My brakes went out today on my 2.9L 90' ranger and they were acting up a lil like I had to pump it once to get pressure when pulling into the pool hall and then when I left they were pretty much gone, brake pedal to the floor and it barely does anything (when going bout 10mph) so I down shifted home on backroads and check the lines to the front tires and they seem to be fine (just feelin around, it was dark) and then popped the hood, lil smoke/steam comeing up from lower block area, driver side. Checked the fluid and its above where it should be???? almost to the cap.

I don't really know what it is I can't see any lines with leaks from the top of engine compartment but the overflow of fluid seems odd like its only coming in but not going to the brakes... Could this be a bad master brake cylinder?

Any ideas on probable causes? Thanks for any help in advance...

 

Yes, that could be the MC.

Crack one of the bleed ports while someone presses the brake pedal, just like bleeding. Poor flow would indicate a bad MC. Bubbles would mean they need bled, but it could still be a bad MC.

IF you replace the MC, BENCH BLEED it before you install it. AP stores sell the fittings and tubes if your new MC doesn't come with a set.

 

I just took a look at it and the driver side disk brake caliper is loose, hand loose, and one of the disks (inside one) is slideing off and there are some wierd roll pin type things that look like they hold on the caliper but it doesn't make much sense, its a horible design if thats true..

Anyone know how to take the caliper off these old POS rangers?

I'm thinkin that this could jus be after math of the actual problem (the loose caliper), gonna try to bleed and see what kind of pressure I get real quick...

 

The driver side brakes when I looked at them a lil more and got those gay pins out the one disk that was sliding out is torn up on the back side where it has a piece of thin metal to help hold it in place so I'm about to make use of that bicycle and pick up a set of new disks I guess and see if that fixed the problem.... The brakes look pretty damn new, mabye they had a ****ty install I dont know.....

Still open for suggestions.....

 

Turns out the real problem was the rotor bearings, they were partially disenegrated, thus messing with the disk brakes and calipers. Good to go......for now.......