I don't know the answer to your trouble, but I can say that I've had the
same problem in my '88 since I got it about a year ago. I've seen my
mechanic about it several times. It's not the master cylinder; it's not the
brakes themselves, as they have been adjusted; still, the problem persists.
I'd be interested in any other advice or thoughts as I almost always end up
having to pump the brakes once to get it to firm up and can't pinpoint what
the problem is. Scary feeling when the brake pedal goes all the way down to
metal and I'm bearing down on that Rolls Royce up ahead.

Chris
'88 Westy, "Rocinante"
Los Angeles

> Volks,
>
> My brakes are behaving strangely.  When I press the pedal it goes down at
> least halfway before anything happens, and then the brakes seem
> weak.  But,
> if I pump the pedal once, it starts braking after about an inch of travel
> on the second depression, and the braking action is much better.
>
> I have bled the brakes at all four wheels with a combination of a vacuum
> bleeder and pedal depressions.  I ran a total of 1.5 litres of DOT4 fluid
> though the system.
> So I beleive that air in the lines is now unlikely.  What else
> could it be?