I'll give the master cylinder bleeding a shot, as well as new brake bleeders in the back and with the engine on this time. Thanks for the suggestion guys!

I have not bled a 3rd gen. With all other vehicles I start with a gravity bleed. Let the system push air out by itself. Keep the master cylinder topped off. This is a simple and effective start to bleeding the brakes. It takes some patience and a large bottle of Dot3.

I cannot recommend this enough. I got so fed up with bleeding my system after a rear drum brake job that I bought 4 speed bleeders, installed them all around and the system bled like a dream.

Install speed bleeder, attach little hose to it, open bleeder, pump brake pedal, top off reservoir, repeat, close bleeder.

That's great, but it will make your master cylinder go bad if it was on the edge (poor previous maintenance, basically). Just be prepared for that eventuality.

I have also use a vacuum bleeder with varying levels of success.

-Charlie

Maybe I misread/misinterpreted but speed bleeders make your master cylinder go bad?

Not exactly. If your master cylinder is wearing out (damaged bore), the damage first appears farther 'down' the bore. Either a two-man bleeding procedure or using speed bleeders will use the whole range of master cylinder travel, which damages the seals and will require replacement of the master cylinder.

Pressure and vacuum bleeders can be used, and you won't have a leaky master cylinder right after a bleeding.

Basically, if your master cylinder was close to failing already, the bleeding procedure will take it out. Of course, you don't know if it is "about" to fail - but you will find out after the bleeding! Just be prepared. Oh, and that's the reason why you should be regularly bleeding the brakes (ever 2-3 years) - to keep the master cylinder bore clean and corrosion/pitting free.

-Charlie

@phattyduck is spot on with hidden corrosion being such a problem in brake systems. I can’t remember how many times I have seen brake systems fail internally due to corrosion from dirty fluid. With brake fluid being hygroscopic in nature, it is optimal to change brake fluid in the South here every other year.

I also don’t let soft brake lines stay on an automobile for more than twenty years; they can last for only so long.....

This has been the overwhelming consensus here for people who have TBU issues.

And to be honest the TBU is completely unessessary unless you're hauling a heavy trailer or rocking 35" tires, it's ALL about the rear drum brake set up and adjustments, if your off by 1mm drum to shoe clearance for each shoe, 4mm total, you get soft brakes and/or excessive brake travel, and then you are over using the front brakes and they warp. You must pull the plugs in the backing plate and measure and adjust shoe to drum clearance after the ebrake and bell crank clearance is set up

yep, had this issue too. I didn't have the shoes adjusted out nearly far enough when first put the drums back on.