Hi all,
I wanted to pass along what many might already know, but for those who
don't:
I had used my M35A2 during pre and post-AirVenture 2001 volunteering for the
Merchandise department. During the convention the truck was used by Warbirds
of America,
I was quite proud to see it used ( there is a small video at
http://hal3000.cx/~chris/show.rm it is only 78k ). Using the truck during
the post-convention tear-down I noticed the brakes seemed weak and the pedal
travel was considerably further than before, however, this seemed to improve
as the truck was used. I noted the brake problem and went on with daily
life, trying to catch up on yardwork etc. A couple weeks ago I decided to
use the vehicle to get rid of some brush, After jumping in and warming it up
checking pressures etc, I backed down the driveway...a little fast maybe,
and as I saw a car coming up the street I applied the brakes, the pedal went
right to the floor with a slap and needless to say I didn't slow down.
Luckily I was able to jam her into first gear and dump the clutch to avoid
an accident. The problem was a slight leak of brake fluid , and I never
stopped to think that it had but a single chamber in the master cylinder.It
was bone dry.
Now I am familiar with older vehicles and have enough of them but for some
stupid reason I never thought about it, and basically forgot about the whole
brake thing. Next time if I am not going to fix something at that time I
will leave a note on the dash.
Lucky this didn't happen during the airshow when someone else was driving,
or that I didn't hit that car. I guess it's fix it now or placard it ...and
don't forget there is only one chamber for brake fluid. (is there a dual
chamber replacement for the master cylinder?)
Anyhow hope this helps someone sometime.
Orintz
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Dec 07 2001 - 00:36:28 PST