Excessive brake pedal travel -96 ex

[leigh-a]

Brake Pedal “appears” to have excessive “free” travel with Booster “in play” (Engine running):

What I've done so-far:

(1) Bench bled, & installed new MC.

(2) Bled brakes per Honda sequence, first with vacuum bleeder, and twice more with “assistant pump pedal” method.

There are no external leaks evident in the system, & no loss of fluid from the reservoir.

(3) Checked Push-rod adjustment to spec., with 20 psi static negative pressure (vacuum) applied to Booster.

(4) Check pedal free-play, with engine off, is about 5mm. (Within Honda spec.)

(5) Checked rear brake-shoe to drum adjustment, (Checked OK)

Booster checks:

(6) Checked booster vacuum line & check-valve. (Checks OK)

(7) Ran engine a few minutes, turned off, & “slowly” pumped brakes. 1st pump fairly low—2nd, & 3rd pump pedal got progressively firmer: (Checked OK.)

(8) Started engine, pressed brake pedal, & stopped engine with pedal still pressed. Pedal did not “drop”: (Checked OK.)

As stated, the pedal free-play is about 5mm with engine / brake Booster “Off; but with the engine running, & Booster in play, the pedal freely drops close to 2 inches before it gets solid.

I've checked numerous posts on this, & other Civic forums, with the same problem, & haven't come up with any specific solutions???

Wondered how much pedal "free-Play" others are getting with engine on/ booster "in play"?

 

[yevangelis]

hoping you didn't die in a braking accident...
you didn't mention the simplest booster test (although it doesn't seem to be the answer)- with engine off push pedal several times until it becomes hard, then start the engine and the pedal should give. that tells you the booster is boosting.

since you have drums- are you sure they are properly adjusted? the cylinders may be over-extending themselves to reach the drum
drive in reverse and then apply the handbrake several times, this is supposed to auto-adjust drum brakes on these cars, if it doesn't help then pull the drums off and make sure the drums are not worn down beyond spec
otherwise make sure the shoes are not too worn

i like to install the drum with the tiniest bit of drag and then loosen about one tooth or just off drag.

if everything is good back there then you may still have a bad MC
or swelling brake hoses