# 92 Acura Legend Brake problem.



## carsey (Aug 19, 2006)

Do you know what size alternator you have on the car?

You going to need at least 4AWG cable....best option is 0AWG which id reccommend.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

i have a 92 Acura legend, and there seem to not have enough pressure in the brake. The brake used to go all the way down and still not stop the car. I picked up almost new master cylinder at the wreck yard, but the problem was still the same. i returned the master cylinder in exchange for a Booster, and now the brake works but it goes all the way down before it stops. when you take your leg of the brake paddle, then pressure builds up, and it works. But you feell the pressure releasing when you keep your foot on the paddle, but the car still stops. Am worried it might not work one day. Someone Please help me.


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## manic (Aug 2, 2005)

You need to bleed the brakes. You cant just start cracking brake lines
and not bleed them. Especially when you replaced the master cylinder.
If you did bleed the brakes, take a look at the rears, if there drum 
brakes in the back look for leaky wheel cylinders. If the inside of your
tire has a wet mark on it, that is a good sign of a failed wheel cylinder.


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## mack1 (Nov 27, 2007)

Hi natur3,

There is an adjustment under the brake pedal that will let you adjust the travel of the pedal to the master cylinder. If the pedal position is to low to the floor, adjust that linkage.

Note that the linkage pushes through the booster and if the booster don't work, the travel is about the same. You should have sufficient brake pedal. 

If the pedal is spongy, then you need to bleed the brakes.
To bleed the brakes, get a freind to help. There is a bleed valve at each wheel (usually a valve that uses a 3/8 inch similar metric wrench to loosen). 
The valve nut will have a hole in it to let the fluid/air out to a container. 
Be sure to keep the master cylinder full of fluid during the bleeding process. If you let it run out, it will pump air into the lines and you will have to start all over again. Pump the brakes until you get some pedal. The helper at the wheel will open the valve and let the fluid/air drain out into a container. Hold the brake down until the valve is reclosed, then pump it up again and repeat the process. When all air is out, move to the next wheel. At the end of the process, you should have a solid brake position when pressed. 

If the pedal slowly moves to the floor after bleeding, then there is a leak at one of the wheels or the master cylinder is leaking fluid past its pressure cup. If no leaks, then get a rebuild kit and work on the master cylinder. You can get an inexpensive drill type hone to hone out the master cyliner before installing the new cups. (should be like new when you finish and better than a junk yard replacement)

Note again that the brake position should be about the same with or without a good booster. The booster simply helps you apply pressure to the master cylinder. 

Hope this helps.
Very best regards,
Mack1


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

Thanks everyone for the reply. Before i got the first master cylinder, me and my mechanic, bled the brake about five times. everytime after changing any , he bleeds all four over and over about four times, i only do the pumping.at first, it use to have a leak at the back and we fixed it. NOw there seems to me there's no leak anywhere. And also i did change the master cylinder and it didn't help. My rear brakes are Calipers.
But the rebuilt kit, if i get alittle knowledge about : how to, i can get one and try.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

natur3 said:


> i have a 92 Acura legend, and there seem to not have enough pressure in the brake. The brake used to go all the way down and still not stop the car. I picked up almost new master cylinder at the wreck yard, but the problem was still the same. i returned the master cylinder in exchange for a Booster, and now the brake works but it goes all the way down before it stops. when you take your leg of the brake paddle, then pressure builds up, and it works. But you feell the pressure releasing when you keep your foot on the paddle, but the car still stops. Am worried it might not work one day. Someone Please help me.


Thanks everyone for the reply. Before i got the first master cylinder, me and my mechanic, bled the brake about five times. everytime after changing any , he bleeds all four over and over about four times, i only do the pumping.at first, it use to have a leak at the back and we fixed it. NOw there seems to me there's no leak anywhere. And also i did change the master cylinder and it didn't help. My rear brakes are Calipers.
But the rebuilt kit, if i get alittle knowledge about : how to, i can get one and try


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

Hi natur3

After reading your posts, my question to you is : Was the new master cylinder bled first ? Do you have ABS brakes? If equipped with ABS on some systems the engine has to be running to build pressure, there is sequence to follow when bleeding the system. If the sequence is not observed, no matter how many times you bleed it , there will be air in the system. The rule of thumb is when bleeding the brake system is you start from the farthest wheel to the nearest. ( Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front, Left Front.) But it is not always the case, some need to be bled in a cross pattern ( check your type of system on Chilton's or Mitchell On Demand). In some cases ( mostly in the rear) there is a diverter valve that works in tandem with the rear suspension and the proportioning valve, this has to be positioned correctly for the air to be bled properly.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

octaneman said:


> Hi natur3
> 
> After reading your posts, my question to you is : Was the new master cylinder bled first ? Do you have ABS brakes? If equipped with ABS on some systems the engine has to be running to build pressure, there is sequence to follow when bleeding the system. If the sequence is not observed, no matter how many times you bleed it , there will be air in the system. The rule of thumb is when bleeding the brake system is you start from the farthest wheel to the nearest. ( Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front, Left Front.) But it is not always the case, some need to be bled in a cross pattern ( check your type of system on Chilton's or Mitchell On Demand). In some cases ( mostly in the rear) there is a diverter valve that works in tandem with the rear suspension and the proportioning valve, this has to be positioned correctly for the air to be bled properly.


How do you bleed the master cylinder by itself first? i thought you bleed after you put it in the car. Thats what i did. and i see a very tiny line of fluid coming from between the booster and the master cylinder. i rub with my fingers the other day thinking it was a spill, but the next morning it was there again. so am thinking about taking the master cylinder out and re- installing. Is that good enough?


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## octaneman (May 13, 2009)

It will be ok, as long as the master doesn't leak. The master cylinder has to be bled first on the bench and clamped onto a vice and by pushing the plunger (slow and easy all the way to the end) by using your hands or with a screwdriver to bleed . In this way you can see if it leaks from the rear o-rings or if it's defective. If you bolted the master to the car, it can still be bled by threading on the plastic insert adapters to the primary and secondary and attaching the special inserts and tubes that come with the master cylinder. Then you insert the tubes into the reservoir and have someone pump the brakes and you will see the air bubbles. Keep pumping the pedal until the fluid has a solid flow. If it doesn't come with the adapters, bleeding will be very difficult because you will have to block both outlets by using your fingers and "feel" the air bubbles being purged, then make a judgment call to see if all the air is out from the master, and re-thread the lines before the master empties. After thats done, you bleed the wheels 1-by-1 in sequence and every 2 or 3 pumps on the pedal you need to check and refill the master before it reaches empty or you will have to repeat the process all over again.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

If the fluid is running out between the master cylinder and the booster then the piston cup seals are leaking and you need a new cylinder. Bench bleed it first by blocking the ports with your fingers if you do not have a set of plus or hose adapters push in on the piston with a blunt screwdriver place your fingers or plugs over the ports let the piston back out repeat until the fluid stream is steady, then install on the car and bleed.

Any time the pedal drops lower when sitting at a traffic light for example and there are no fluid leaks the master cylinder is bad.
If the petal is low and pumps up hard or gets higher when the parking brake is applied then they need adjustment(applies to drum brakes and rear calipers that contain the ratcheting type parking brake) if it pumps up but is still mushy there is air in the system.

Another thing to note if the cylinder is leaking into the booster it will ruin the vacuum diaphragm in the booster and in some cases fill the booster with fluid causing a hard petal and not stopping.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

wrench97 said:


> If the fluid is running out between the master cylinder and the booster then the piston cup seals are leaking and you need a new cylinder. Bench bleed it first by blocking the ports with your fingers if you do not have a set of plus or hose adapters push in on the piston with a blunt screwdriver place your fingers or plugs over the ports let the piston back out repeat until the fluid stream is steady, then install on the car and bleed.
> 
> Any time the pedal drops lower when sitting at a traffic light for example and there are no fluid leaks the master cylinder is bad.
> If the petal is low and pumps up hard or gets higher when the parking brake is applied then they need adjustment(applies to drum brakes and rear calipers that contain the ratcheting type parking brake) if it pumps up but is still mushy there is air in the system.
> ...


OK. THanks for all your time to reply. I bought an after market master cylinder yesterday, and the brakes worked ok. it doesn't go down when your feet are sitting on it. But another thing. i waited for about 4 hours and started again. it seems that when the engine start cooled, there not enough pressure. the paddle goes down for it to stop, and i got a little rolling over before it stop. but when it warms up, then it works good. Is this normal, with the Acura brakes? or Brakes, because i have a 99 jimmy and it's not like that.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

wrench97 said:


> If the fluid is running out between the master cylinder and the booster then the piston cup seals are leaking and you need a new cylinder. Bench bleed it first by blocking the ports with your fingers if you do not have a set of plus or hose adapters push in on the piston with a blunt screwdriver place your fingers or plugs over the ports let the piston back out repeat until the fluid stream is steady, then install on the car and bleed.
> 
> Any time the pedal drops lower when sitting at a traffic light for example and there are no fluid leaks the master cylinder is bad.
> If the petal is low and pumps up hard or gets higher when the parking brake is applied then they need adjustment(applies to drum brakes and rear calipers that contain the ratcheting type parking brake) if it pumps up but is still mushy there is air in the system.
> ...


OK. THanks for all your time to reply. I bought an after market master cylinder yesterday, and the brakes worked ok. it doesn't go down when your feet are sitting on it. But another thing. i waited for about 4 hours and started again. it seems that when the engine start cooled, there not enough pressure. the paddle goes down for it to stop, and i got a little rolling over before it stop. but when it warms up, then it works good. Is this normal, with the Acura brakes? or Brakes, because i have a 99 jimmy and it's not like that


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Sounds like it still has some air in the system, keep bleeding.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

wrench97 said:


> Sounds like it still has some air in the system, keep bleeding.


OK. I will, and will let you know what happeneds.


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## natur3 (May 1, 2008)

THanks everyone for your time and help, CARSEY, MANIC, MACK1, OCTANEMAN,WRENCH97. MY legend is doing very good now.


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## mack1 (Nov 27, 2007)

You're very welcome.

Have a nice day.


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