I was on test drive the other day after the car was sitting for about 4 months (during the engine drop/replace fuel injection process).

I found the brake pedal was sticking, brakes lightly dragging, and often had to pull the pedal out with my foot.

Pedal cluster rebuild time? Or is it more likely something else?

I'd start with the pedal cluster.

The brake pedal should return regardless of anything else. There is a large spring in the pedal cluster that pulls it back. Rebuild time!

The brake pedal should return regardless of anything else. There is a large spring in the pedal cluster that pulls it back. Rebuild time!

So true Mark said it twice...

Thanks, that's where I'll start. A rebuild kit & springs is on my shopping list.

The bushings are likely sticking, which doesn't let the pedal return. Rebuild the cluster.

The bushings are probably sticking because brake fluid got on them. Replace the master cylinder. Also wash the area under the pedal cluster, as brake fluid eats paint after a while...

--DD

It is probably the pedal cluster, but I once had your symptom and it turned out the bushings were fine, but the plunger from the cluster into the m/c was bent slightly and getting wedged.

I pulled the pedal board out last night and it didn't look like the master cylinder was leaking. But there is a lot of sludge around the pedals, could be a prior leak or from PO spraying down the pedals with lube or something.

The brake pedal spring in the cluster is definitely shot so I'll have to replace that.

The MC is often the cause of the problem... Unless it looks new or you have some other evidence it has been replaced I would do the MC at the same time...

I took out the pedal cluster this evening. The paint in and around the cluster bracket was soft and peeling. There must've been an MC leak at some point. I scraped out the paint, wire wheeled, cleaned, and POR15'd.

One of the brake pedal plastic bushing was completely torn apart. The others weren't as bad but definitely need to be changed. A brass bushing kit is on the way. A new MC too since the one in there looks pretty old.

I highly recommend that anyone who hasn't pulled out their pedal cluster do so to get a good look at the condition of the bushings and paint.

Thanks to everyone on their input.

Replied to the wrong thread..Sorry