Front brake cylinder help
- Thread starter Ricosan
- Start date
JayChicago
Well-known member
In your picture I see two different shoes. The shoes may be the same size, but the rear shoe's lining (the wearing surface) is longer. That's what is known as the long shoe.
With a "self-energizing" design (which this is), the long brake shoe goes on the rear. The front shoe uses natural wheel rotation to grab better, but then it pushes against (self-energizes) the rear shoe. The rear shoe gets force top and bottom, so gets the long shoe. (This is just the opposite of the earlier Lockheed design, in which the shoes are not able to move at the bottom, force only applied at the cylinder. Then the long shoe goes on front where it gets rotation's helping force)
Any time I work on one brake, I only bled that one wheel. But if the steel brake line on the frame is opened, which feeds both right and left sides, I would feel the need to bleed both sides. But if only worked on the front, would not bleed the back.
I could never get the vacuum brake bleeder to work for me. If it sucks a tiny amount of air around the brake bleeder threads, it will suck air before fluid.
Last edited:
jimvette59
Well-known member
Disconnect the METAL line at CHASSIS, pull the clip that holds the rubber line and unscrew the rubber line from the wheel cylinder. Replace the wheel cylinder, screw the rubber line back into the wheel cylinder then install the rubber line into the bracket at the CHASSIS and push the clip back in then screw the metal line back into the rubber line and bleed the system. just the way it's done.
Ricosan
Senior Member
Thanks for clearing that up for me corvette. I see it now.
Ordered two wheel cylinders from Early Ford Parts in South Carolina. They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
I plan to replace both front cylinders.
Question. I don’t know what type of brake fluid is in the system right now. I added non synthetic brake fluid when I first got the car but when I disassembled the wheel cylinder I didn’t notice the smell I’ve always associated with brake fluid. Has the smell changed or is my old nose broken?
What brake fluid should I use? Do I need to flush the whole system?
Richard
Ordered two wheel cylinders from Early Ford Parts in South Carolina. They are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.
I plan to replace both front cylinders.
Question. I don’t know what type of brake fluid is in the system right now. I added non synthetic brake fluid when I first got the car but when I disassembled the wheel cylinder I didn’t notice the smell I’ve always associated with brake fluid. Has the smell changed or is my old nose broken?
What brake fluid should I use? Do I need to flush the whole system?
Richard
rich b
Well-known member
The length of the lining is what makes a shoe "long" or "short".
If you look at the picture of your right front brake assy that you have posted to this thread a couple times; you can see the lining is shorter in length on the front (primary) shoe vs longer on the rear shoe (secondary).
V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
RICHARD ..... The most important part to realize here is that the wheel CYLINDERS that you are replacing ARE NOT old Ford Lockheed-Style wheel cylinders. They are likely the BOLING BROTHERS reproduction Lincoln brakes, which will surely require a different wheel cylinder. They can be seen, and available from the link BELOW.
https://www.bolingbrothers.com/replacement-parts/
And since you're not sure what type fluid you have in the system, I'd feel better flushing your system, then using a GOOD brand of DOT type 3 brake fluid. A really GOOD one to consider is a Lucas Product, available BELOW from Amazon. Whatever brand you choose, make sure you get enough (ONE quart usually isn't enough). Buy yourself 2-3 quarts.
https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Oil-10826-Brake-Fluid/dp/B00I9Z0120/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Coop
.
rich b
Well-known member
Don't know if will help; but I usually use Raybestos WC24954 & WC24955 wheel cylinders for Lincoln front bakes.
1-1/8" bore with 7/16"-20 hose thread.
Just checked and found they went up from $9.70 last fall when I last purchased several pair and are now $11.00 each from RockAuto.
Pretty sure these also come from the same offshore factory where all the vendors source them.
1-1/8" bore with 7/16"-20 hose thread.
Just checked and found they went up from $9.70 last fall when I last purchased several pair and are now $11.00 each from RockAuto.
Pretty sure these also come from the same offshore factory where all the vendors source them.
V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
Richard ..... Notice rich b's note above. Those same cylinders are available at most O'Reilly's stores for $23/each! See link BELOW!
Coop
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...f8206ed/brakebest-wheel-cylinder/bhh1/wc24954
.
rich b
Well-known member
21A part numbers are Lockheed brake cylinders.
V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
Richard ..... AGAIN, note rich b's note above. Apparently, you have ordered 1942-'48 Ford front cylinders, which IS NOT what you have there. You apparently have Boling Brothers Lincoln-type brakes. The cylinders that you ordered will look like these BELOW!
What you need are going to look like these, BELOW.
Coop
.