My bleeder screws ain't bleedin'!

Trying to figure out the trouble with my Edsel's brakes, and I need a bit of help. It was leaking like crazy, seemed to be the master cylinder, so I put the spare I had on the car. Now I need to bleed the brakes, but the bleeders don't work. Maybe filled with rust and gunk? Can I just soak them overnight in alcohol? Maybe run a wire brush through? Don't want to screw them up and make a new leak...

Also, once it's bled, I'd like to check the wheel cylinders for leaks too. Any harm to come from bleeding the brakes with the drums off the car to check for leaks?

Sorry for the FNG questions, I'm leaning as fast as I can

 

Soak em and use a pick. Then remember to buy some caps so you don't have to do it again.

 

if you try to bleed them with the drums off they will leak for sure. the drums keep the wheel cyls from pushing out too far.

there is a good chance they are plugged with rust and other crap. take them out soak and clean all the holes in them with a small drill bit by hand

 

Yep you'll pop the piston right outa the cylinder

 

Yikes. What's the best way to diagnose a leaky cylinder? Pump a few times and take the drum back off?

 

I used to keep a 1/8" drill bit in my tool box just for cleaning out bleeders. I'd take the bleeder out, put it in a bench vise and drill the crud out of it on slow speed. It was hell on the drill bit but it only had one purpose.

I've also cleaned them out on the car with a cotter pin, just open the cotter pin up, ream the bleeder out with the end with the hook on it.

Bleeding braker with the drums off will only blow out the wheel cylinders and you'll have a worse problem.

Bob

 

The wheel cyliders can be bled without drums. Get four ratchet tie downs and wrap around all four shoe sets. You will want to thouroghly clean the wheel cylinders first when lookig fpr leaks. If you don't mind disassembling the brakes, four C clamps will do the trick, too.

 

huh i like the tie down trick

 

Hadnt heard that one, i like it!

 

Take the bleeders out and go to the parts and buy new ones. Otherwise just do as the others said and drill it.

 

Yep, new bleeders are cheap...

 

Great idea! It's this kind of creative thinking that makes this such a great site. Thanks

 

You can vacuum bleed with drums off but vacuum bleeding is also it's own controversy and kinda hit or miss.

Another vote for a drill bit. I use a little hand held pin vise to hold the bit and handle it more like a reamer than a drill.

 

I had 2 bleeders on my 53 about 11 years ago (soon after purchase)..they were so dam bad (crusty as hell) was lucky to get them out of the wheel cyl.
tried like hell to clean em up. no F-ing way..the internal hole was so corroded it closed up (like it swelled shut)
I just went and bought all new ones..why screw with it when they are not that expensive

 

Whats so crazy about that is they can leak when they shouldn't and when you try and make them leak they won't.. . gotta be a female something or other. Yeah drill bit and compressed air....BUT ONLY after you take them out of the wheel cylinder.

 

The first thing that I'd do is pop the drums off and peel back the dust boots on the wheel cylinders. If the are wet inside, you need new cylinders. That is how you check W/Cyls. Yes you can rebuild them but new ones are cheap and new ones come with new bleeder screws.

To clean out dirt packed bleeders, I use a regular drill bit spun between my fingers. I take them completely out so none of the crap gets under the beveled seat on the end. The threads seal nothing. Make sure there is no crap in the hole when you screw it back in.

You can check for frozen pistons by using 2 good sized screw drivers hooked under the flange on the backing plate with the shaft up against the shoes as levers to limit the shoes movement. (the other 3 drums must be in place). Have the pedal pusher use very little pressure to check to see if either of the pistons are stuck. You can check to see if the bleeder is working this way too but make sure you don't have "sashquatch" on the pedal.

 

oh the ratchet straps is a great idea.

 

Torch tip cleaners always worked for me

 

BTW if they still don't bleed after drilling the bleeder, remove it entirely and go psycho on the brake pedal til it shoots a stream directly out the wheel cylinder. Reinstall bleeder and begin bleeding. Fairly common issue

Good luck

 

Great info!! I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit out of my depth when it comes to drum brakes, pushrods and carburetors. I honestly thought I knew something about cars until I got my hands on this Edsel.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate you guys helping out with basic questions like this. I know this isn't exactly a newbie board, so I'll do my best to search before asking simple stuff. Nobody in my family is too handy with a wrench, so it be HAMB I can thank when the car is back on the road.

 

Brakes are a great place to pinch pennies.
Especially single pot M/C manual drum brakes on a 5,000 lb car.

If the bleeders are gunked up, what does that tell you about condition of the MC and the WC's? How many years did that car sit?

New wheel cylinders are usually less than $10 each. Do we need to take up a collection for you?

 

And WHEN you have to replace those $8 wheel cylinders, do ONE SIDE at a time.

One side to learn on, one side to compare to.

Resist the newbie urge to tear everything apart and then try to guess where all those springs and cables and various bits go.

 

when bleeding brakes I take the bleeders out and put my finger over the hole, just enough pressure to make a ring on the finger tip, and have the pumper go like hell till fluid shoots me in the eye, then re-install bleeder and finish with a few "regular" bleeds