So my brakes stopped working today. Seems one of my rear drum slave cylinders has sprung a leak. What I don't get is, I was driving along and went to stop and the pedal went to the floor. Pumping it helped so I was able to stop and saw the fluid leaking out from the drum. Popped the hood and the brake fluid reservoir was overflowing. Why would loss of fluid cause the reservoir to over flow? Well, after realizing there wasn't anything I could do then and there I got back on the road and after about ten minutes I had full pressure at the pedal again. I always thought that brake MCs are supposed to divert pressure to the other circuit if one springs a leak, so why did I lose pressure in the first place? Currently my brake feels completely fine although it does feel like only the fronts are working. I am completely dumbfounded as to why the fluid level went up while there was such an obvious leak, and also why it feels normal now. Anybody got any answers?

 

Thats just wierd!!!

 

Sounds like you need to bleed the crap out of your system, might be something besides brake fluid in there.

 

im just gonna take a guess, but when you pressed the pedal to the floor, and it rose back up, it may have sucked in air, displacing the fluid in the lines, and forced all the fluid in your brake line back up to the mc, did that make sense? idk if i explained that good...

 

I guess that's possible... anybody have a similar thing happen to them?

 

a blew a brake line in my dads ranger, had to engine brake her all the way home...that clutch was mad at me that night...

 

it is a wheel cylinder, not a slave cylinder. replace it and go from there.

recently have a NY state inspection where the 'mechanic' inspected your brakes?

 

a wheel cylinder is a type of slave cylinder is it not? Anyways, got a set ordered from rock auto, shipped for 30 bucks. God I love that site.

I actually had the truck inspected the same morning.....BUT I know for a fact he didn't touch the brakes, so thats not a problem.