Brakes sticking !!!

[mike bar]

Ok guys finally got a chance to go for a spin with my now expensive argo along a very well gravelled rd.. tranny and clutch work great but about 45 minutes into trip the brakes over heated along with everything else. I let it cool for 10 and drive for 10 and so on. I took the hood off and the firewall. Brake fan was on the whole time. This thing is really starting to pmo so if there is any info or suggestions i am all ears. Is this normal to have to stop so often? If this is normal then someone can make me a decent offer for it.

Yours truly, FRUSTRATED MIKE

[akpride]

Mike,
What Argo do you have? This would help along with knowing if you were driving straight or with a bunch of turns? It is not normal to overheat. Most of the times it is how you drive it and how experienced you are ( not to question your skills ). I know when I first got mine I kept catching myself dragging the brakes because I was not used to pushing the sticks against the forward wall. I also know on a normal day they can get hot just ridding so if it is already a hot day you can get even hotter. Hope that helps any.

[mike bar]

1990 8x8 magnum. normal driving conditions. the brakes work fine until motor and tranny seem to get to a certain temp. Oil temp guage reads about 230 when this starts to happen.

[AlaskaGrizzly]

I used to run my old argo with 16hp Brigg's motor without the hood almost all the time and it had the mechanical brakes!

Getting too hot is a common problem with the air cooled engines. I know it doesn't seem right but next time start off without the hood and see what it does. Maybe it will be better. I've never torn into the hydraulic brakes to try to fix them but have heard this same story from friends. When hot the brakes would give them fits.

[plott hound]

i drove to hell outta my old '81 kb argo on a real hot day in june.took the hood off and had no brake troubles.i dont even have a brake cooling fan.all my brake components are new with dot 5 fluid.

[vader8x8]

With the machine cool in nuetral will it roll? I'm thinking maybe the rod on your master cyliders are out of adjustment engaging the calipers slightly building heat. How old is the fluid? Any moisture in it? Or air? The brakes shouldn't stick from running in any temperature. If anything heat would make them fade. Look for moisture in the master cylinders first.

[mike bar]

Thanks for the replies guys. The brakes have never been touched other than putting dot 5 in and retightening screws(had a slow leak the first winter i had it). when it would start pulling to the left, sometimes if i give the brake a hard snap it would release and i could feel the engine pick up again onlong enough for me to have to correct with the other one and so on . It was pulling so bad by times i thought the motor was going to blow for sure, and when i did stop it was almost instant.
sounds like i need a brake job next. Could you guys give me some tips on what to do for a rebuild? or should i try just changing the fluid? why the dot 4 vs. 5 plott?

thanx for now

[plott hound]

Thanks for the replies guys. The brakes have never been touched other than putting dot 5 in and retightening screws(had a slow leak the first winter i had it). when it would start pulling to the left, sometimes if i give the brake a hard snap it would release and i could feel the engine pick up again onlong enough for me to have to correct with the other one and so on . It was pulling so bad by times i thought the motor was going to blow for sure, and when i did stop it was almost instant.
sounds like i need a brake job next. Could you guys give me some tips on what to do for a rebuild? or should i try just changing the fluid? why the dot 4 vs. 5 plott?

thanx for now

sorry mike dot 4 was a typo.i meant dot 5.as for a brake job you got to choices.go all new or buy cylinder rebuild kits.i went all new because i couldnt get the old cylinders apart.the damn bleeder screw were seized and no amount of heat or fluid would loosen them up.

[eightwheeler]

Hold on fella's it might be too late for him cause he already overheated the calipers doin a fluid change and master rebuild might not fix it cause this happened to me with my first Magnum the calipers overhated and started to make a stress crackling sound every time i tried turning left, i ended up buying a new caliper and pads and never had a problem after that, Mike is your brake system making the same sound when they are hot?

[mike bar]

Yes, i believe it was now that you mention it. It seems to be the left that is giving me grief. never noticed it while turning, just when sitting and waiting for it cool off. any idea on how much it is for a rebuild? What could go wrong with the caliper from overheating it?