No brakes, car won't start.

[Paladin]

'86 Regal T-Type, was out since 4pm doing the trans service. I take it out onto the road, just a couple hundred feet, turn it around, then when I slow down I have no front brakes, only rear and they lock up. As I turn up the driveway the Check Engine light comes on. I found the leak in the trans, looks to be at the rear seal with the driveshaft. It started leaking once I brought the car back to the house and applied the brakes. I shut the car off, clean up my mess, then go start it up so I can put it back in its spot. I get in, turn the key, no starter. Everything lights up but the engine does not turn over. I press the brake down and hear PSHHHHHHHHHHHHHT. Hit it again, PSHHHHHHHHHHHT, sinks right to the floor. I do it a couple times real quick and build up pressure, sinks to the floor again. So my buddy pops the hood, notices the resivour is low. We go around back and see that when the pedal is pressed, brake fluid blasts out of the rear of the car on the driver's side near the axle.

So my first question is, is there a safety mechanism in these cars that will prohibit it from starting if the braking system cannot build any pressure or there is a break in the line? Secondly, I'll have to fix it so I can move the car around back for the winter, does it sound like the break line just snapped or maybe (forgive my ignorance, it's 32 degrees outside and I was in that for nearly 3 hours working on the car) 'popped off' what it was connected to? As of right now, the car has no e-brake (pedal springs back up when depressed, doesn't lock down) and also no regular brakes so I have to find out what went wrong in the braking system in the back before I can do anything else.

Help!

Sam

 

[Paladin]

One other question, does anybody know of a company that makes brake lines for the Turbo Regal? I found a link to Goodridge Brake Lines off the Gnttype.org website, I'll give them a call tomorrow to see if they have something that would work.

Sam

 

[John Larkin]

It'll start with bad brakes, no connection there. The rubber line probably cracked. I'm guessing it's a GM part but maybe not; it has a 2-way brass block built on the end of it. Could be available at the parts store. The lines are so short back there at the axle that even replacing them all would be cheap. Rebleed and life is good.

As for the no-start, time to follow the guide on gnttype or search for TurboJim's no start diagnosis procedure.

 

[Paladin]

Ok I'll check those out. I'm going to address the brakes first, as I don't want to risk running the PowerMaster dry and having to change that out just yet as well. Figure I'll look into replacement lines, take care of that, then try to get her to kick over again. Maybe I just blew a fuse or something...or the neutral safety switch flaked out, I've seen that happen on several cars with automatic transmissions...

Thanks!

Sam