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Thread: It's time to wake up sleeping beauty. what to do

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    It's time to wake up sleeping beauty. what to do

    So after almost a 6 year slumber i have the fire lit under me to get my car back in operation. My biggest hurdle will be the reason she was parked to begin with which is the failed brakes. i still don't really know what failed just that i have little to no braking on the car.
    However as the car has sat for almost 6 years albeit indoors, climate controlled and covered. i would like a punch list of things to do. obviously fluids and filters are my main concerns but what else should i look for?
    i should note the car has been run a few times since being parked, up to temp and such.

    thanks!

  2. #2
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    Scott,

    Little or no braking could be frozen caliper pistons, failed brake bomb or brake master cylinder failure. If you can get your hands on a Bentley repair manual for the E28, there are a number of tests described to narrow down the source.
    They pop up on eBay for $25-35 used. New, probably $50-60. Worth ever penny IMHO.
    '84 Euro 635
    '88 M6 (Gone but not forgotten)

  3. #3
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    thanks george! how have you been?
    It was a sudden failure while driving so my assumption is the master or bomb. there was no fluid under the vehicle indicating evacuation of the system as a leak. i believe there is a repair manual of some sort in the trunk i acquired somewhere i will have to check. i will check ebay too.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottMA 635csi View Post
    thanks george! how have you been?
    It was a sudden failure while driving so my assumption is the master or bomb. there was no fluid under the vehicle indicating evacuation of the system as a leak. i believe there is a repair manual of some sort in the trunk i acquired somewhere i will have to check. i will check ebay too.
    Doing good Scott.

    I myself am in the middle (the end) of replacing ALL the brake, clutch and power steering components including hoses. My brake bomb went south a couple years ago. The symptom was a hard brake pedal, but hey, the brakes worked Couple months ago I noticed the car was dragging while coasting. Found front calipers locked up and some seeping of fluid on the INSIDE of the firewall/rear of power booster. I'm rebuilding that puppy. I sourced a brake master cylinder (Ate) on eBay for $190 and a brake bomb (Febi) for $86. That was the best price I could find on both.

    Good luck with your adventure
    '84 Euro 635
    '88 M6 (Gone but not forgotten)

  5. #5
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    What ever happened to sub $50 brake bombs ??? And $100 e32 master cylinders ???

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by 88m53453 View Post
    What ever happened to sub $50 brake bombs ??? And $100 e32 master cylinders ???
    Steve,

    That was like...1993
    '84 Euro 635
    '88 M6 (Gone but not forgotten)

  7. #7
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    so over the weekend i bought a battery, checked all my fluids, connections etc. lubed what i thought should be for a start and gave it a whirl. The car fired up on the first crank, she's running like no time has passed. so that leaves me with the brakes. No fluid visible in the tank. I took a quick but slow ride around the property, again there is minimal braking. All 4 calipers are working as evidence on the rotors from stopping and the car does eventually stop when the pedal is pressed. its low and spongy. my brain is telling me master cylinder however I have yet to get the car somewhere to fully diagnose it.

  8. #8
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    Sounds to me liked the fluid has leaked out over time even before you laid the car up and had air in the lines. I would start by rebuilding the calipers and bleeding the system before running out and buying a new master. In fact I would probably bleed it several times and flush all of the old crap out off the lines. Maybe even flush it a few times before you rebuild the calipers so you only run clean fluid through them after the rebuild.I for sure wouldn't bother rebuilding the master if it is bad and only go new . A power bleeder would make the job a lot easier and is not that expensive.
    Last edited by Bert Poliakoff; 06-10-2019 at 08:19 PM.
    81 Euro undergoing total nut and bolt restoration
    pictures at: flickr.com/photos/bertsphotos

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bert Poliakoff View Post
    Sounds to me liked the fluid has leaked out over time even before you laid the car up and had air in the lines. I would start by rebuilding the calipers and bleeding the system before running out and buying a new master. In fact I would probably bleed it several times and flush all of the old crap out off the lines. Maybe even flush it a few times before you rebuild the calipers so you only run clean fluid through them after the rebuild.I for sure wouldn't bother rebuilding the master if it is bad and only go new . A power bleeder would make the job a lot easier and is not that expensive.
    would that cause the sudden failure i had though? the car was parked because the brakes failed while driving. either way i will fully diagnose it before throwing parts especially expensive ones at it. the system needs an overhaul anyway (pads/rotors possibly calipers) as they are the ones on it when i bought it and that was 11 years ago. i'd like to at least get a good pedal back and pick at the rest.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by EuroGeorge View Post
    Scott,

    Little or no braking could be frozen caliper pistons, failed brake bomb or brake master cylinder failure. If you can get your hands on a Bentley repair manual for the E28, there are a number of tests described to narrow down the source.
    They pop up on eBay for $25-35 used. New, probably $50-60. Worth ever penny IMHO.
    I just purchased a Bentley manual off of eBay new $60.00, after all these years. I can say it's one of the best investments I've made in the Coupe.
    SprCpe
    1989 635csi # 3268410
    Built in Germany with love.
    Ostatecznym maszyny jazdy BMW

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