240 brake failure help

[bookerbill]

hi chaps picked up volvo 240 saloon today 2.1 manual , car had been laid up for a while , driving home brakes went pedal to floor anyway got home found brake fluid had squirted over exhaust hense smell whilst driving , not much fluid out of brake res, plenty left in , just started car brakes fine , braking fine , i did feel brakes binding whilst driving home , any ideas welcome , i know they can fail [ servo + master cylinder at any time and then be fine for a while ????? plus if i need a servo or master will to buy new

[coaster22]

What year is it ? Would suspect rubber seals, is there fluid down the back of the Master cylinder as it attaches to the servo ? Big seal in master cylinder can flip if it's been laid up. Might also say hoses or other seals but the m/ cylinder seal is above aghast area. Cheers

[bookerbill]

its a 1984 year ; no fluid down back of master cylinder, when i opened bonnet it looked like it has squirted over exhuast manifold , plus plenty of fluid in res/ just drove car before brakes appear to be working fine , plus i did feel the brakes binding whilst i was driving home . plus no fluid leak from any of wheels etc

[Tramp]

Obviously my situation was different to yours but when I picked up my 84' 244 on the way home the brakes did exactly the same, foot to the floor and nothing there, I limped home, and by the time I arrived at home they were working again, I investigated the front calipers first as they were smoking hot, both my front calipers were siezed I exercised the cylinders in both calipers and replaced the seals, I also had to change the brake lines as the drivers side cylinders would not return back (I think the brake hose had failed internally) after a change of brake fluid we were up and running and I've not had any issues since,

[bookerbill]

hello many thanks for you info; when weather clears up i will strip brakes either side and replace as i find , plus i will replace brake master just in case its been damaged , many thanks again .

[Clifford Pope]

I think it's important to try and see exactly where the fluid has leaked from.

Master cylinder seals can fail, but the effect is usually internal - ie fluid bypasses the seal, but no pressure is transmitted, so brakes fail to work.
It can only leak externally past the operating rod into the servo, or leak out at the joint between the two.
Or at one of the pipe unions to the MC.

Another thought is what happens if a caliper gets so hot that it boils the fluid and bubbles it back to the MC and out of the cap? Then when it cools down everything would work again, as long as there was still enough fluid left.