E30 Brake Problems

[Robert Phelan <centuri@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello fellow digesters,

I have a bit of a problem with the brakes on my 325es (1986)   The pedal
travels a significant ammount before engaging the brakes to any degree.
Then finally when you do get it near the bottom of it's range the pedal
feedback is very squishy, and travels further than I think it should.  I've
tested the brakes on some other E30's 88 and 91 (325i/is) and they engage
at the top of their travel and stop abruptly as they should.  From what I
understand, the E30 325's all have the same braking systems.  So shouldn't
my pedal feel the same??  The pedal response is equally poor at rest or
under speed.  The brakes do pump up when the engine is off.  There is no
loss of fluid.  The brakes do stop the car admirably, but I still wish my
pedal were better.  The fact that it sinks so far before engaging often
makes it dificult for heel-toe downshifting.

I have done the following things to alleviate the problem.
- -Replaced master cylinder... twice (OEM Ate's, no cheap crap).
- -Changed to Super Blue racing fluid (I autoX)
- -Got the Stainless lines.
- -Bled the brakes (over and over and over and...)
- -Got Ate Power discs.
- -Got new pads, twice.
- -New proportioning valve.

None of it ever helped.
It seems to me that the only thing I haven't replaced are the rear rotors.
Upon visual inspection they don't seem especially thin, and they're not
warped.  The car doesn't pull or do anything odd under braking, so I don't
suspect a caliper problem.  I just don't know.  Next on the block are new
rotors and pads all around, partially a stab in the dark at the problem,
and partially because I burned up the last of my MM pads at heartland park
this last weekend.

Any ideas are appreciated.  Thanks all.
Robert Phelan
'86 325es

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