The biggest thing that I have found to make the pedal feel more firm is to
adjust the rear brakes properly.  Many times the system is bled fine but you
are getting mushy pedal because the rear brakes are extending out too far
before the shoes hit the drum.  What I do is actually have the tire off and
the rear wheel jacked up.  Then turn the rear drum by hand.  I keep
adjusting the rear brakes out until you can just start to hear/feel the
brakes touching the inside of the drum a little.  Then do this on the other
side.  You will be amazed at how high of a pedal you now have and I have
never had this cause a problem.  Other folks on the list recommended this
method to me and it works well.
Just FYI.

Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
http://www.vanagain.com
Phone: (856)-327-4936
Fax: (856)-327-2242

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Todd Last
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 12:04 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: brake bleeding question

I'm trying to bleed the brakes on my '88 Vanagon after replacing the
master cylinder, calipers, rear wheel cylinders, and brake hoses.
I purchased one of those one-man power bleeders. It has a container with
an attached pump (think bicycle pump) and a hose connected to a cap that
replaces the normal top cap on the brake fluid resovour.  You fill the
container with brake fluid, pump it up to 10-15 psi, and then open the
bleeders at each wheel and supposedly, all is well.

I went thought the process once, bleeding the wheels in the correct
order and waiting until a volume of fresh brake fluid came out, however,
the brakes are still not firm. The pedal sinks down a fair amount before
the brakes take hold.  So, I'm convinced that I will have to go through
the bleeding process yet again. I had done my best to prefill the master
before installing.

Are there any other tricks that anyone can pass on about having a
successfull brake bleeding ?

thanks,

Todd
'88 Westy