After purchasing my '87 Westy, I drove it home 350 miles.
  At the beginning of the trip, I accidently left the emergency brake on for about 5-10 miles at freeway speeds.
  Didn't realize it until I used the brake pedal to slow down, and found there was no pedal!
  The brake pedal  worked after I pumped it a few times.
  I pulled off the freeway (brake pedal barely worked), and read the manual, which seemed to indicate this brake fade might  happen when the emergency brake is left on while driving and things heat-up.
  After the car cooled off, the brakes worked again.
  However, I notice driving the van that it does not come to a stop easily.  I don't remember how it felt before this happened, and its been a few years since I've driven a vanagon.

  I thought maybe the front brakes didn't work so:
  I pulled the front week and checked the calipers and find they do operate.
  The pads are in great shape ( 0.5 inches).
  The rotors are too at 16.65 mm.
  There is no brake fluid leak from the cylinders (or anywhere else).

  Could other brake components be bad?  The master cylinder does not leak.  Not sure ow to tell if the Power assist servo is working.

  Could it be that I am too used to driving newer cars and the slower braking is the nature of the beast?

  Don

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