I've bled ALOT of brakes, from AMC to GMC to MBZ to (well you get the idea)...

I recently acquired a 1984 Euro 300d (5-speed baby!!), the brakes were a little iffy and the fluid looked like maple syrup. I did my normal routine... get a small clear plastic bottle, a short length of clear vinyl hose, quart of brake fluid, and a trusty brake pedal pusher.

The back brakes bled like a dream, but the front brakes... they would give one good squirt, then just dribble, no amount of pumping the pedal would change that.

After 45 minutes of cursing and some tool throwing, We take a break and I go surf my most trusted resource... I get lots of ideas, but no answers.... Both parts of the brake reservoir are FULL, there is NO proportioning valve, the rubber brake hoses are NOT collapsed, the hardlines are NOT crimped, rusted or otherwise impeded, the bleeder valves are not stopped up...

In desperation I yank the reservoir off the MC and take a good look... there is 1/4 in of GUNK in the bottom which is preventing the uptake of new fluid into the MC!!

Needless to say, Simple green+Gallons of hot water+hair dryer= Easy bleeding of front brakes and a firm pedal!!

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Cheers,
Robert

And so many folks think that replacing their brake fluid periodically is unnecessary!!!

So where exactly was it all plugged up? The plunger? I never examined my old one aside from the weeping rubber seals. New MC does wonders for your braking distances

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

the front entrance/downtube(?) from reservoir to MC was entirely full of black crud... precious little in the way of brake fluid was actually gettin' to the MC, altho the reservoir was full to the point of overflowing.

Yah, its funny, the PO was religious about engine oil changes, every one was meticulously notated in the service book, yet the Power steering fluid was somewhere between brown and black and I won't even horrify you w/ the condition of the PS filter.... 99% sure it was OE.

ps. be sure to catch my next post RE: flex disc neglect

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Cheers,
Robert

Nice score on that Euro % spd manual
Post a pic when you get a chance, those are nice cars. The 616s are a little easier to work on but the extra power of the 617 more than compensates.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

thanx 4 the heads up steve, sig has been corrected, but blame falls squarely upon Francis Coppola 2004 Rosso... super tasty and less than 10 bux a bottle.

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Cheers,
Robert

I second that. PO in my car never changed it. I just recently flushed it but the reservoir is still dirty. I'll have to take it apart soon enough, don't want any chunks to block the lines.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System