dBusteR

I know how can that be? I just had new ball joints put on this past weekend by a friends kid who is a mechanic... the wife didn't want to listen took me get upset if it didn't go well with me doing the work... but it seems like I have problems now...

When I start the xj back out the driveway when I go to stop the pedal goes to the floor. Then leaving work today, back out of the parking space once again the pedal goes to the floor then is normal after that.. at least it would seem like it.

Then there is the electric fan that now is coming on and it seems like the motor is warming up faster than what I am used to....

What did I get into?

highmileage

Try (re)bleeding the system?

dBusteR

Yeah that is in the works for this coming weekend if time permits. I am supposed to help my sister move her final stuff out now that she is divorced.

But what with doing the ball joints would have changed with the brakes as nothing was disconnected.... oh I think I got it figured out. If the kid compressed the brakes to get them off and or on he may have pushed and a bubble brought into the line... I would hope as a mechanic he would have known or had told me he may have done it. If that be the case there goes his word of mouth work referrals...

Nick-B

That's not a bubble. A bubble would make the brake pedal feel kinda spongy, not solid. Pedal to the floor then ok sounds like a bad master cylinder. In this case it is probably coincidence, don't blame the mechanic.

number9

My guess is either he let the calipers just hang by the brake lines, which may have stressed the rubber line / steel line joint or the joint between the line and caliper and allowed air into the system - OR he used a c-clamp to press your pads back into the calipers (to aid in re-installation) and tightened the c-clamp down too fast and blew a seal in the master cylinder. I have done this before myself.

I would bleed the brakes first, then if that don't work suspect bad seal in the master cylinder, which probably means replace it unless you can get a "rebuild kit" for these - I am new to the jeeps so don't know right off.

Just because someone calls them self a mechanic, or works as a mechanic DO NOT take if for granted that they actually do good work and do it right. NO ONE is going to work on your vehicle as good as you would or as good as they would their own. Some guys might, but that # is VERY few.

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dBusteR

It is strange. I made sure the fluid was topped off. Then when I start the jeep the brakes are normal. Back out slowly and the brakes are fine, give a little gas to get out into the street and then try the brakes and it goes to the floor. Then I stop put it in drive and the brakes are fine again.

Really strange.

Regarding rebuilding the master cylinder, been there with my yj and an old gmc pickup.

On a side note, what does it smell like when brake fluid is burned or warmed up seriously? I have a drop of something from underneath but can't narrow it down yet. Does brake fluid smell close to say something like coolant when burned off?

I did top off the coolant today also. just hope there isn't something majorly wrong.

dBusteR

I am going to have to get under the xj now.. I turned the radio off and drove the other day and now it is of all the time.

Reason, I am hearing, for the lack of a better way to describe it, what sounds like low noise like a turbine. Or what could seem like a card in a bicycle spokes but low frequency it is. Something doesn't seem right. Tire noise maybe?

number9

Maybe? Maybe he bent the dust shield and it's rubbing against the rotor a bit?

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HudsonN

You're not suppose to push fluid back up into the master.

I ALWAYS crimp off the soft brake line and crack open the bleeder to collapse the piston.

1SIC4X4

Try not driving the jeep, till the brakes are fix. accidents happen all the time from faulty brakes.
Bleed the system, check the dust shield. and if tht does not fix the problem. then rebuild or replace master.
not mechanic myself, but i rather work on my own cars and get the job done right the first time with all the bolts torque correct.
just my 2cents.

dBusteR

First off let me say I normally do all my wrenching when within my abilities.

Regarding the brakes, it seems they are fine when I back up until I give a little gas backing up then it is when it wants to go to the floor. It still grabs but the pedal goes deep before the brakes grab. Put it in drive and take of it is fine. Normal pedal action.

I do plan on bleeding the whole system. Hoping that resolves the pedal experiences. It almost seems like the vacuum for the booster isn't there... then as I take off it is better...?

The noise I am hearing, I can hear it more now and when I put my left foot down I can feel it a little. I have yet to check the dust shield. I know check that... but let me ask, the kid who did this work pulled the one side apart from the wheel bearing instead of pulling the whole thing out as one piece to get to the Ball joints. Wonder if the wheel bearing is damaged?

I am going to try and record the sound then share, maybe someone will be able to help more after hearing it. Now if this wonder phone has voice recording...

New topic maybe? Yesterday I went to leave for work and the first turn of the key I didn't hold long enough for it to start, second try it started but struggled to idle, took off and a few blocks away she died on me. Took a couple tries but I got it started again but it dissent seem to be running right. Almost like I had a closed choke on a carb but I don't have a carb. After work things were fine. What might cause this? A faulty sensor of some sorts?

number9

Ah, so he pulled the hub assy off the axle - instead of pulling the whole thing out, right? Could be - if he beat on it to get it apart. I know I had to beat on mine to get the hub assy out of the knuckle when I changed mine.

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dBusteR

And if he did? Bearings?

I tried to record the sound and it didn't work.. I will try again with the phone on the floor board to see if it picks up the sound.

I do know one of the three bolts that holds it together snapped and he welded a nut on to get it off then replaced the bolt when he put it backup together. Now I am beginning to question that, and whether that was a proper replacement... Wonder if something didn't go right. It was that same side he took the hub assy off of the axle.

number9

Yes, if he beat on the hub to get it out of the knuckle, it is possibly trashed and could be making a grinding/rubbing noise. That one of the bolts broke off makes me lean to think that the hub was pretty stuck in the knuckle - I know both of mine were and one was REAL bad - I had to beat the crap out of it to get it out. Mine were bad anyway, so it didn't matter, but if you beat on a good hub assy to get it out of the knuckle, there's no way I'd put it back in.

I'd pull the wheel / caliper / rotor myself and take a look. I'd check to see what kind of bolt he replaced the broken one with - chances are he didn't have the correct factory replacement bolt just laying around, unless he ran to town and got one - but I'd want to know that it was the proper bolt. I'd also want to know if he torqued the shaft nut back to spec - with a torque wrench - or that he torqued all the bolts to spec.

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Radi

Personally I'd pull each wheel and take a good look at the brakes, front and back. I've seen this happen when rear brake hardware fails, the shoes shift and the wheel cylinder over extends, dropping the pedal to the floor. Drive forward and everything shifts back again. The master cylinder has no idea which direction you are moving but the calipers and drums do.