I have a 1987 Honda Accord, I am single mother so I am LOST with a capital L on how to fix this. For a couple of days my brakes were real hard to press, then today as I was pulling into work I heard something strange and as I pressed the brakes I just kept rolling.....ugh!
So now when I press the brakes I hear a ssssssshhhhhhhh sound
somebody said I may have air in my brake line and it would need to be bled??
Like I said before I am LOST on cars, really!! I never even knew cars bled....
this is my only vehicle and if I can fix it for pretty cheap I would like to, because I dont trust many garages around my town and I dont have the money to really invest into another vehicle.
Thank you for your help in advance

txgreasemonkey

Open the hood and see if the master cylinder reservoir is low on brake fluid. If it is, you may have a leak somewhere in the system; e.g., front caliper or rear wheel cylinder. You really need to have someone check the disk brake pad thickness (front) and the brake shoe thickness (rear). Have that person tell you whether the calipers and wheel cylinders are leaking. If they aren't, they can replace the pads, shoes, apply silicone grease on the caliper pins, and change the brake fluid. Use quality replacement pads and shoes; e.g., Honda, Bendix, or Wagner. Stay away from budget pads and shoes. Don't have the disks and drums machined, unless absolutely necessary. Many outfits automatically do this and it is often unnecessary and can lead to unexpected problems later. As a single mother, trying to avoid the unnecessary expenses of life, the best advice I can give you on having trouble-free brakes in the future is to change the brake fluid every two years, as Honda recommends. If you do this, your calipers and wheel cylinders won't have to be rebuilt, or replaced, your master cylinder will last longer, and your brakes will perform much better. Doing this eliminates moisture, air, and crud that develops in the system and replaces the lubricity and anti-corrosion properties of the fluid. Brake failure is the number one fear of drivers and it's worth spending a little bit of money now to save a lot later.

berrysweetncgurl

oh thank you so much, someone had said something to me about a master cylinder too, but i couldnt remember what it was called when I posted the question
If i have to have the master cylinder replaced do you know what it may run so I can try and fit it in my budget?
1987 Honda Accord
Thanks again

txgreasemonkey

Here's what the master cylinder looks like and costs:

Zip Code Entry at PartsAmerica.com

Another big unexpected cost you want to avoid is rebuilding a transmission. The best way to do this is to change the transmission fluid and filter every 24 months or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. A huge part of operating a car inexpensively is to change all of the fluids regularly; i.e., engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and coolant (50/50 antifreeze and distilled water).

This might help you:

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-tr...tml#post219991

berrysweetncgurl

well i found out what is going on, i hope anyway b/c i spent bookoo bucks getting the part, I had to replace a brake booster and a new spindle at my tire
the brake booster was $230 ugh!!!!!!
but i get $30 core charge?? back when i take back the old brake booster
my ex is putting the brake booster on, do you have any tips for him so he doesnt mess it up?

txgreasemonkey

1. Remove master cylinder.
2. Disconnect vacuum hose from brake booster.
3. Remove cotter pin and joint-pin.
4. Remove brake booster mounting nuts.
5. Remove brake booster
6. Install brake booster in reverse order of removal.
7. Install master cylinder.
8. After installation, perform the following inspections and adjust if necessary:
. Brake pedal height.
. Brake pedal free play.

Your ex really should read a manual about how to do the pushrod clearance adjustment, before reinstalling the master cylinder on the new booster. Otherwise, you take your chance that the pushrod clearance is okay.

Buy a quart of Valvoline SynPower Brake Fluid and a one-man speed bleeder, to bleed the brake system after the master cylinder is reinstalled. Bleed brakes in this order: RR, LF, LR, RF.