One suggestion: solvents work great for getting oily grunge off stuff as everyone knows, but the best stuff for getting decades of brake dust and crusty stuff from exposure to the weather off is CLR. I leave parts to soak in that for a day or more and find they come free of rust and scale with just a few swipes from a nylon brush. And best of all it'll clean your sink as you pour it down when you're done with it.
@@tahaks CLR: Calcium, Lime, Rust. 'CLR' is the commercial name for the product, sold everywhere. Where I'm at they even sell it in grocery stores. They have it in up to gallon sizes in hardware stores.
Thanks Dan! The hunt can be a challenge for sure. In my case, I found almost everything I needed at autohausAZ with the exception of the spring/clip hardware and master cylinder, which were sourced from Ian of 944online. Good luck in your search!
Sarcasm? 😂 The design intent of this particular video was to be entertaining rather than instructional, given the abundance of information already published on the 944 brake system.
So, I definitely prefer your newer videos with your step-by-step narration, but this was still absolutely awesome. When the rock music kicked in just as you panned the camera over all the new parts laid out... it was like being in a cinema and watching as the hero of the movie finally comes back from the dead to defeat the bad guys, what a rush... LOL.
Ha! Yeah, this one was definitely more entertaining than instructional. I really only made this one to show friends and family some work I was doing on the car, but I guess it’s still useful to see everything involved in a full brake system replacement.
Haha, thanks man! From a timing perspective, I decided to go entertaining rather than instructional on this one. Two things that were a pain were adjusting the parking brake shoes and disconnecting/reconnecting the brake booster on the pedal (laying upside down and backwards under the the dash). Also, I strongly recommend using the appropriate flare-nut wrench on the brake line brass fittings. Good luck!
Nice job. That's the way to do a complete brake job. Did your car have a GIRLING or ATE brake booster and master? My '88 has the GIRLING components, but they are must more expensive than the ATE components and harder to source. I believe I can replace GIRLING with ATE. What was your experience?
Yep, that’s exactly what I found. Mine was all Girling as well (except the calipers are ATE), and I wasn’t able to track down a Girling master cylinder, so I converted it all to ATE. Everything mounted up the same way, so it’s all interchangeable.
@@guyfaux5010 Funny you should mention that because I actually measured the rod length on the old booster, along with the placement of the linkage, in an attempt to avoid the agony of laying upside down and backwards under the dash with a crooked back and feet in the air while adjustments were made. 😂 Even though I duplicated it exactly on the new parts, I guess the contact point inside was slightly different and I ended up with some brake pedal play anyway that needed adjustment. I did not remove the driver’s seat to get it done, but probably would next time if I did it again, especially for the three nuts that retain the booster bracket. 😬
I’m just starting my ‘88 Lux now. Suspension and bushes. Wheels have been done, new windshield. Worst job so far... water bottle removal for washers!!! Stupid design! Awesome job sir, you obviously keep your car in great condition. Unlike the previous owner of mine!! Good luck 👍🏼
Haha, it sounds like mine was in similar condition when I got ahold of it. I have a leaky windshield seal as well, so that one is on the list. Stay at it! When I check one project off as done, two more get added. 🤣
Hey Max, the power bleeder applied to the reservoir as shown in the video is probably the easiest way, not too pricey at around $60 I believe. It pressurizes the whole system, brakes and clutch hydraulic lines. Once the pressure is up, just crack the bleeder valve on the slave and wait for all the air to clear out. The other option is to use a small hand operated fluid pump, in which case it’s best to do this in reverse by attaching a line to the clutch slave valve and pushing fluid up from below, through the lines and into the reservoir. Air naturally rises in the fluid so this helps clear it all out. Just be careful not to overfill the reservoir so the fluid doesn’t end up dumping all down the side of the engine bay… it eats the paint in a matter seconds! 😳 Using the clutch pedal to pump the fluid while someone repeatedly cracks and seals the valve below is an exercise in futility.
Just curious why/ how did you decide to replace the entire system? I just purchased an 85’ 944 and the pedal is very soft. It will stop but it’s definitely an uneasy feeling. PO said “it’s been awhile since the brakes were done”. What is the minimum I should look at replacing?
The calipers were a little locked up and pretty heavily oxidized on this one, along with the rotors, so those had to go and pads just make sense while you’re there. The rubber soft lines weren’t split, but they were really firm, so I added those in to hedge against failure. The master cylinder wasn’t actively leaking, but there was some evidence of seeping with the paint stripped from the lower break booster. I could have saved $200 by using the old reservoir, but at that point with everything else already on the list, I added it for appearance purposes. The booster also seemed to be functioning fine, it was just one of those deals with everything being so old, you never know when it will fail. The minimum I would consider for your car would be whatever it takes to eliminate any leaks and get the system to safe operating condition. With everything well sorted, the 944 brake pedal feel should be quite firm, noticeably more so than most modern cars, so spongy is a sign of concern. The cause could be something simple like air in the lines, resolved with a fluid flush and bleeding. It’s also a good idea to check for leaks at the soft lines and leaks at the calipers themselves. If all that checks out, it’s likely a worn master cylinder.
@@miracleman2909 Haha! Anytime man, happy to help. I do find brake work a little boring - not too difficult and rather messy, it helps if the end result looks good. I put it off as long as I could actually, but the ability to stop is kind of critical to repeat driving adventures. 🤣 Best of luck as you dive in! 👍
@@NC944er stopping is good! LOL Do you have any power steering videos upcoming. I’m about to tackle a pretty good leak. First is to clean it up and find where it’s coming from. I think I’m going to replace the 3 main line culprits just for good measure.
@@miracleman2909 I’ve already rebuilt the pump and replaced some components on the steering system, but I could maybe do an overview of some kind. The lines have a tendency to seep fluid even when they are in good condition. All the pumps develop leaks eventually, but the Rennbay seal kits take care of that. You’re on the right track with cleaning everything up to trace down leak sources. 👍🏼
When you did the parking brake, did you replace the hardware and if so where did you find it? For whatever reason all of the parking brake system except for the cable is missing on my car and I just can't seem to find any of the hardware for the parking brake.
Wow, that's not good! 😂 It's always interesting the random things missing from these cars. I just replaced the shoes on mine and kept the original expanders, but most of that stuff is available as new, my go to would be the parts catalog and then start searching for part numbers based upon the picture for that hardware. Here's a couple links below, but you would need the 4 springs and the bolt/lock for the lower expander as well. Might be easier to just give a call to Pelican Parts or 944Store.com and they could likely put an order together for you... www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/298609723.htm?pn=298-609-723-OEM www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/95135209000.htm?pn=951-352-090-00-OEM
The Music alone made it worthwhile to watch... Good Job
Ha! Thanks… that was the best I could find on the app I used for this one. Sometimes the tunes are hit and miss…
One suggestion: solvents work great for getting oily grunge off stuff as everyone knows, but the best stuff for getting decades of brake dust and crusty stuff from exposure to the weather off is CLR. I leave parts to soak in that for a day or more and find they come free of rust and scale with just a few swipes from a nylon brush. And best of all it'll clean your sink as you pour it down when you're done with it.
What’s clr?
@@tahaks CLR: Calcium, Lime, Rust. 'CLR' is the commercial name for the product, sold everywhere. Where I'm at they even sell it in grocery stores. They have it in up to gallon sizes in hardware stores.
Nice work. In the process of doing the same on my 88 944S. Finding parts has been a challenge.
Thanks Dan! The hunt can be a challenge for sure. In my case, I found almost everything I needed at autohausAZ with the exception of the spring/clip hardware and master cylinder, which were sourced from Ian of 944online. Good luck in your search!
Thank you for time lapsing the assembly. It was impossible to see how it comes together
Sarcasm? 😂 The design intent of this particular video was to be entertaining rather than instructional, given the abundance of information already published on the 944 brake system.
So, I definitely prefer your newer videos with your step-by-step narration, but this was still absolutely awesome. When the rock music kicked in just as you panned the camera over all the new parts laid out... it was like being in a cinema and watching as the hero of the movie finally comes back from the dead to defeat the bad guys, what a rush... LOL.
Ha! Yeah, this one was definitely more entertaining than instructional. I really only made this one to show friends and family some work I was doing on the car, but I guess it’s still useful to see everything involved in a full brake system replacement.
Freaking beautiful car, looks almost perfect
Thanks! That’s what happens when you spend more hours under the hood than behind the wheel. 🤣
That was awesome! I want to do All Of That to my 87 n/a. Wish you did voice over and explain it all as you went.
Haha, thanks man! From a timing perspective, I decided to go entertaining rather than instructional on this one. Two things that were a pain were adjusting the parking brake shoes and disconnecting/reconnecting the brake booster on the pedal (laying upside down and backwards under the the dash). Also, I strongly recommend using the appropriate flare-nut wrench on the brake line brass fittings. Good luck!
@@NC944er I have my entire car stripped down with no interior, no engine and the brake booster was STILL a pain to remove...
Beautiful video
Nice , never seen a bike pump used to pop pistons before.
Me neither! 😂 It allowed a lot more control over using an air compressor with less pressure so the pistons didn’t get damaged at all.
Nice job. That's the way to do a complete brake job. Did your car have a GIRLING or ATE brake booster and master? My '88 has the GIRLING components, but they are must more expensive than the ATE components and harder to source. I believe I can replace GIRLING with ATE. What was your experience?
Yep, that’s exactly what I found. Mine was all Girling as well (except the calipers are ATE), and I wasn’t able to track down a Girling master cylinder, so I converted it all to ATE. Everything mounted up the same way, so it’s all interchangeable.
@@NC944er Fantastic! Did you have to make any adjustments to the pushrod length? On the brake pedal side. Keep up the good work!
@@guyfaux5010 Funny you should mention that because I actually measured the rod length on the old booster, along with the placement of the linkage, in an attempt to avoid the agony of laying upside down and backwards under the dash with a crooked back and feet in the air while adjustments were made. 😂 Even though I duplicated it exactly on the new parts, I guess the contact point inside was slightly different and I ended up with some brake pedal play anyway that needed adjustment. I did not remove the driver’s seat to get it done, but probably would next time if I did it again, especially for the three nuts that retain the booster bracket. 😬
Beautiful!
I’m just starting my ‘88 Lux now.
Suspension and bushes.
Wheels have been done, new windshield.
Worst job so far... water bottle removal for washers!!!
Stupid design!
Awesome job sir, you obviously keep your car in great condition.
Unlike the previous owner of mine!!
Good luck 👍🏼
Haha, it sounds like mine was in similar condition when I got ahold of it.
I have a leaky windshield seal as well, so that one is on the list.
Stay at it! When I check one project off as done, two more get added. 🤣
Any tips for bleeding the clutch line? I just replaced the slave cylinder on mine and I am having trouble getting the air out of the line.
Hey Max, the power bleeder applied to the reservoir as shown in the video is probably the easiest way, not too pricey at around $60 I believe. It pressurizes the whole system, brakes and clutch hydraulic lines. Once the pressure is up, just crack the bleeder valve on the slave and wait for all the air to clear out. The other option is to use a small hand operated fluid pump, in which case it’s best to do this in reverse by attaching a line to the clutch slave valve and pushing fluid up from below, through the lines and into the reservoir. Air naturally rises in the fluid so this helps clear it all out. Just be careful not to overfill the reservoir so the fluid doesn’t end up dumping all down the side of the engine bay… it eats the paint in a matter seconds! 😳 Using the clutch pedal to pump the fluid while someone repeatedly cracks and seals the valve below is an exercise in futility.
@@NC944er Worked like a charm! Thanks again.
what a talent.
Just curious why/ how did you decide to replace the entire system?
I just purchased an 85’ 944 and the pedal is very soft. It will stop but it’s definitely an uneasy feeling. PO said “it’s been awhile since the brakes were done”. What is the minimum I should look at replacing?
The calipers were a little locked up and pretty heavily oxidized on this one, along with the rotors, so those had to go and pads just make sense while you’re there. The rubber soft lines weren’t split, but they were really firm, so I added those in to hedge against failure. The master cylinder wasn’t actively leaking, but there was some evidence of seeping with the paint stripped from the lower break booster. I could have saved $200 by using the old reservoir, but at that point with everything else already on the list, I added it for appearance purposes. The booster also seemed to be functioning fine, it was just one of those deals with everything being so old, you never know when it will fail.
The minimum I would consider for your car would be whatever it takes to eliminate any leaks and get the system to safe operating condition. With everything well sorted, the 944 brake pedal feel should be quite firm, noticeably more so than most modern cars, so spongy is a sign of concern. The cause could be something simple like air in the lines, resolved with a fluid flush and bleeding. It’s also a good idea to check for leaks at the soft lines and leaks at the calipers themselves. If all that checks out, it’s likely a worn master cylinder.
@@NC944er I really appreciate the time you took in your response. I need you close to me in Houston to be my coach! LOL
@@miracleman2909 Haha! Anytime man, happy to help. I do find brake work a little boring - not too difficult and rather messy, it helps if the end result looks good. I put it off as long as I could actually, but the ability to stop is kind of critical to repeat driving adventures. 🤣 Best of luck as you dive in! 👍
@@NC944er stopping is good! LOL Do you have any power steering videos upcoming. I’m about to tackle a pretty good leak. First is to clean it up and find where it’s coming from. I think I’m going to replace the 3 main line culprits just for good measure.
@@miracleman2909 I’ve already rebuilt the pump and replaced some components on the steering system, but I could maybe do an overview of some kind. The lines have a tendency to seep fluid even when they are in good condition. All the pumps develop leaks eventually, but the Rennbay seal kits take care of that. You’re on the right track with cleaning everything up to trace down leak sources. 👍🏼
When you did the parking brake, did you replace the hardware and if so where did you find it? For whatever reason all of the parking brake system except for the cable is missing on my car and I just can't seem to find any of the hardware for the parking brake.
Wow, that's not good! 😂 It's always interesting the random things missing from these cars.
I just replaced the shoes on mine and kept the original expanders, but most of that stuff is available as new, my go to would be the parts catalog and then start searching for part numbers based upon the picture for that hardware.
Here's a couple links below, but you would need the 4 springs and the bolt/lock for the lower expander as well. Might be easier to just give a call to Pelican Parts or 944Store.com and they could likely put an order together for you...
www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/298609723.htm?pn=298-609-723-OEM
www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/95135209000.htm?pn=951-352-090-00-OEM
@@NC944er Thanks! Good point. Calling one of them probably is my best bet for the others, but at least I can get the expander and adjustment screw.
Very nice!!