Power assist brakes issue

[Glen Carliss]

I have recently become the owner of a 1963 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty which is very different from from my other "fun" car, a 1964 Austin Mini. I have been working through some minor problems but one in particular has me baffled regarding the power assist brakes. I lose the power assist when I take car out of park. I have replaced the main vacuum line as well as a few smaller vacuum lines under the hood. Knowing that vacuum is used to release the parking brake I checked all the vacuum lines under the dash and everything is connected and looks like it is in good shape. When I put it back in park the brake pedal comes back up and it seems that the power assist is working again.

I am hoping that this is something others have experienced and you can steer me in the right direction. I love the car and it gets plenty of thumbs up cruising down Main St. in our little New England town of Falmouth, MA. Oh, and although many have suggested it, the Mini will not fit in the trunk of the Fleetwood!

Thanks for helping a newbie.

Glen Carliss

[Glen Carliss]

Thank you. You have made some great suggestions. The service manual was the first thing I bought after the car. I couldn't imagine trying to figure some of this stuff out without it.

I will get back at it in a week or so. I hate it when work gets in the way of play!

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Do not disconnect ,the vacuum line at the back of the intake ,that goes to the brake booster ,only the one that goes thru the firewall into the cabin ,to supply the vacuum required for the systems working off , the vacuum there
Getting the engine to perform correctly ,would always be a first priority for me ,to get the car road worthy ASAP
This is basicly a divide and conquor approach ,to the vacuum systems
Enjoy

[Glen Carliss]

One thing I have learned from my Mini is the value of electronic ignition. After fussing with the points for a couple weeks, I installed a Pertronix electronic ignition set in the distributor. What a difference that made in starting and smooth running. The engine, happily, is the least of my problems.

[Jason Edge]

I have to agree on the Pertronix. That is probably going to be the one last item I may never revert back to original on my 64 CDV.

[Glen Carliss]

i am all about keeping things stock on the Mini and Cadillac. The nice thing about the Pertronix units is that you can revert back to stock points at any time. The only thing I had to do was add some spacers on the distributor shaft to maintain the proper gap. They can easily be removed and everything is back to factory stock settings.

[Glen Carliss]

I have brakes! Thank you all for your help with this. I replaced the master cylinder yesterday and the brakes are working well. I am not sure whether I have found all the vacuum leaks to get the power assist working 100% but at least she now stops. The PB Blaster tip was essential to the fix. I never thought i would get all those rusty bolts and connections off without breaking something.

I certainly appreciate your collective advice.

[Jason Edge]

Thanks for the feedback and congrats on the fix!

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Good work Very glad we got you rolling down the road with a few tips
Enjoy

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Pls fill out the new car purchase info on the tread here ,as we are compiling some info on current purchases
Thanks