I have an 04 600 dually that I can put the brake pedal to the floor. I installed a BrakeSmart controller and I think I let some air into the brake line. I took it to the dealer to be checked and let them know what I had done. The service writer proceded to jump in and put it to the floor and tell me it's normal with the hydra-boost brakes. I don't remember it being that way prior to installing the Brakesmart.

Is he right or does he need to put down the crack pipe...

TIA,
-Allen

 

Not right. You got air !

 

In this world of hungry lawyers , why would a service writer of all people make that decision that you truck is normal. you definately have a problem and need to be checked out by a qualified technician.

 

If your truck were older I would say bleed the lines becuase you have picked up water (brake fluid is very hygroscopic). Since it is new I would say bleed the lines because you have air in the system somewhere.

In any case, bleed the system. As you are probably already aware, start at the RR then LR then RF then LF.

 

"I have an 04 600 dually that I can put the brake pedal to the floor."

Your brake pedal should never go to the floor!! If it does you have a problem and need it fixed now.

 

Its air, plain and simple. Power bleed it at a shop for $25. Never use a vacuum pump to bleed brakes, pressure only.

 

Unfortunately I beg to differ about the pedal going to the floor issue in regards to hydro-boost brakes. Our trucks use brakes that are hyraulicly assited by the powersteering system. The PS system can produce upwards of 2000psi typically and with that much assit on your brakes, if you stand on the pedal, the pedal can and will go to the floor. This is not the amount of pedal force you would normally use even in a panic situation as the brakes would have locked up long before the pedal went to the floor. The only way to relieve system pressure to check brake pedal firmness in a hydro boost setup is to pump the brake pedal about 40 times to dump pressure out of the hydro boost accumulator, then and only then will the brake pedal feel rock hard. Unlike a vacuum assited unit where engine vacuum helps to put extra force on the brake master cyl, the Hydro boost unit allows ps fluid to pressurize an accumulator that stores the pressure to assit brake master cyl. One advantage to Hydro-boost over vacuum assisted is that if the engine shuts off you will have more than 2 pedal travels of brake assit (that's all vacuum assited brakes allow) you will have like 30-40 pedal travels to get you out of potential danger down that long mountian pass, as well as being able to provide more brake assit for larger vehicles and brake systems such as our behemoth trucks. Before panicking about your mushy pedals I would first try pumping the pedal about 40 times or so and then seeing how it feels. If it doesn't feel rock hard at this time then I would say you have air in the sytstem. Being that you seem to have opened the brake system and not bled it afterwards there is a good possibility that you have let air into the system so you may still have a soft pedal and may need bleeding, but remember that even after bleeding you may still be able to get the pedal to the ground if the hydro-boost system is charged. If you want the low down on the easiest way to bleed the system PM me and I'll help you out.