master cylinder

[Diehard]

i bought a kawasaki 610 mule about a year ago and since i got it new the brakes really suck. its got brakes but you have to push really really hard to stop. i have talked to people on the mule forum and nobody knows anything about it. the kawasaki shop says im expecting too much from a utility vehicle.you can pull the parking brake and the rear brakes will lock up and slide, not with the foot brakes. ive bled them three times and no air either time. the master cylinder has a bore of 11/16, what i am asking is would a bigger mastercylinder do any better or any suggestions of anything that might work.these are just standard brakes(not disc) and not power.

[David R]

Did you check the pads? Sometimes aftermarket pads work better than stock. If you want more brake pressure you need a smaller bore master cyl for more pressure.

David

[sewiv]

You might check the master cylinder, see if it's leaking internally.

[Diehard]

sewiv i checked the cylinder and its not leaking. its just think its the wrong type. david r, i was thinking the same thing but i didnt know whether to go bigger or smaller. i dont think the shoes are bad because they work very well when i use the park brake. thanks for the input guys, diehard

[LarryM]

Diehard, just a suggestion first make sure the push rod in the master cylinder is adjusted so that you are getting the full stroke of the piston in cylinder. If that rod is too long the piston won't return far enough to uncover fluid ports in bottom of master cylinder reservoir. To test to see if the master cylinder is bypassing the piston, push down on the brake pedal gently if the pedal falls away to the floor the cylinder is bad.;)



Good Luck!!
LarryM

[David R]

Diehard,
Are you sure the parking brake shoes and service brake shoes are the same ones?

[rookie]

if it has shoes on back check adjustment.

[Mouse]

+1 on checking adjustment.

It's also worth checking any rubber brake lines - like the ones used to connect lines from your body to your axles.

On my car the rubber hose that connected the hard line to my rear axle had a crack that could only be seen when the hose was bent in the opposite direction. When I hit the brakes, the inner lining would balloon at the crack & I had weak breaks. New lines cured that problem...

[Diehard]

hi mouse i havent checked the lines but there pretty new but i will look at them. ive talked to a lot of mule riders and they are all having the same problems with the brakes.

hi rookie, they are all adjusted

hi david r, hadnt thought about that, i was just assuming they were just one set on the rear. will have to check on this.

hi larry m, there isnt any adjustment on the brake rod but they dont go to the floor they seem to work fine just dont stop the mule without excessive push.

i think i will try another master cylinder if i can find one that will work. it has two banjo fittings and two metal fittings, kinda strange looking brute. kawasaki says they dont have anything with a smaller bore that will fit. if i can find one that will hook up with the lines i can make it fit.....BIG HAMMER, ha ha ha. thanks guys.

[steve45]

I would suspect glazed or contaminated pads. As mentioned before, if the pedal doesn't go to the floor, the master cylinder is probably OK. I can't see Kawasaki designing it with a master cylinder that would make it hard to stop. You may have frozen pistons in the calipers, too.