69 Coronet Drum Brakes

[markbob]

Hello All

I started up the Coronet after moving it to its new home (airplane hangar)

I noticed the brake warning light flash and the pedal got very mushy.

A quick once around under the car showed no obvious leaks but I noticed that the bleeder on the front pax side wheel had the "nut" part of the bleeped missing

I also noticed what appears to be a greenish fluid (not unlike the color of anti freeze) on the bottom of the proportioning valve and on the bottom of the lower steering linkage grease fitting.

I had the brakes adjusted by a guy who had helped me with some ignition issues and I believe he may be responsible for the broken bleeder. Is this green stuff what that synthetic brake fluid looks like?
If so can that and dot 3 be mixed?
Could this be my problem?
Running the car and pumping the brakes seems to help extinguish the light but the pedal is still mushy.

Thx

Mark

 

[eagleone1983]

Green? I know DOT 5, which is what I run to protect the paint if it ever spills is purple. I've never seen it green. If the bleeders broken, is it stuck in the wheel cylinder still? I've never broken one so I don't know if they automatically leak when broken but since that is an obvious issue I'd start there. Pop open your master cylinder and see what the fluid looks like in there, shouldn't be green.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

You should do a little more investigation to make sure what that green fluid is. Some DOT 4 brake fluid is amber, but Pentosin CHF-11-S power steering fluid is greenish. If it has a "glowy/fluorescent" green look, then it's either antifreeze or A/C (or oil) leak detector dye.

When brake bleeder screws break off, they're closed, not open. You should at least change that wheel cylinder (or caliper as appropriate). You "can" drill those out, but usually replacement calipers/wheel cylinders aren't very expensive.