[Vwdiesel] Stop me from buying a Camry--brakes question

[Shalyn Shourds]

OK, same problem I’ve been fighting for better than 2
months.  Brakes weren’t good, so I replaced everything
in the rear brakes and the master cylinder.  This is
when the top speed problem came in—no power, etc.  On
the communal advice of suspicion of a dragging brake,
I replaced all the flexible lines and the master
cylinder-—particularly after I wore through the pads
on the passenger front caliper.  The pads on the
driver’s side were fine. After I replaced the pads and
the master cylinder, I couldn’t get any pedal feel.
It went to the firewall when I started up the engine.
I took the m/c back and got another one ( number
three).  Still, the pedal is soft and then becomes too
firm after driving a few minutes. I also have very
little braking.  It’s like there’s no vacuum boost,
but even crushing the pedal, it won’t stop.  I’m
pretty scrawny, but I’m a competitive fencer and the
legs are up to stopping an H2 with a blown vacuum
booster.  I don’t know if that has something do to
with the new front pads not being bedded in or all the
grease I usually get smeared all over the rotors, but
I drove it around the neighborhood in first gear
riding the brakes, and it should have been fine.
There are only a few parts left that aren’t new:  the
vacuum booster, the front calipers, the proportioning
valve, and the hard lines.  I don’t see the booster
being involved.  I may replace the passenger caliper
since it ate its pads, but I can’t afford to do the
government solution and just throw a bunch of money at
it.  Any ideas more intelligent than the ones I’ve
had?  I’m getting really sick of working on a car in
the 100+ heat and  humidity, not having a life aside
from working on a car, smelling like brake fluid all
the time, and suffering the embarrassment of borrowing
a car all the time.  I’ve been doing brakes for years.
 Never had anywhere near this trouble.

Sorry for the vent and thanks for any advice.

-Shalyn

-85 Jetta TD