if it lights again.

 

[78Brougham]

Is there a sender or other reason for the brake light to stay on? I didn't see any sensors on or around the master cylinder.

There are only two reasons for the dashboard brake light to be on. 1) low fluid / loss of fluid pressure. And 2) the parking brake is on, or the switch thinks it's on. If the pedal feels good and the wire is connected to the pressure switch, then you can eliminate that. There is also a switch on the parking brake mechanism that could be out of adjustment. Start with the easy stuff before getting into brake provisioning valve issues. From my experience they rarely go bad. Just make sure all the wires are hooked up and have clean contacts before condemning one thing or another. It doesn't take much to knock a wire out of place on a 40 year old car.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Got the wheels off. Front passenger caliper was almost seized on the disk and hoses to both front brakes were damp from seepage. Replaced the brakes. Light is out. Car handles and stops like a dream. Love these cars.

 

[1978 NYB]

Did you get the P. Brake vacuum hose back on?

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Thanks for reminding me. I went looking for the vacuum line and in the meantime found the manual release. Released the brake, it didn't fix my problem, I went after the rest of the brakes to get the light to go out.

Haven't tried the manual brake since. Never use them anyway (always assume they will seize up). I couldn't get anywhere near the vacuum hose or actuator so I figured I would have to pull the dash apart. Leaving that for another day.

But will check the auto brake since you reminded me. I can always manually release it now.

 

[commando1]

As much of a bastard it is accessing those hoses, you shouldn't need to pull the dash.