Brake issue

[Bushey]

We have delightedly come into the possession of a 
1944 AEC Matador 0853  Our model has air pressure brakes opposed to air/hydraulic brakes. 
We have an issue in that we have air pressure but the brake pedal goes right to the floor. The hand book says to immediately report but the maintenance manual only gives fault diagnosis for air/hydraulic brakes ie. adjustment has any body else had this issue and found an answer. Don't want to just go ahead and adjust and cause damage to the system. Regards 
Robin 

[cosrec]

is the vehicle up and running or stood. does pedal make any noises when you press it. 

[john1950]

Adjusting the brakes up will not damage anything. Are you sure it is not an Air and Hydraulic system. Are there any Air chambers on the rear axles? Early Matadors Air over hydraulic brakes, then changed to full air. Electric trailer brake, Pre war civvy 4x2 Matador vaccum over hydraulic. Have you any axle pictures or serial number.

Edited April 6, 2019 by john1950
addition

[Bushey]

Thanks for your reply’s. yes the vehicle is up and running and no noise when you depress the brake pedal  

John I’ll take pictures of rear axle but pretty sure it’s air pressure brakes it has the two air tanks on the chassis on the passenger side. 

Robin

[john1950]

First you have to find out if it is making air, then is it filling the tanks and to what pressure. Is the demand valve on the end of the main tank working.Then have you got air to the brake pedal and is the valve stuck down, is any air getting through the foot valve, then work your way to the brake chambers.

[Redmat]

My Matador is fitted with the Westinghouse full air braking system. There is not really any back pressure against the foot on the pedal and it goes down to the bottom but the lower you push down the pedal the harder the brakes are applied. When driving you have to judge how far down to press the pedal to slow the vehicle as you intend  rather than rely on sensing how hard your foot is pressing on the brake.

[john1950]

Early foot brake valves were vey nearly off/on with virtually no feed back. Not at all like modern proportioning air valves or electronic foot valves. At least chasing problems on air systems you do not get liquid dripping all over.

[Grasshopper]

Pedal to the floor is normal for full air brakes, whether the pedal operates the brakes are moving is another thing! I had the pedal on one of mine fail while shunting, something inside stuck and it ran away backwards down a small hill in a field.

 

It is normal for there to be no feedback through the pedal itself. I understand most Matadors were full air, with a smaller number being air/hydraulic brakes. 

[john1950]

I think when the tyre size changed from 13.50 x 20 fo 14.00 x 20 that could be the change over point for the brakes from Air over hydraulic to full Air.

[cosrec]

Posted Saturday at 06:14 PM

Thanks for your reply’s. yes the vehicle is up and running and no noise when you depress the brake pedal  

Every body seems to be overlooking the fact there is no noise when pressing pedal so I would suggest no air getting to it

 

[Mattyboy]

If anyone requires and spares for their matador air braking systems or advice, feel free to PM me or ring me 07779003635 

[Grasshopper]

I found on the foot air valve that there are 2x wire gauze filters which can be completely blocked up with rust. Worth checking them out.