Rear Brakes not working

Hi
I am having problems with my Rear Brakes on the 83 GTi tin top.
The front ones work fine but when the brakes are applied the rears do nothing. The car has been sitting over the winter due to work commitments and the only work done during this time has been setting the ignition timing and fitting an oil splash tray under the rocker cover as there was not one there before.
The brakes were working fine before the winter lay up, i am wondering if the pistons may have locked up but i would have thought this would be more likely one one and not both.
Any advice greatly appreciated as usual.
Andy

IF both fronts are working, then it usually isn't the MC.
I would try Bleeding them to see that you are  pushing fluid to the Cylinders to eliminate the proportional valve.

If you are pushing fluid, then I would suspect the rear wheel Cylinders… They aren't that expensive about 15 bucks over here… and don't take that long to change.

While you are looking at the brakes, check the shoes and wheel bearings, if the car is new to you, then I would look at the parking brake cables as in replacing them so you button it up and don't have to worry for a few years.

Have you tried bleeding the rear brakes?
How old is the brake fluid?

I am not sure when the brake fluid was last changed but i am changing it as a matter of course now, i have bought new cylinders and brake shoes so that i do not have to take the brakes apart again (fingers crossed). The handbrake cables were replaced last September for the MOT. I hope to get things sorted before the weekend.
Andy

How have you checked the rears aren't working? MOT machine? Jacked up on drive?

There is a limiting valve that will come into play if the rear is jacked up.

I've had rear cylinders seize up through lack of use and a bit of damp rusting them up.

Also the rears don't actually do that much braking compared to the front disks.

The other thing to check is that the self adjuster is working, otherwise the pedal action is just taking up the slack and not actually pushing the shoes against the drum.

Jack up rear, remove a wheel bolt (not the wheel) and use a pointy screw driver to pull the adjuster wedge down.

Early-1800 said

Jack up rear, remove a wheel bolt (not the wheel) and use a pointy screw driver to pull the adjuster wedge down.

You need to get someone in the car to press the brake pedal hard to the floor then pull down the adjusting wedge, if you pull it down with out the pedal being pressed you will just lock up the rear brakes and not move very far.

If the wheel does not spin very well after doing this push the wedge back up and try again, this can be done through a bolt hole.
I do remove the wheel as it's easier to see whats going on.

Brakes all sorted, 2 new callipers and 2 new front hoses. New fluid and all brakes are now working as they should. Not a hard job in the end but at least the car now stops as it should.
Andy

andyphill said

Brakes all sorted, 2 new callipers and 2 new front hoses. New fluid and all brakes are now working as they should. Not a hard job in the end but at least the car now stops as it should.
Andy

At least you won't meet new friends by Accident.