brakes are spongee...and will fade with pressure..havent looked at wheel cyls. but figure its master....any insite before i pop fer a master??

Losing fluid?

Did this happen one day all the sudden or has it been progressing over time?

just got car ...so not sure..have felt funny the two times ive drivin it... topped fluid when got it...doesnt seem to be low...gonna look at wheel cyls. n lines...master seems dry...whats a good replacement...that not 200 bucks?

Start with bleeding the system. If all the lines are dry indicating no leaks than it's possible you just have air in the brake lines. If that is not the case than your master cylinder *may* be bad but I'd try bleeding the system first it will only cost you a little time and a couple pints of brake fluid.

I wonder if the car had brakes done recently. Before I start replacing parts I'd replace the fluid and bleed everything good. Check to see if everything looks like its new/worn/missing ;)

Many times people dont properly bed in new brake pads. Not saying thats your problem, but this can cause spongy brakes that just dont seem to grab well. FWIW, do 2 or 3 good panic stops from 45mph to get some heat in the brakes. Find an open deserted parking lot or road. Get the car going pretty fast in reverse and do a couple/three stops in quick succesion also. This beds the pads in against the crosshatch and I've seen this make dramatic changes for the better.

you are dealing with 4-wheel disc brakes.

This is a different world... You don't have wheel cylinders, just calipers!

I am betting you have a bad caliper or a worn rubber line. Check for leaks on the caliper seals.

Another problem, tho more subtle, is a worn set of pads. If the pads are very thin, the pistons are pulled far away from the caliper, causing loss of pressure.

I would start with the basics, check the brakes, wheel by wheel. Check the pads for wear (the backing plate is about 4mm thick), the pads should be no LESS than 4mm thick, after that the studs on the backing plate can start digging into the rotor.

If you need pads, I suggest Hawk. For rotors, NAPA, but not the cheapo Chinese made ones, the more "expensive" Canadian made ones are nice. I have them on my 92, great pieces!

If you find that the lines are bad, get Goodridge, Russel or Earls. All are good.

thanks guys...looks like i got some diggin to do...i keep ya posted...the shoes sound possible...aired be to easy n cheap..unless i break a bleeder...hopefully git a look at her tomorow

bleeders are easy on discs... just get a 10mm socket and crack it open.

to bleed, start with the right rear brake caliper and move left rear then right front and finally left front.

I recommend Valvoline Synpower.

oh, and discs use pads, not shoes. Shoes are on drum brakes... and only your parking brake is drum... cute little fellow, really. It's inside the rear rotor... 2 little shoes, cable activated via the parking brake handle.

thanks bog..i meant pads..hey i dont spell n aways say wrong names..but beleive it or not i am ok fixin stuff...but most my time is on ol harleys n thems way different then a c4...man she was a ruff ride too..but was great..thanks again ..ill look at shoes n if ok i bleed n pray...the brakes that is..i dont care for bleedin much anymore

You might want to get some speed bleeders - everybody says they make the job much easier. I just got some, but won't get to try them for a couple months.

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I've had a few issues with customers wanting speed bleeders. I've had a few that leak. I refuse to use them.

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Interesting! I haven't installed them yet (car's still in storage), but will definitely keep an eye on 'em.

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Perfect caption for your avatar

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Did these happen to be the type with factory installed thread sealer?

I've found the stuff to harden in the package, which either prevents the bleeder from tightening all the way, or causes the sealer to flake off and get stuck on the sealing surfaces.

Those were Russell speedbleeders. I ended up running them through a thread die and then putting some new sealer on. The sealer is only needed during the bleeding process.

ok been thru this ol girl and brakes are new up front ...and good shape in back...everything dry ...so bled all wheels too...ony thing out of relm is i have the 16x8.5 n 16x 9.5s (84 remember) anyways they are on wrong ends ...the 9.5 s are up front and left on right etc...someone did a nice rotation job...(could this cause the shimmy she has too?) well back ta brakes ...ordered master n hopefully put in tomorow...they stop once real sweet but then fade...n that ain right...n all else looked good...so nuther update on that when i git er done...the vet from hell owner pappy...naw she just needs a tender touch ...(has a shimmy though seems to come n go) i worry bout that next ...need ta stop her 1st

yet another question...how do i remove replace the plastic resivours on the master??? is there a c-clip er they just pop off any tips be preciated

What does the brake fluid look like? When I first got mine it looked like Guiness and had tiny metal flecks in it.

Rex Ruby and I bled the brakes - it took forever to get the fluid to a normal color. When I drove it home that night the spongy feel was all gone - a huge change.

fluid was dark...but otherwise looked good...put in new master taday n alls well...so preciate the help...now i know i have good pads n lines n master n she stops real sweet...another dumb question comes to mind now though...when goin to put it in garage..i hit key n (dont know why )but let off key before she fired (real short burst on starter)...and then she just spun ...no fire ...i squirted lil fuel in tbs n no fire...got kids to help push her in garage n tried start 1st n fired right up(maybe 10 later)...think she flooded that easy??? i sure hope so