My two youngest boys are camping with scouts this weekend. Number one son and I were on the truck for a few hours. Adjusted the brakes and bled the system. The boy has a seriously tired right leg. Rebuild of brakes is complete. Small leak at the 50 year old distribution block at the master cylinder. Cranked it as hard as I could with the open end wrench but it still leaks a little bit. Afraid to wrench it any tighter. will order a new one from Jim Carter as our host does not offer that piece. However, not only does the truck run and drive, but now it actually STOPS. Pedal is high and hard and pulls even steven when stopping. Now that I can actually stop the truck, I felt comfortable nailing it down my long driveway towards the main street I live on. My God, these engines have some POWER. Fishtailed in third gear to the delight of my son. My daughter was so excited that the truck actually stops on it's own that she was giggling the whole way as she rode in the truck. She always is saying how she can't wait for us to drive it on the road. Number one son couldn't wait to try the brakes for himself. The time is coming soon. Put the bed on, install wiring and windshield, insure and register. Just in time for the warm weather. Andy
Good Deal ! I've said it befor , you're a good Poppa Andy . Please , on hydraulic brake fittings , don't use an open end wrench , use a " Flare Nut " wrench , even Kragen has them cheaply and they won't stip the hex on the fastener ~ you'll need a 1/2" X 9/16" one IIRC .
Okay Nate. First off, I don't have a 3/4" flare nut wrench. Anyway, you know that piece that bolts to the back/outlet of the master cylinder? That's where my leak is. The piece is 50 plus years old and it looks it. I THINK it was 3/4inch when it was new, but it was so rusty that there ain't much left to it. It's probably a metric size now as the 3/4 wrench doesn't fit on it snug at all. I thought that Jim Carter had that piece, but they do not. As far as I can see, nobody has that hollow bolt and the distribution block and washers directly behind the master cylinder. Ex-wife was so kind to hide many of my tools when I arrived with a police officer and court order to retrieve my stuff years ago and all my metric stuff is gone and much other stuff as well. Plan is to measure up what is left of the bolt head and get a 3/4 or slightly smaller metric flare nut wrench to work it a little more. Problem is, I couldn't even get the bolt out of the distribution block when cleaning. It ALMOST came out, but hung up internally. Still, it cleaned up well, but I could not replace the washer. Truth be told, a new unit is definately needed, but I can't find a source. anybody know where to get this piece? I have another, equally rusty one attached to the master cylinder I took off the parts truck moments before it was towed away. Guess I will have to work my "King Kroil" magic on that one as well and see if I can make it work. However, there is an EXCELLENT heavy duty professional brake shop that specializes in EVERYTHING (and they're good) very close to me. After I get the part off the other master, I am going to bring it to them to see if they can find something like it in their parts books. Any help locating this part as a repro would be great. I'm not used to having a leak in my stoppers. It's a small one (really little tiny drip). How much do I need to worry about this leak? Is it unsafe to drive? Andy
I hear you Andy ; Yes it can a fatal leak as it'll drip ever so slowly until the MC sucks air just when you need the brakes most..... BT , DT ~ I hope your kids are not in it when that happens . I also understand the Banjo Bolt is toast so you don't want to fool with it until you have the parts in hand . Kroil is good stuff but beware of even one drop of it contaminating the hydraulic system .
Copper gaskets Andy, I had the exact same problem when I did my MC block, and the only way I could eventually fix it was to make some new copper gaskets. I bought a couple of assortments of gaskets from the local parts house, found ones that were close and ground them out with a cone shaped grinder bit until they were a good fit. Havn't checked recently, but when I was looking, Carter only sold the blocks that went in the brake lines, not the MC one.
Steve, Yeah, I was mistaken. Carter sells all the other distribution blocks EXCEPT that one. The spare I have was actually on the Old Navy truck so it was subjected to about 10-15 years less of outside-in-the-elements corrosion. The one I have installed right now was from the parts truck frame which I am using instead of the Old Navy frame. Too much stuff torched off the Old Navy frame. However, I sprayed it down last night and let it soak. It actually looks better than the one currently on the truck. Those copper washers/gaskets should be available in a really good old-timey brake shop or FLAPS. I don't see any real problem finding those or smoothing down the ones I have. I really think it is a matter of how tight I can wrench the bolt. As I said, I need a flare nut wrench to fit the now undersized-due-to-corrosion bolt OR probably replace it with the spare that I am currently working on freeing up. You'd think that SOMEBODY would re-pop this very important piece as I am sure we are not the only ones who have run into this problem. Andy
Number one son was bustin' my chops to get at and fix that leak this morning. We spent some time freeing up the other piece off the spare master cylinder. It freed up and cleaned up really nice. Better than the one that is on the truck. Took number two son for baseball cleats (trying out for school team this week) and also stopped by the FLAPS for a coupla more flare nut wrenches. The 3/4" was too big due to the corrosion. The 18mm was too small. Took out my 6" mill file and laid under the truck with number one son. Filed down each flat of the offending bolt ever so little until the 18mm wrench just fit all the way on and had at it. Wrenched it really tight, wiped it clean from brake fluid and blew it free of debris with compressed air. Took it for a drive up and down the driveway, giving each of the kids a turn behind the wheel (they all wanted to try the brakes). Should have seen their faces when they stepped on the brakes and the truck stopped...priceless. Parked it and crawled under again. No drips, just a little sheen of brake fluid though. Gonna crank it a little more tomorrow while I clean and free up the spare part a little more before switching it and re-bleeding the entire system. It may actually seal up with just a little more torque. Wrench sure fits snug enough without having to worry about rounding the bolt so why not? Andy
OK - For a construction guy trying to be a mechanic - what is the difference between an open end wrench and a flare nut wrench? I gots open ends and sockets, but i knows I don't have any flared nuts. Larry
Flared nuts is what you get when trying to lift a four speed Muncie because it is in your way in the shop. Pictured is a flare nut wrench. Bad picture, but you get the idea. It's like a six-point box wrench that has had a piece cut out of it to allow it to fit over a brkae line or other type line and tighten the flare nut of the line into a fitting without stripping the heck out of the flare nut. Andy
Andy ! My man ! you're on your way to being a Journeyman Mechanic ~ that's the difference : mechanics fix things where the typical guy in any shop (like all the new hires we get) is just a ' parts changer ' ~ they change out parts until it's fixed or the customer runs out of $$.... Keep up the good work and keep those kids close in to watch & learn .
Tighten 'Till It Snaps Then Back Off 1/8 Turn That's a good one , ranks right up there with Righty-Tighty , Lefty-Loosey & Turn To The Right , Makes It Tight
Yeah man!!! Nate, That's EXACTLY what I was explaining to number one son. I told him that when working on old cars, you have to improvise and THINK about how to work with a part that is 50 plus years old and made of unobtainium. Gotta admit that he is pretty good at it, coming up with ideas on his own about how to do a particular job or task. He has some learning problems in school. He has language processing problems. He's smart, just processing language is tough for him, so English, social studies anything where he has to read is tough. Math, Science he's great at. He's been doing a LOT better this past year or so. Took him for an outside evaluation to a neuropsychologist since the school system was dragging it's feet and simply not advancing his skills. This guy cost me HUGE bucks but came up with EXACTLY what my boy needed. Took his report to the board at school and had them implement his recomendations and voila!!! The kid improved his grades over a full letter grade from C/C+ to B/B+ and even A. So happy for him now that school is something he looks forward to instead of dreading. Still, wouldn't mind at all if he decided to move into the mechanic field. Would love to see him restoring old cars for a living. At least I'd have a shop for my projects. Perhaps Evan could use a really young apprentice some day. Ah...to dream. I have ben thinking about our next project and have decided that it is going to be another AD pickup. But this time, the kids are going to do it ALL on their own. This first one was to teach them. I figure the next will be for them to do. Gotta cut the strings, ya know and let 'em make their own mistakes and have their own triumphs too. Andy
Good Deal I have an idea Andy ; Let's roll back the clock some 50 odd years and you can be my daddy.....
Found!!! Cranked it REEEEEALLLLY hard yesterday and it is better, but still getting moist. Went to the most awesome brake shop near me to scout the part, but they were no help. Leafing through the most recent Hemmings just now trolling for suppliers that I haven't tried yet and went on "Chevs Of The Forties" website. Lo and behold, there it was. The Holy Grail of brake system parts. Ordering it today. Color me "happy". Andy
