CMC brake travel interference

First, what brakes do you have front/rear? Are they adjusted if drums? Does e-brake self-adjust if rear disc? What Master Cylinder are you using? Do you have residual valves? Is the master cylinder pushrod properly adjusted? And lastly, do you have fresh fluid and fully bled? Braided or rubber flexible brake lines?

When you push the pedal, is it firm or mushy? does it have a higher pedal on second push?

Answer all these questions, and help is here!

If everything else checks out properly, but only then, you can adjust the length of the pushrod to make it longer.  You will also need to adjust the pedal stop as well.

Yup, I forgot Lane. Lane is exactly right, the last thing to do is adjust the pushrod. The pedal "up" stop must be such that there is 1mm of freeplay at the M/C. If the M/C doesn't release fully you'll never get a high pedal. But the other side of the coin is too much freeplay will also kill pedal height. Good luck!

If rear drums - the rear shoes have to be adjusted so they drag on the drums otherwise all the brake juice goes to pushing them out.  I've hear of folks using larger rear cylinders and larger diameter master cylinders.  On a '72 914 I replaced the 17mm master with a 911 19mm one and the petal didn't need as much travel to really grab the brakes.  Our power assisted brakes are much different than modern assisted brakes for sure.

Yup, drums in back and they are dragging and much more would I am afraid heat them up and they would lock. Fresh fluid and I even bought a pressure bleeder.  If I pump up then  the pedal comes up an inch or two which helps.  That would seem to indicate air HOWEVER given the number of times I have bled the brakes and see no bubbles I take that out.  Local guys "Ole Volks Home" (clever eh?)say that  since the car sat for about 6 yrs might need a new master cylinder.  That is my next step.

Also found this which gives me some ideas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0wANj7HWOY

Possibly a 10 pound residual valve on the rear circuit could solve your problem. Drum brakes need 10 pounds, disc get away with 2 pounds(if they need them at all). Residual pressure valves hold a small amount of pressure in the brake line to eliminate wasted motion of the brake components. They hold just enough pressure to keep them ready to activate without dragging.

Hmmm...  Wonder if a residual would help me out a bit.  Mine seem too strongly biased toward the front.

i put one on the rear of my disc/drum setup.  i noticed a huge difference.  well worth the $ and time to bleed the brakes.

It helps to go to someone who has 40 yrs experience.  I just got back from Ole Volks Home and as I watched him adjust the brakes, I was stunned.  I would have thought the amount of drag was way to much but Jerry assured me that is how he has always done them.  My test drive proved him correct.  Brake pedal close to top and foot does not interfere with bulkhead.  Granted my foot presses a little higher than the ball of my foot.  We are talking serious dragging when adjusting.  I had them just rubbing on the high points of the shoes but he put them so they were dragging 360degrees.  Back in the day when shoes were arked they did not need to be set to drag so much.  Next challenge is gauges.