Nice to see your note.
the normal way to proceed is with a complete and thorough brake
inspection ...
in all 4 wheels..
and in and around the master cylinder and brake booster  area.

Brake fluid should be changed on most cars every 2 years ..especially
Vanagons.

"just driving' it ( since no symptoms seem to be developing ) is a very
bad way to take care of brakes ( and safety ).

in General ...'Fixing a Vanagon when it breaks is just an awful way to
take care of it."

I've seen countless cases of where things change very slowly ( say shift
linkage getting stiffer and dry ) and people are thinking about life
mostly, or whatever, they don't notice the slight change ..
until one day ...you know.

heck ..if Vanagons ( and most cars ) where actually *taken care of* they
would last almost indefinitely.
It's amazing how well Vanagons do with the non-care some of them get.

Ever check or change the transmission oil, for example ?

some old sayings ..
Service and maintenance is less expensive than repair.

also this one ..( professional mechanic speaking ) ..pay my now, ( like
for service ) or pay me later ..like for engine rebuild.

I hope your rear drums come off easily for inspection in there.
Sometimes they're quite stuck.
Have fun do good work !

On 7/7/2015 6:08 AM, Vincent Dow wrote:
> Scott,
> Yeah, sounds like it's more than calipers.
> I intend to replace the calipers and the flexible lines.
> I've been taking the brakes for granted on *Modesto* for years. There
> were so many other things wrong! The brakes were like a loyal soldier.
>
> My buddy Nick is planning to drive down from the Bay Area and help me
> get this sorted out. He's got a lot more experience than me. He also
> hopes to borrow my van for awhile.
>
> I'm going to run down Dennis Haynes' brake diagnostic list/memo
> starting tomorrow, when I get L.A. Housing dept off my back. D.H.'s
> breakdown is awesome. Exactly what i needed. I didn't have a starting
> point to figure this out. I went right away to the pads, as that's the
> only thing I've ever had go wrong.
>
> You're all very helpful. It's appreciated big time. I feel like I'm in
> a bit of a hole (not just with the van.) I gotta stay positive and
> figure this stuff out one piece at a time. Brakes, and then shift
> linkage, and then crapped out Kennedy muffler, and then CEL. Then off
> to the smog shop....
>
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 6:42 PM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )
> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com <mailto:scottdaniel@turbovans.com>> wrote:
>
>     the pistons tend to get stuck ( siezed even ) in those early
>     calipers...
>     in my experience especially the outer piston.
>
>     just invest in 2 rebuilt front calipers.
>
>     however...sounds like you have more than just a front brake
>     caliper problem.
>
>     On 7/5/2015 2:17 PM, Vincent Dow wrote:
>>     Howdy,
>>     Had the braking power seriously diminish on my 82 westy. What a bummer, we
>>     were headed to San Luis Obisbo county, to bring the dog up to a beach (and
>>     ourselves)
>>
>>     Had to turn back to L.A. at Thousand Oaks.
>>
>>     The brake pedal felt tall in the morning when we started out. 50 miles into
>>     the drive, I felt the pedal bottoming. A couple pumps with my foot would do
>>     the job, but I knew I was losing pressure.
>>
>>     I got the wheel off, and am looking at the caliper. The flexible brake line
>>     is attached to a bracket, that's under huge nut for the main big suspension
>>     piece whose name alludes me. The one that's under spring tension.
>>
>>     I'm thinking I have to open up the brake line and drain before I can even
>>     get the pads out. Haven't come across a caliper like this before. Don't
>>     like it.
>>
>>     I'm wondering if I shouldn't rebuild calipers now. I'm seeing lots of pics
>>     of nasty old ones. Brakes are important. Does this ring true to experienced
>>     owners? Bit the bullet and rebuild the caliper? Or is that going overboard?
>>
>
>