So,before I tear into the drums on the '62 Monterey,I want your opinion on what the problem could be. When I first got this project and pulled it into my driveway,whenever I hit the brakes it felt like I was stepping on a brick,almost no movement in the pedal and almost no stopping(Like glazed discs,except I have drums).Now,after moving it a few times the pedal has softened up and it grabs a little...Someone told me it was the adjusters,someone told me to bleed them...What's your opinion??
Drum brakes, when you got them adjusted too tight, won't stop and the pedal is high and like a rock. Loosen them up alittle and they will work fine. Ya want the wheels to just turn freely. When doing the adjustment, tighten until the wheel can't be turned by hand, then loosen until the wheel is free. Do all 4 wheels. Frank
If I remember correctly,you tighten them up and back them off 5 clicks. Does that sound right? Then bleed them,wipe everything off and check for leaks.
Don't know in Ca. but in my neck-o-the-woods I'd be looking for froze up wheel cylinders. Repeated braking may have broken a couple loose giving you the sensation of brakes. I'd check it all and bleed all the old fluid out,especially if its been sitting a while. The life you save may be your own.
Well,here's what I bought so far to do the brakes,and plan on replacing all this stuff if i have to.I've bought the hardware kit for each wheel(Springs,and hold down parts),rear wheel cylinders(Having a hell of a time getting affordable front ones),and and brake adjusters for each wheel,as well as the steel hard lines(Unbent right now).So,let me give the full description right now of the symptoms as when I originally typed this thread I was pressed for time and had to leave. When I first recieved the Merc,we pulled it off the trailer and I drove it down the block and back,and it felt like I was stepping on a brick(pretty much no give in the pedal and almost no stopping ability unless I pushed with all my leg might)...After a while(Few weeks of moving it from the driveway to the street and vice versa)the brakes would feel like normal travekling down as they should with the car off,but when I ran the car and moved it they would go back to stiff and barely stopping.Well,when I moved it the other night off of the street temporarily,the would go almost normal,but would have to give a bit of extra pressure to get them to grab.So maybe I was thinking the wheel cylinders were stuck from sitting,and need a bleed and a brake adjuster adjustment?Same as what you guys are telling me,or should i just rebuild them with what I have aquired just to be safe?
Have to do it. Know what's worse than brakes that suck? Brakes that are working at 80-90 %, you'll never enjoy your car worrying and waiting for them to fail, and they will. Cylinders are probably dry rotted, among other things. See if you can get rebuild kits for the front cylinders, may be more affordabable.
King Hooligan or anyone else wanting brake rebuild kits or engine rebuild kits .Check out Kanter auto.com in Boonton New Jersy You need one of there catalogs .
I have the Kanter.com catalog and I also have a MAC's Ford&Mercury parts catalog...I already have rear cylinders ready to go in thanks to Kragen..
Bad news struck today... Noticed after I moved it that I have no brakes at all now.Went to put decent tires om it for moving it,and it looks like the fron cylinders as well as brake hoses are toast...Worst part,I'm out of cash for this build,and the brakes are the only things that are going to cost me any cash on the build..I have pretty much everything else I need,and I have everything to to the rear drums minus the brake hoses,but I'm short front wheel cylinders and hoses now too...Hopefully I don't need new drums either..Knew something was wrong when I noticed the fresh little puddle near the front wheels...Damn...Also broke the front screen on my cell..
Try autrozone. Should be able to get the front wheel cyl and hoses. Check online and have them match the price. Seems like parts are ussually a lil higher in the store.
Problem is,I'm totally out of cash...Haven't had a steady cash flow in the last year and a half...I spent the last of what I had on the brake stuff I already picked up.Now I don't know how I'm going to get this damn project done...
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