I was driving home from work today in my fiero, and everything was fine, then i had to slow down to move around an accident, and suddenly my brake pedal got super stiff, and hard to push down.. I have to really push hard on it to get the brakes to engage, if i push real hard, they will lock up..

Im not really sure what to look for.. The front brakes are only about a year old, did the grand am upgrade. The rear calipers where rebuilt at the same time, and rotors turned.. All new SS braided brake lines. Brakes fluid reservoir is full.. I don't think any calipers are locked up, as i didnt smell and burnt pad when i got home and looked at the wheels.. Not sure what too look for..

Pisses me off too, in still trying to break the new engine in, and now the brakes are screwin with me..

Any ideas?

[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 06-02-2012).]

Have you checked the vacuum on your brake booster?

i cant find my haynes book, so im not sure where the booster is located.. Is it that kinda round thing on the left side near the trunk? The little rubber hoses coming off of it seem to be ok.. no cracks or anything..

the brake booster is in the front compartment, near the drive side wheel well hump. Its big and round and is attatched to your brake master which is where you top your fluid up. It has a 3/8 black vacuum hose going from it into the car, coming out in the engine bay at the firewall running to a vacuum port on your motor. The good thing is i believe it is all hard metal tubing in the car and the only places the tubing can go is where i noted.

the black vacuum hose in the front seems fine.. I can't see behind the engine in the rear to see where it comes out.. If the vacuum line had a hole or leak or something would the engine run rough due to a vacuum leak? Because the engine runs perfect..

I dunno, i guess ill have to call Jeremy at the Fiero Factory on monday, since hes the one who did all the brake work for me last year.

Year? Engine?
84-86 L4 has filter in the booster line.

Booster issues or
Bad MC... Quick Takeup valve can cause this.

Pedal is totally Hard? booster issues likely
or
Pedal is normal then hard? mc issues likely

------------------
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its a 86.. With a 3.4 swap.. And yes i would say the pedal is totally hard.. It only goes down a few inches, and you really have to press hard to do that..

Pull the MC loose from the booster and see if it’s leaking. Sometimes brake fluid will get onto the diaphragm and damage it giving the symptoms you’ve mentioned. It’s not very common but it does happen.

Well i unhooked the rubber brake booster hose from the rear that hooks into the engine.. Just to make sure the metal tube on the engine was still sucking air good, and it was.. So i unhooked the rubber line up front that comes off the booster itself, and it is pulling air through, but its very very weak.. You can barley feel it when you put your thumb over the hose end..

So what do you guys think? Clogged filter maby? It is a 26 year old filter. I think i can reach back there and pull it off and put a new one on.. I hope thats all it is, what do you guys think?

[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 06-04-2012).]

I think you're on the right track. It should pull just as hard on the booster end as on the engine.

Went ahead and ordered a new filter from the fiero store.. Im hoping its just the filter, and not the booster itself.. I don't know how boosters work, but iv read its very rare for one to go bad, and air is getting through it, just its really weak up front like maby the filter is clogged.. The filter will be here in a few days, ill let you guys know what happens after i swap them out. Hopefully thats all it is and its just a $40 fix..

Im just getting the new engine broke in.. i wanna drive darn it! lol.

[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 06-04-2012).]

Any kind of metal tube to splice the end would tell you... Running w/o a filter won't hurt the car. 87-up L4 doesn't have one.

thanks for the info Ogre, i bought a 3/8 hose splicer, ill give that a try wends after work.. I tried to cancel my order from FS, but they shipped it too fast, lol.. Oh well, ill just send it back.

Got the filter out today and it had a hole melted in the side of it.. (why do they make these out of plastic when they are right next to the rear header? lol)

Anyway, spliced in a brass 3/8 double end hose barb and the brakes now work fine.. Took her for a nice spin afterwards..

quote Originally posted by Jonesy: Got the filter out today and it had a hole melted in the side of it.. (why do they make these out of plastic when they are right next to the rear header? lol) Anyway, spliced in a brass 3/8 double end hose barb and the brakes now work fine.. Took her for a nice spin afterwards..

Plastic was good for how many years? Or new one melted?
Old one then Is your exhaust leaning? Exhaust Heat shield missing?

Its a 3.4 swap, and it has sprint headers on it which stick out a bit further than the stock ones i guess.. Originally the car didnt have one, but Jeremy said he did a 87 style setup when he did the 3.4 swap, and added the filter.. The filter was a used one, so it wasent new, he pulled it off a parts car in the yard, so it was old.