i have a 4 speed 90 honda civic dx, the hatch. recently, i've replaced most brake related things, because the previous owners decided they didn't care much about brakes. so, it's got a new. . .power booster, master cylinder, front and back brake pads, front brake hoses, back brake cylinders, front calipers and a new front axle. but, when i drive for about 10-20 minutes, the front wheels lock up so badly that the tires and the steering wheel will hardly move. i'm gonna take it to a brake specialist, but i'm so frustrated that i think i'm close to selling it. can anyone help?

 

You Calipers are floating type meaning they slide out when not in use and slide in when you press the brakes. If the slides aren't greased than your calipers won't be able to slide out. Get some high temp grease (600* kind) and put that on the sliders, see what happens.

 

Also make sure that the brake booster is adjusted properly. If it isnt you will likely have the same lockup problem you are having.

 

thanks for all the advice. i'll be sure to ask the mechanic to do both tomorrow.

 

back from the bake specialist with no luck. . .he says the problem is all in the master cylinder. and apparently these master cylinders are really hard to find. . . .so pissed.

 

Really unsure how the master cylender could cause those symptoms my friend...its just a piston...it wont exert force unless its getting pressure from somwhere...I.E. your foot.


The seizing seems to be a thermal expansion (since it takes a while to happen)....jack up your car, and try and turn the wheel (make sure its in neutral), you should have slight resistance, but it should be easy enough that you can turn the wheel without any major effort. Check that...if its hard, then a caliper is rubbing.

Remove the caliper slider bolt, remove the sliders from inside the rubber bushing grease the slider (if they slide out fairly easily, then your calipers arent seized...but if you need a hammer or allot of force to remove em do the next steps)
- Remove the sliders and grase them up with SYL-GLYDE (sylycone grease)
- Grease up the slider bolt also.
-If your calipers are actually new dont do the following, no need:
Remove the rubber bushings from the caliper (this might take a bit of convincing)....take a cotter pin and wrap it in sandpaper, put it in a drill and run it in and out of the holes where the rubber bushings used to be (corrossion builds up and can sieze your calipers).

Reassemble

With any luck that muight help.


BTW....you mentionned that your steering locks up???? Starting to sound like its not a brakes problem. Describe it more

 

i'm going to the junkyard tomorrow to find a master cylinder. wish me luck. but i jacked up the car and the steering wheel turns no problem, and obviously once the brakes lock up the wheels aren't moving at all. they don't even act like they want to move. i'll try to grease the calipers tomorrow as i don't have any mechanical like grease at all. nevermind the steering wheel locking, maybe that was my own paranoia. thanks for the advice.

 

Dont get a master cylender.

Dont take just my word for it, but I cant think of a way in hell it could cause that....unless the piston is sticking inside teh cylender....but thats really unlikely.

A bad master cylender: usually the pedal will sink to the floor slowly and you will loose brakes....feels like a fluid leak.

Check for seized calipers...btw you did clean the rotors off with brake cleaner after you assembled everything eh?

BTW: A new master cylender isnt usually that expensive...try finding a new / rebuilt one first...you never know what shape the one you'll pull from the junkyard will be in.

 

the whole reason i'm out to get another master cylinder is because the brake specialist said that 1) he'd had this problem with a honda before and 2) there are three different types of master cylinders that fit onto the hatch dx. he said i must have gotten the wrong cylinder where the piston is too long, therefore keeping the brakes engaged when they shouldn't be. i'll check for seized calipers, and i think i sprayed the rotors, i'm not sure. i've been getting new/rebuilt cylinders, but they've all been the same and don't seem to work. i'm going to the junkyard to hopefully ****** one off a car like mine, so i can be sure it fits.

 

went to the junkyard and took a master cylinder off of a 91 honda civic, lx i think. anyways, been up and down hills, racing and just driving and so far no lockups. i think i might have gotten it, i hope to god i did. thanks for your advice and help, it was much appreciated.