No brake pedal, at wits end...

[Purplefade]

Ok, here’s what happened...


“OH SHIT – NO BRAKES”, as I blew through that red light and rolled uphill (thank goodness) into the parking lot of firehouse subs where I was able to use the parking brake to get myself stopped. From that point I straightened myself and regrouped for a minute before realizing I had no pedal, at all and no brakes, I could STAND on them and get the X stopped, but I was full into and (maybe) beyond the “emergency circuit”.
Knowing that I was limited to standing on the pedal and anything else that I could do with the parking brake, I set out at a whopping 5 miles an hour home, with my hazards on, giving myself ppllllleeeeeeeeeeennnnttty of space between me and the car in front of me (thank goodness again that it was after dinner and light traffic).



Getting it home I diagnosed no vacuum from the pump and very quickly after that replaced it – to which end I got vacuum at the pump, check valve and booster, but still had no brakes.



Digging in further I was led to the booster, no power assist, would pump up ok with the car off but the instant the car started, straight to the floor, so I replaced the booster, and still no pedal, but the symptoms were different.



With the new booster, the brakes felt great, amazing, but if you sat for any period of time (30\45 seconds) with your foot on the pedal, it SLOWLY sank to the floor, but the car stayed still, however, just slowing down they felt perfect or for just a quick stop at a stop sign where you could see all 4 corners were open they were perfect.



Diagnosing that issue we determined that we had (potentially) nicked the o-ring in the master cylinder during an “aggressive” bleeding procedure and that we needed a new MC.



Replacing the MC, we were re-presented with the vacuum at booster but no power assist that we diagnosed to a failed internal diaphragm and replaced the booster for the second time.



Replacing the booster and re-installing the MC, we were unable to bleed the front brakes, no fluid flow at all, not even a trickle – I have no idea how, but the manufacturer determined that the internal proportioning valve had failed closed on the front circuit… I didn’t even know that was a thing…


So anyway, now with the new, new MC on, I have a total shit pedal, but it is “driveable” and it does “stop” but it isn’t fun to drive and after nearly 3 days of bleeding, again, and again and again and trying a pressure bleeder, followed by a suction bleeder, followed by manually bleeding, I still have a total shit pedal, that stops the car, but renders it almost un-driveable because you don’t really know if it’s going to stop the car. The strangest thing is it takes no foot pressure at all, I mean it’s like magic power assist, I can run the travel out of the pedal to the point where the brakes do begin to engage and they work just like normal brakes, but in less than a single inch of overall travel.



I’m stumped – at this point I’m thinking air, somewhere and have built a recirculation pump to constantly run (not under pressure or sealed) brake fluid from each caliper back to under the level of the brake fluid in the MC so that it can just circulate fluid and let the air come to the surface…
What am I missing here? Many thanks in advance!!