** Need some help ** Options

[KaptKaos]

I took my 914 to a reputable shop here locally to have some work done. It was running roughly and I didn't have time to monkey with it myself.

Anyway, while there and on a test drive with me in the car, the brake pedal went straight to the floor. I had previously always had firm brakes, good pads, and no other braking problems.

We get back to the shop and look at the pedals and there is fluid everywhere. Ok, master is shot. Ok to replace it with a new 19mm master. Call the shop a few days after parts arrive, new master is in, but the pedal is still mushy. Shop owner asks me if I want to replace the brake lines. I didn't really, but I had a set braided lines, so I drop them off. Still no improvement. Owner suggests to remove the proportioning valve and replace it with a T-connector. T - connector is a $15 part, he does it all the time - fine, go ahead.

A couple days go by (been really busy at work) and I stop by this AM and the brakes are still really mushy and go all the way to the floor. Pumping them up brings the pressure back but its still a problem. I call this afternoon and speak with the owner. He tells me that they found a leak in a hard line that runs from the pedal cluster back towards the firewall. I am going to go look at it tomorrow first hand. How we fix that line and how it broke are still open issues as well.

So it looks like it may not have been the brake master or the proportioning valve and definetly not the brake lines.

I take the car to this person because he has a good reputation, has been very fair with me in the past and for his expertise in solving these problems. Given what we have found - what is reasonable to expect in terms of the labor charges?

Any guidelines here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[scruz914]

I am going to guess that the brake system, although working fine, was old and nearing an overhaul.

The series of failures could have started when one of the mechanics, sorry "technicians", jammed his metal toed boot clad foot onto the brake pedal during a test drive and overwhelmed a worn MC causing it to be very close to failing and the soft pedal.

During your test drive the MC failed completely which caused the pedal to go to the floor and the fluid around the pedals.

With the MC replaced, and increased to 19mm, the higher pressure overwhelmed the old rubber brake lines which continued the soft pedal feel.

The new braided lines removed all give in the system which caused a weak spot in a worn or rusted hard line to fail.

The main questions are:
How old was the brake system? and
Is there sign of rust or wear in the hard line?

Unless you overhauled the brake system during the two years you have owned the car, or know for sure it was by the PO, you were probably close to having to overhaul it anyway. I would be interested in seeing the old hard line too.