1998 Hydraulic Assist Brake Reservoir

[Grant Ralston]

Hello All, a new member here.  I have lurked on the forum for weeks as a visitor before picking up our 1998 Contessa Naples and joining BAC a couple of weeks ago.

Driving her from Vancouver up I-5 to storage in Milton was exciting due to the soft service brakes.  A call to BCS confirmed our coach has hydraulic assist service brakes (using the power steering fluid).  Following some excellent help from this forum and some google research I found the master cylinder and followed hoses to the reservoir hidden behind the front cap up high near the floor.  Again following forum advice I got fluid into the empty front reservoir chamber (who designed that location!) and the brakes immediately improved even without bleeding the front circuit.  I will do that once I am ready for a road test to find the leak and before I have both systems flushed with fresh fluid.  

We are originally from Oregon (Pendleton, Molalla, OSU) but have lived across the country following a career in heavy construction.  I had planned to be retired by now but the economy changed that ... maybe this year...?

Thanks Again & Travel Well

[Karl Welhart]

Grant,

Welcome to BAC... I hope you are filling the brake reservoir with DOT 3 fluid and NOT power steering fluid.  I am a little confused about what BCS told you regarding the hydraulic (using the power steering fluid) assist braking system on your coach.  The system on your coach (I think) is air over hydraulic (brake fluid).  If so, the assist is coming from the air pressure, NOT the power steering fluid.  Anyway, you should empty the brake fluid reservoir, refill with fresh DOT 3 fluid, bleed right rear, left rear, right front, left front and refill the reservoir.  Also, it is very important to clean/lubricate the front and rear brake slides.

[Grant Ralston]

Thanks Karl
BCS told me up to about June 1998 hydraulic assist brakes were used on the Contessa Magnum chassis, after about June air assist was used.  I made a mistake with the photos on my first post, I had intended to include the photo below showing the hydraulic assist master cylinder, something entirely new to me.  

Thanks for the advice on the flushing, with all the rain we have in the PNW and the fact the coach has been sitting for some time, I know I must get to that brake fluid soon.

Travel Well
Grant

[Keith Moffett]

Hi ya Grant.  Welcome to the club and the forum.  
We live in Port Angeles and so are familiar with the rain you mention.  They finaly stopped measuring the rain fall and are now posting minutes of sunshine total this year.  Darn few of those.  

Beas of luck on those brakes and hope to see you at the Fmca rally in Redmond and the lead in rally just prior for Beaver volunteers.  We did our first Beaver rally there a few years ago and it was great fun.  Also, with all the suppliers there we were able to get a ton of work done on the coach right in the campground.  Most suppliers have techs there.

All the best
Keith Moffett