I'm new here, I've been enjoying my M109A3 for a while.
It's been sitting a while (few months) with normal startups etc, but the other day I noticed my brakes had no feeling, moved it a bit and no brakes at all.
I've never worked on or even checked the brakes, so i go searching them down, **** now i can't even figure out where the heck to put brake fluid in at?!
So my question is, 1: Where do you add brake fluid at? Check Fluid at?
2: I drove this thing for about 500 miles now without one issue. I let it sit few months and the brakes don't have any feel to them. Any ideas?
It shows in the manual that it has two caps, but mine does NOT have that. It looks solid with one line coming out of the top of it and no where does it look like you can take a cap off and add fluid. It looks like i could undo the line at top and add some there, but it does not look like that's how I should do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rockman
Read the TMs and Operators Manual...master cylinder is under the small door in the floor.
The 2 TMs you need to study for starters is the operators manual TM 9-2320-361-10 and the unit maintenance manual TM 9-2320-361-20. Don't concern yourself with the other 200 or so manuals for right now. To be blunt, this truck should not have ever moved an inch without a brake fluid check. For safetys sake you need to studt at least the -10 manual. In case you decide not to study these vital manuals, you still need to know where the brake fluid goes. That little line is actually attached to the cap. It has a 4 sided 3/4 fill cap. A short 3/4 open wrench or a crowsfoot will help you get the lid off once the vent line is discoed. PLEASE, PLEASE read these manuals. Your deuce has a single circuit brake system which means one leak and you have zero brakes. See pic for an example of a cap.
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Thanks a ton! Yes, I completely agree. When i bought it, the owner told me it was air brakes. I started looking around after no brakes and said "What the ****" lol Yea so that's where i'm at now. I'm very mechanical inclined and have about 80 percent truck figured out. Stupid me just thought it's air brakes... and just took his word for it. That part is my fault for sure.
Anyways thanks for the info...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Recovry4x4
The 2 TMs you need to study for starters is the operators manual TM 9-2320-361-10 and the unit maintenance manual TM 0-2320-361-20. Don't concern yourself with the other 200 or so manuals for right now. To be blunt, this truck should not have ever moved an inch without a brake fluid check. For safetys sake you need to studt at least the -10 manual. In case you decide not to study these vital manuals, you still need to know where the brake fluid goes. That little line is actually attached to the cap. It has a 4 sided 3/4 fill cap. A short 3/4 open wrench or a crowsfoot will help you get the lid off once the vent line is discoed. PLEASE, PLEASE read these manuals. Your deuce has a single circuit brake system which means one leak and you have zero brakes.
How fitting that you post this on Thanksgiving! Truly, you should give thanks that you, your family, and other motorists have been enjoying your vehicle without injury thusfar.
Unlike all passenger cars produced in this country over the past several decades, your truck has a single circuit brake system. This means that any leak or failure results in the no brakes whatsoever condition that you have now found - and there is no warning whatsoever.
Yes, the master cylinder is beneath the door in the driver's floorboard, and then beneath a piece of hat channel that reinforces the floor. To check the fluid (which likely is low), disconnect the small copper line attached to the elbow in the top of the master cylinder. Then remove the large plug in the top of the master cylinder. However, merely topping off the mastercylinder is rather like putting a band-aid on a stab wound - it only slows the problem.
You should set out to find out where the brake fluid went. That means check the six wheel cylinders as well as the air-hydraulic cylinder (another item not found on passenger cars), as well as the lines. While evidently thusfar you have had only slow leak, it at any time could become a major leak - an aged, swollen rubber brake line, for example, can rupture at any time. In such circumstances you instantly have NO BRAKES whatsoever. This is not like your car, where you have "a few more stops" - but rather you have no more stops.
Give thanks today that this problem happened in your driveway, tomorrow read the manuals, and Saturday break out the wrenches!
Best wishes,
David Doyle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neosin
Hello,
I'm new here, I've been enjoying my M109A3 for a while.
It's been sitting a while (few months) with normal startups etc, but the other day I noticed my brakes had no feeling, moved it a bit and no brakes at all.
I've never worked on or even checked the brakes, so i go searching them down, **** now i can't even figure out where the heck to put brake fluid in at?!
So my question is, 1: Where do you add brake fluid at? Check Fluid at?
2: I drove this thing for about 500 miles now without one issue. I let it sit few months and the brakes don't have any feel to them. Any ideas?
Just a small correction in case someone else search for this.
Correction :
operators manual TM 9-2320-361-10
unit maintenance manual TM 9-2320-361-20. not "TM 0-"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Recovry4x4
The 2 TMs you need to study for starters is the operators manual TM 9-2320-361-10 and the unit maintenance manual TM 0-2320-361-20. Don't concern yourself with the other 200 or so manuals for right now. To be blunt, this truck should not have ever moved an inch without a brake fluid check. For safetys sake you need to studt at least the -10 manual. In case you decide not to study these vital manuals, you still need to know where the brake fluid goes. That little line is actually attached to the cap. It has a 4 sided 3/4 fill cap. A short 3/4 open wrench or a crowsfoot will help you get the lid off once the vent line is discoed. PLEASE, PLEASE read these manuals. Your deuce has a single circuit brake system which means one leak and you have zero brakes. See pic for an example of a cap.
Isn't it funny. Granted as scared as you might be of it, you can stop with out normal brakes, in fact practice it! I'm surprised from the sounds of it no one chimed in telling me to use engine breaking with engine killing to stop "should" brakes go out. That's a standard rule should an event like this happen. Also, i would think the parking brake is manual on this thus giving one more line of braking? If not, it'll be changed soon lol I'll read up.
However, even know there is a rule to stopping. LOL stopping without breaks... NO FUN!
Thanks guys for the info. Now knowing what I do, i plan to put eyes and hands on every brake item there is on this truck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DDoyle
How fitting that you post this on Thanksgiving! Truly, you should give thanks that you, your family, and other motorists have been enjoying your vehicle without injury thusfar.
Unlike all passenger cars produced in this country over the past several decades, your truck has a single circuit brake system. This means that any leak or failure results in the no brakes whatsoever condition that you have now found - and there is no warning whatsoever.
Yes, the master cylinder is beneath the door in the driver's floorboard, and then beneath a piece of hat channel that reinforces the floor. To check the fluid (which likely is low), disconnect the small copper line attached to the elbow in the top of the master cylinder. Then remove the large plug in the top of the master cylinder. However, merely topping off the mastercylinder is rather like putting a band-aid on a stab wound - it only slows the problem.
You should set out to find out where the brake fluid went. That means check the six wheel cylinders as well as the air-hydraulic cylinder (another item not found on passenger cars), as well as the lines. While evidently thusfar you have had only slow leak, it at any time could become a major leak - an aged, swollen rubber brake line, for example, can rupture at any time. In such circumstances you instantly have NO BRAKES whatsoever. This is not like your car, where you have "a few more stops" - but rather you have no more stops.
Give thanks today that this problem happened in your driveway, tomorrow read the manuals, and Saturday break out the wrenches!
1971 Am M109A3 Brakes Please Help!
