Brake question. During the hot summer months here in FL I dont drive the car very much, well its started cooling down and last weekend I decided to take it out for a spin. Now it had been sitting for a month or two in a garage since Id last driven it. The battery was dead...so I jumped it and it started right up. After it warmed up I went to drive it, I put my foot on the brake pedal and it went right to the floor with almost no resistance. So I pumped it a few times, it didnt really seem like it made a difference but it felt like it was grabbing near the floor. I figured the calipers might've been stuck from not being driven, so I took it around the block. It stops, you have to push the pedal to almost the floor but it gets stiff and slows the car, but I dont remember it being like that(its possible though, i guess)Any ideas as to what would change?

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If you don't see fluid on the floor then 98% sure your MS is dead. Try bleeding the system to see if air got in if not replace the MS.

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either the ms is gone like john said or you had a slow leak in the lines before you garaged it and you never noticed it. If one of your calipers were stuck itwould feel like you were breaking slightly and youde feel it. Try adding brake fluid first before you start swapping out parts. DOT 3.

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Now wouldnt a dead MS have no stopping power at all? The fluid resovoir is full, but I will try bleeding them at all four corners, farthest to the closest right? It was time to change the brake fluid anyway, and some stainless lines would be a good idea to replace the old worn rubber ones. Wheres the best place the get them?

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No, they can slowly start to fail

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You know.. when you replace that m/c.... a 95 civic EX uses a 15/16" m/c in case you still have the small one. Lots more braking force with lots less braking effort and it all bolts right up


Dave

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Is it only the '95 or will all the 92-95 styles work?

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They should all work, but the 95 one is about.. $24 and I know it's a 15/16's. Just ask them for any of them.. tell them you want to look at it, and look for the 15/16 mark on it normally near the reservoir. If you truly want a NASTY response pedal.. get a teggy booster(DA 90-93) and a type R m/c. It's a 1", you will have to change your rear line fitting to a slightly larger one.. but that pedal requires your big toe to stop the car HARD I love my brakes

Dave

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I used the 1989 Civic 4 dr EX. That's a 15/16 master and it's from an EF so you will have ZERO problems with brake line fitment. Everything bolts right up. Now as far as the booster that really depends on what you like in your pedal feel. The stock CRX one that I use gives you a nice firm pedal feel, not over sensitive. If you move to a Teggy booster it's going to give you more "assist" so the pedal will be super responsive. To me on a road course it's too much as our cars don't have ABS and I don't want to be constantly locking up my brakes. I'm heavy on my pedal as it is and the CRX booster is perfect for me.

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Jad jad jad... but if you got the teggy booster, and learned the pedal.. you could rock out with your cock out lol.

Nick, Jad and I both like to STOP. We have different pedal tastes, but losing speed quickly is a major thing for both of us. Pick and choose and figure out what pedal feel you are looking for and go with it. We have presented you with a few different choices anyway right?

Dave

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The teggy booster is out, I dont want an ant to crawl on my brake pedal and lock 'em up. But I think Im confused, the M/C and brake booster are those two different things? Or is that two parts to the whole assembly?

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booster just handles your vacuum assist. Is the black canister on the firewall. you can easily(2 12mm nuts) remove the m/c from the equation(god that spelling looks way off) it isn't quite and ant crawling across the pedal touchy.. but it is definately a difference. but yeah.. go with a 89 Civic 4 dr EX m/c, like jad

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Well, now its crunch time. I have an appointment to get the car tuned(finially)....December 22nd 11am! Sooo I need to get the brakes fixed. The m/c that is on the car now is a 7/8, the civic one is a 15/16 which has a greater capacity and is larger but will still bolt up and fit the same? And on the '89 civic 4door ex(does engine trim matter and does 4wd matter)? Or as long as it says its a 15/16 it will work?

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15/16" is that you are looking for. Bigger piston = More fluid per same amount of travel = better brake response/more positive feel in the pedal. Go get that thing man.. it's like.. $28 at the parts store BENCH BLEED IT FIRST!!!

Dave

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Bench Bleed it?? Anyone know of a good write up on how to do that?

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Bench bleeding your new Master Cylinder

I don't have any pictures, but I figured anyone that didn't know could use a writeup. Let me know if you need any more information.

Dave

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OK, now what? I just got back from the parts store. according to their comupters their is NO '89 civic EX(only dx, lx, si, if I remember correctly)and none of those trim levels use a 15/16 they use a 13/16. The only vehicle I can see that uses one is a 92-95 civic EX with ABS. I just dont know if that will fit, if abs changes anything about it or what.

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As I said =P

95 Civic EX m/c will work. the ABS is handled AFTER the m/c in the abs module/pump/reservoir, so you should be fine. It should have the same bolt pattern, and be 15/16th

Have fun man

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OK you win, lol. I found what I was looking for. A '90 civic EX part # 112517(from either napaonline.com or advanceautoparts.com(both local stores here) The main problem was none of them had them in stock to verify the bore size, and the websites only listed ones with 7/8, 13/16 etc...But I finally found on napas website the-Bore Size:0.93750, lol which when you convert it comes out to 15/16. Except its $52.96 after the core not $28! haha, but thanks for putting up with me. But hey good info for anyone else doing this.

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dude.. oreilly's.. 95 ex $24 after core.. thats my price at least..

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