Unable to remove the brake cyclinder cap on surge braking system

[softdown]

This is an 80's vintage EZ-Loader dual axle trailer. It seems like all similar EZ-Loader trailers are equipped with single axle surge brakes. Titan Model 10 Surge-A-Matic surge brake system.

Hauling it home from California, a steel brake line snapped next to the junction tee that feeds the left and right brakes. This did not seem to be a big deal at the time. I was wrong.

I bought a vacuum brake bleeder system so I could try to do it myself. I twisted real hard on the brake fluid cap. A 3/4" thin circular cap popped off under the stress. This reveals a 2/3" tall nipple with a 1/5" hole in the middle.

Tried and tried and tried to loosen the 1 1/8" plastic cap on the iron brake fluid cylinder. Squirting penetrating fluid at the base a 1/2 dozen times as well. No dice.

Without being able to loosen the fluid cylinder cap, I don't see how the vacuum pump can suck out the air and old fluid.

Got to be a trick that I am missing?

 

[Grub54891]

Probably no tricks to it, I'd say time to replace the master. Most get ignored till there is a problem and then it's to late to repair.

 

[softdown]

Those Vice Grips with the 3" parrot jaws were magic for busting open the plastic cap. With pure air in the system and my lack of experience, the vacuum brake purging system was not a complete success.

Pumping air into the master with a rafting pump and an adapter felt like it was working. Alas, no brake fluid spurted out. I'm sure that much more pressure is needed.

 

[Scott Danforth]

For $100 you get 2 loaded backing plates, for another $200 you get a new surge brake actuator. Add $30 worth of copper nickle lines and $40 for 2 hoses and you have a fully rebuilt brake system

 

[softdown]

Yes.........but the brakes worked great until the brake line broke. I think my assistant clobbered it with a plywood sheet while building a large wood "box" on the trailer.

It is very rare for steel brake lines to suddenly fracture without physical "trauma."

Considering the pneumatic pressure on the master brake cyclinder...using a compressor.