replacing, adjusting and bleeding brakes from a newbie

Did you just do the wheel cylinders, or the master also? If you did the master, make sure the rod on the brake pedal that goes into the master cylinder is adjusted properly. It needs to allow the master cylinder piston to fully retract to pump fluid properly to get rid of air. I can't remember the exact Bently measurement of free play, but it sticks in my mind it's less than 1/16th of an inch. At the wheels you can check a couple things. The later cars had a slight angle on the base of the brake shoe where it sits in the adjuster. The adjuster also has this angle for the brake shoe to sit in. If you look at the adjuster where the slot for the shoe is cut, there will be an area where the slot is cut real deep in the adjuster, and on the opposite side the slot will not be cut very deep. The area with the deep cut slot goes upward. If this is incorrect, the brake shoe won't properly seat against the drum, and cause a very similar issue like you're describing. Also run the adjuster all the way in, and adjust each side equally when adjusting the shoes. Adjust them until they completely lock up the drum, then back them off till they drag slightly. If you haven't replaced the brake hoses, I would do them also. A collapsing brake hose can require more pedal pressure to get fluid through it. Also a hose delaminating can swell up like a water balloon when fluid finds its way into different layers of the hose causing the pedal to sink.

a few things, the brake switches on the master cylinder.Ive had the plastic portion blow right out....then ...no brakes,better have the E brake conneted good!! they can also let air in. I think the best switches Iv goten came from autozone,made in inda or packastan. the ones I got from the vw venders all left me doing the flintstone hop. it could also be the master cylinder. or just more air in the system and needs more bleeding. also Ive always had a soft peddel. but pretty good brakes.I noticed a pull to the left so i pulled it appart and the wheel cylinder was froze on the bottom piston(both wheels) witch makes sents moisture will collect there at the bottom. as I was looking& putting new ones on I got to thinken there is no way to get all the air out of the system. bleeded in the center of the wheel cylinder.so how do you get all the traped air out??? a vacume gun might do it,but I didnt want to take any chances on a might(mites,there also found on chicken asses) so I unbolted the wheel cylinders and used a C clamp to hold the pistons in and layed them sideways so the bleeded was aiming upward in the highest position. I then bled the rest of the air out.I did this on both sides. reassembled the brakes.it has the best peddell it has ever had since Ive owned it 15 years now. hard firm up top pedded.works great. also what gkton said about the adjuster end being angled is very importaint and will efup the peddell&adjustment.