Having a issue with the brakes going soft after they're held for a little while within a stoping distance. If I let off and reapply they are firm again only to go soft again?
And as a side note I have a friend with a 99 or 00 integra that I can get his front brakes off of, anyone know if they could be fitted to my 89 EF? And is it a good upgrade?

 

Sounds like your MC is going bad, but it could also be another leak in the system.
It is common for the rear brake cylinders to go bad so you need to do a little troubleshooting to figure out what is going on.

"... engine in the off position. Apply the pedal several times to eliminate residual power brake booster assist. Apply hard pressure to the pedal and hold. The pedal should hold and not drop. If the pedal drops in this position, there is a leak somewhere else in the system.
Without releasing the pedal completely, release the pressure until light pedal pressure is applied. The pressure should be about the same as what you would apply when holding at a stop light. If the pedal drops now, the master cylinder is bypassing pressure internally and should be replaced.

http://Read more: Brake Master Cylin...#ixzz1MFdxdmMg"

 

I agree with 4drEF, brake master cylinder. If there was air in the system....you would have a soft pedal all the time

 

rears will bolt up, you'll need a 40/40 prop valve to make them work properly, the fronts will cause bad alignment issues.

as far as your brakes going soft issue, check all four corners for leaks, my brakes did this and i found that my drivers rear caliper was leaking. make sure the master cylinder isn't leaking either

 

Ok so I did the trouble shooting, and in both cases the peddle didn't go soft, it seems to only do it with the car running.. I did notice though that the brake fluid is a dark brown? Dirty?...not sure if thats contributing to anything.by the way thanx everyone for the help!!!

 

Well, for sure your fluid is bad.
It comes out of the bottle the same color as cooking oil.

A flush would certainly be a good idea, BUT I think you still have to be checking for a leak.
If you go ahead with the flush, look around your calipers and brake cylinder for any damp spots that would suggest a fluid leak.

Is the current issue with the peddle going soft only happening once in a while? It might be intermittent and may eventually get worse. Try testing (if possible) when you have the issue.

 

Had this same prob in my EF. I can tell you for sure its the master. At a stop i would have to pump the brake pedal after i had come to a complete stop due to it still wanting to roll. You might want to look into seeing if you can use an 1990 EX master. I know its bigger then the other masters that came in ef's, but i can not tell you if it will bolt straight up and work.

 

Mine was doing it in hot weather. I replaced it with one from a 92-95 civic, no problems.

 

thank everyone!!! ill start looking for a bit newer master. and get that nasty fluid swapped out!! any difference in fluids? autozone, motul? and will def look for any leaks when doing all of this!!!

 

DOT 3 or 4 fluid.
4 is a bit better and still compatible with any residual DOT 3 you may have in the system after bleeding.

Just get a new one from Autozone - $50, but actually $30 after you give them your old one for a $20 core rebate.
No need for the EX MC unless you upgraded your brakes to require the same volume of fluid that the EX uses. Actually gives less control over your brakes if you put a larger MC on (I don't feel like going into detail about all this... again).

 

general ruel of thumb
going soft or sinking: master cylinder
getting hard to press and stop car: brake booster