Max..if you can make the Natick meet tomorrow afternoon we can look it over then.

Check for leaks at the MC, the rear brake cylinders (you must pull the drums, easy to do) and the front calipers.

Make sure the vac line is still attached at both ends betwen the UIM and the brake booster.

I can't make the meeting due to work reasons, but thanks for the invite.

Well it happened. I have no brakes at all now. I was leaving work and realized I couldn't stop the car. I had to pull into a parking lot and stop by hitting the curb (gently of course). The tow truck guy didn't believe me, and I almost ended up pinning him against his truck. He told me just to drive into the the things that go around the wheels (not sure what they are called) he assured me they would stop the car.

I did check the fluid reservoir and its bone dry. Haven't found the leak yet but I really haven't been able to get under the car. Its a scary feeling being in a car that you can't stop. I do not recommend it.

Yep... gf'* intrepid randomly lost brakes going 50 MPH. She ended up underneath the rear end of a ford contour. Fluid was bypassing inside the master cylinder, hence no brake pressure. Resulted in new rad, trans cooler, some a/c components, water pump pulley, bumper reinforcement, bumper, hood, hood latch crossmember, headlights, and tons of other stuff lol. $200.00 at the junk yard, and 2 days of work, in other words . Still the original bumper cover though lol those things are tough.

Either way... brakes are nothing to fool with. In school they always said you want better brakes before you want a better motor. No use in going fast if you can't slow it down... because there'* a good chance it'll be your last time going fast.

Another possible source for a leak is at the rear brake pressure reducer (not completely sure if that'* what it is). It'* located on the rear brake line, under the car, left side, slightly forward of the rear wheel. Mine was leaking there. Good luck, and glad no one got hurt.
JJ

I checked for leaks today and it seems to be exactly where you stated except I didnt see any 'reducer" type thing. The line comes back, then bends upwards (towards the cabin) about 2 inches then bends towards the rear of the car. The leak is within the 2 or so inches that bends upwards. Any idea how much to get this fixed? Is it something I might be able to do myself?

Any automotive parts store should have a repair coupler and the tools to install one. The parts are cheap, but if you aren't familiar with a flaring tool, you will need some help. If the repair isn't done properly, it will leak again. The parts store guys should be able to walk you through the repair. If not, WE COULD!
Another option is replacing the entire broken brake line, which will cost more but should be easier.
Talk to some parts stores and see what they have. Maybe even quote a repair shop if you're not comfortable doing it yourself. Repairing a line and bleeding the brakes are not a big task, so the bill shouldnt be too bad.
Let us know what you decide to do.
JJ

Agreed. However, brake loss is always possible, and one needs to think of that when one is drafting NASCAR style 4 inches from the guy in front of them at 80mph.

Since braking could always fail, or be degraded... I recommend keeping this process in mind... as soon as you realize you have braking problems, go for the parking brake. This should be a given, but none of my friends ever thought about using the "parking" brake for an emergency! Duh! How stupid have we become? Next, if that is not stopping the car fast enough, downshift and let the engine braking slow you down... even with an automatic... this really requires a little practice, but even if done wrong, its better to try... and possibly ruin your tranny/engine than to total your car/someone else'* car and/or kill yourself/your passengers or other bystanders.

Im thinking about doing this myself. AZ sells a flaring tool for a mere $25. I had another question about the process. Should I just 'patch' where the line is leaking, or just cut in to the broken spot and run the line back to the brake. The break is within 2 feet of the brake, with a little extra required depending on how the line twists and turns. Thanks again for al the replies.

thats a judgment call. if you plan on keeping the car, it would be better to replace the line, or lines. if you just want to invest as lil $ as possible, just replace what need to be replaced.

any questions on the flaring process?