Newbie With Puking Brake Fluid

[AGPTurbo]

Guys, hello and thanks for having me aboard!

 I just sold my 2008 5.4 SuperDuty for a very clean 2002 Sport Quad cab 8' 4x4 Cummins with an automatic.  Picked it up in Virginia on Saturday and drove her home 300 miles and averaged 20.7 mpg. I have over 400 miles on the trip clock and have still have 3/8 tank- i cant believe this fuel economy, Unreal! 

 

Anyway, after the drive home I got under the truck to give it a once over with my creeper and trouble light and saw no major issues.  Today, after it being very cold here in SW PA, I noticed fluid on the inside rear tire.  Under closer inspection, It appears to be brake fluid, and after more inspection, seems to be pushing fluid past the caliper seals and brake components on ALL 4 CORNERS! Anyone heard of this before? Its dark and I was using a flash light on snow, but I am totally freaked out after owning this for 4 days,

Any help appreciated.

AP

[dripley]

Well if all calipers are leaking, that would be unusual. Since you just bought it, maybe they were all leaking prior to buying it.? 

[mopartechnician]

Ya. I have seen one but never all. And one is pretty rare

[hex0rz]

Welcome to the forum! Stick around and join this group of Cummins lovers! I'm sure we can get you through this, just going to have to take some baby steps!

Edited January 9, 2014 by hex0rz

[AGPTurbo]

Thanks guys,

I'm going to get a better look at it today, but I drove it home 300 miles with no problem. All of the sudden it starts leaking.  It didn't seem to be applying the brakes or dragging.  I do have code P0234 MAP sensor- could an over-boost be pushing pressure into the brake system somehow? I'm hoping this is a failed or dirty MAP and not a stuck waste-gate, OR just a result of the wild temp swing we had this week (35 to -15 to 20F)

[Mopar1973Man]

Nothing to freak out about I know through RockAuto.Com the seal kit is roughly 2-3 bucks per caliper. I would just take all 4 calipers apart and clean them up and reseal them.

Not hard to rebuild a caliper.

[joecool911]

And a brand new Rockauto discount code too. Venders area.

Nice n clean. What did you use to hone the bore? How far can you go and still have the seals seal? I ordered the Motive power bleeder. Be here in a week or so. Dot 3 or 4? The dot 4 is a lot more expensive and comes in smaller containers. Hoping do 3 is adequate. Although I don't have an exhaust brake.

Edited January 9, 2014 by joecool911

[MnTom]

DOT4 is a synthetic fluid. Yes, it is better with less moisture affinity and higher boiling point. DOT3 is mineral based and you already know what it is like. Just don't mix the two.

[joecool911]

$25.32 for caliper repair kits and slider pin boots for all 4 calipers.

[Mopar1973Man]

Nice n clean. What did you use to hone the bore?

 

 

Nothing. Factory bore.

[AGPTurbo]

OK Guys thanks for all of the help.  After getting it in the garage today I was surprised to see that what I thought was brake fluid on 3 of the 4 inside wheels must have been water from the road.  The r rear caliper however, had taken a dump, and after closer inspection, must have been seeping for a while judging by the dirt cake.  It must have finally gave up on the Pittsburgh hills because after dis-assembly, there was a huge hole torn in one of the seals most likely from a prying screwdriver.  I ordered 2 seal kits from Advance for 7 bucks. Way cheaper than 60 per caliper.

Feeling relieved for sure, I was thinking all of the worst case scenarios in my head because of the new-to-me truck.

Thanks

AP

[diesel4life]

And a brand new Rockauto discount code too. Venders area.

Nice n clean. What did you use to hone the bore? How far can you go and still have the seals seal? I ordered the Motive power bleeder. Be here in a week or so. Dot 3 or 4? The dot 4 is a lot more expensive and comes in smaller containers. Hoping do 3 is adequate. Although I don't have an exhaust brake.

DOT4 is a better fluid but DOT3 is all that is required and if you flush your brakes every 2 years should be sufficient.

Let us know what you think of the bleeder, I am due to flush the brakes on 3 vehicles this spring and think I will buy one rather than borrow from my friend again.

[AGPTurbo]

OK, brake caliper repaired!  I thought the weak brakes were just part of the dodge design! Way better now that they are bled, must have been a lot of air that worked back into the line.  Also did the front output seal in the t-case and found a u joint on the CV end that was ready to fall apart.  This transfer case spins the front shaft all of the time right?

AP

[Wild and Free]

This transfer case spins the front shaft all of the time right?

AP

Yep.........

[AGPTurbo]

Thanks Wild, I cant believe it wasnt squealing on the 300 mile ride home from purchasing the truck.  The bearing caps were cracked from being beat up from the u-joint stem.

I appreciate all of the replies

AP

[diesel4life]

Your front driveshaft should rotate freely when the transfer case is in 2 wheel drive

[Wild and Free]

Your front driveshaft should rotate freely when the transfer case is in 2 wheel drive

02 most likely has no CAD therefore it is a live front axle and the driveshaft will turn with the front axle.

I know 02 was hit and miss with the CAD but most 02's don't have them.

Not sure if his has it or not.

[diesel4life]

So are the transfer cases different between cad and non cad trucks? I'm just trying to picture how the t case would disconnect in 2 wheel drive while the front driveshaft is engaged?

[MnTom]

The transfer case on a cad truck has a sliding collar that disconnects the front driveshaft the same way your non cad case does.

[AGPTurbo]

I'm going to have to investigate the setup on mine, but just from the wear on the u-joint, I'm sure it spin all of the time. Also to get at those bolts on the drive flange, I had to put the t-case in neutral to spin it. (BTW- Moog P/N 254 for the CV style front driveshaft joints, case side only)

AP