So...

Picked up a 1998 D1 LE with high miles but tons of new parts, receipts, records and a very clean body/frame.

Truck was running great but guy said the brakes just went on him.

I check the fluid and find it pretty close to bone dry in the reservoir.

For giggles, I add fluid and get a little peddle back. Give it a test drive and even though the peddle was soft, the brakes would stop the truck at a stop sign fine with one pump.

So I decide to limp it over to a friends garage to bleed out the brakes.

On the way the brakes go...gone...no more brakes. Stopping with parking brake is not fun...in Vermont...with big hills and mountains.

So I do make it and we try to bleed the brakes but get very little to no pressure and assume that the master cylinder was more then likely failing in the first place and is probably gone now.

I replace the master cylinder...try to bleed. Still very little to no pressure. Pump brakes 5-10 times...hold to floor...very little pressure comes out of bleed valve on caliper. Been trying to bleed it for about 20 minutes. Usually start to build up some pressure by now.

So...my questions is, do I just keep pumping here or is this possibly tied in to the ABS pump? (abs light is on)

 

Try pulling the ABS fuses. Most do anyways to prevent ABS related brake failure.

 

Did you bleed the new master cylinder as well as a full 2 quart DOT 4 brake flush, if not, there is your problem.

 

Also, completely pull the bleed screws, clean them, and blow compressed air through them. I've had bleed screws that were totally plugged before.

 

this!
especially on these trucks that are likely to get dirty... and be missing the little dust caps

 

Thanks for the input guys. Unfortunately won't be able to get to the brakes until next week. Had to leave it up in Vermont in the driveway and I'll be in NY for a week... while this storm hits. Wish I had the Rover to get through the crazy hurricane...such is life...it will have to be the wife's Kia mini van instead