Hi guys, As you can see I'm fairly new to this forum. I bought a 54 recently and have been slowly getting her fixed up. The car started but would instanly go to WOT. So i took the carb apart and did my first carb rebuild and found out that the throttle plate was busted. Thank goodness there were a bunch of parts in the trunk that included an extra carb. Scavanged the plate from the other carb, put in the new parts and slapped her back together. I also converted the old oil bath filter to a paper filter, cut the guts out and put the OG top back on. She started up and I instantly saw a water leak up under the thermostat or on the pump itself. So I drained some oil added some Marvel mystery oil to the oil and the gas, put in some new plugs and started it again. I let it get up to operating temp and played w/ the idle screw till it ran well. Funny thing is once it got warm the water leak stopped??? I'm guessing the seal was all dried up and needed to get warm and expand to fill in the spaces. Anyway, I ran all the ****py gas out of it and am ready to get working on the brakes, lights, tires, suspension before I take her out on the road. I want to make sure it's safe to drive before venturing out. That's where I'm at for now. BTW tons of great info on this forum by using the SEARCH option. Thanks in advance everyone.
Keep plugging along and you'll get her on the road.It is a great feeling when you go on your first ride.I have a 58 f100 that i heard run before i bought it,but had to replace everything before i got it on the road.Once its on the road,you can work on it and still drive it,thats the fun part.Good luck. Stony
Good for you man! And those first thousand miles can be some of the rougher ones too. Don't go anywhere without tools, and if something really looks like it's failing, don't wait for it to fail, just fix, or replace it. Eventually you'll get all the kinks worked out and will be comfortbale cruising cross-country in that thing Welcome to the HAMB too! -Chris
Hey all, Been workin on the 54 for a few weeks now and the next thing is brakes. Here is a little info.. 54 chevy Bel air - been sitting for a while, some things were fixed already, new tank, gas lines, 12v conversion, supposed rebuild on engine and trans, original owner was in the process of getting this back on the road but p***ed away, no paper work to confirm on the rebuild, shoddy bodywork but everything is pretty solid overall. Brakes???? not sure. I backed it out of the garage and they barely stopped it. I've never worked on a brake system this old and am debating trying to sift through and fix what needs fixing or just go ahead and drop some coin and just redo the whole braking system. I'd feel safer just replacing everything. ANy thoughts, comments?? Where do I start on these brakes?? Here are some pics of where I'm at so far.. BTW anybody from the CHEATERS CAR CLUB in Milwaukee on here?? I moved here recently and need some new car buddies. Thanks in advance
Looks real good from what I can see . Brakes are now hard at all . When you replace the brakes just do one side a time because you have the other side to help if you get lost . When I did my first on I put all the pieces on the ground just like they cam off . I would check all the brake shoes and see if any wheel cylinders are leaking . You can rebuild the wheel cylinders if you wan to , very easy or just buy nice new clean ones . If you have the money , I would replace all the brakes and wheel cylinders and brake springs and parts . Why because you have to stop that car and after sitting for a few years that would be the safest thing to do . It won't cost an arm and a leg either . When you get the wheel cylinders all off clean out all that old ****ty brake fluid and check all your brake lines very well for any leaks or tiny rust spots . Now is the time to do that . Now put everything back on starting with the wheel cylinders first . Once you get everything back on and all tight , now adjust your brake shoes . I like to get about 3/4 to 1 turn on a spin of the tire . Now get a brake pump kit or someone with a strong legs to get all that air out of the lines . A brake pump kit at Harbor Freight is cheap and works fine . Now fill the master cylinder up with brake fluid and start with the wheel cylinder at the right rear wheel first . OK hook the pump up and pump the fluid till it come out with NO AIR BUBBLES and clean . Now make sure you have someone keep filling the master cylinder as you pump the fluid thought the lines so you don't get air back in the line you just bleed out . Once the right rear is done tighten the bleeder on the cylinder and go to the left rear and repeat the same thing , then go to the right front and do the same thing , now go to the left front and do the same thing . MAKE SURE THE MASTER CYLINDER IF FULL ALL THE TIME and the hand pump ! Once you get all that done your brake system should be just fine . When you drive you will more than likely have to adjust the brakes again . If you have never done that before , find a friend that can do that for you so you aren't all over the road when you hit your brakes . And yes you will have to push on the brake a lot harder than a little foreign car ! The bleeding instructions should be on the back of the brake pump kit . Make sure you get enough brake fluid before you start . One little can isn't even close . Get 2 large can , that should do it . You can always take the second can back if you don't need it . You will also need to check the drums to see if they are drug up and you might need to turn them too . Also repack you front wheel bearing too . That is about it and if I forgot something I am sure someone will let me know . I have been up for 25 hours now so I am starting to get tired . Have fun with your 54 Chev ! It's a good car to start with and fun to drive ! You can get speed parts for that 6 cylinder too ! If you still have questions or I got you lost , Goggle on how to bleed a "DRUM" brake system and you will be fine . Just take your time and don't hurry or cut corners . Remember the brakes it the ONLY way to stop the car besides another car or tree ! Keep us posted on your 54 ! RetroJim
Thanks Retro Jim. I've done brakes and bled brakes before but a refresher is always good... I need to stop putting it off and dive into it. If I have questions I know where to go.
YES! the first hundred miles for me the drive shaft almost popped out due to some bushings and bad U-joints, THEn a lil after wheel cylinder dies while im speeding through an intersection about to turn, so no breaks, Sooooo much fun afterwards when your safe HA!
BTW anybody from the CHEATERS CAR CLUB in Milwaukee on here?? I moved here recently and need some new car buddies. Thanks in advance Welcome from Milwaukee, most of the Cheaters Car Club are on this wonderful invention known as the HAMB. There are a couple of our members w/49-54 Chevys, give me a call, I can get you in touch w/them. Your Chevy looks pretty cool & I know it will be fun once you get all the bugs worked out. What part of Milwaukee do you inhabit? Most of us are on the south side & Bay View area. Holla at me dawg! Sincerely, Cheatercarl
thanks, can't complain too much as I'm either on the road or working from home and I can sneak out to work on the car for my lunch break. Just have to get my own house so I can really take over the garage and get some fun tools.
Here are some pics of the brakes. Here is what I'm thinking...please add your 2Cents, comments or rude remarks. It looks like someons has done the brakes on these at some point. shoes look to be fairly new, may just reuse. New wheel cylinders in front and rebuild in back. None were leaking but they seem to be stuck. I hit each brake shoe to see if the wheel cylinder would move.. nothing? new lines and hoses. rebuild MC for $20 kit or new MC for $190ish?? new return springs and adjuster springs. new wheel bearings, front inners look like they may have been damaged a bit when they were installed. ???anyone have the minimum diameter for the drums on a 54 chevy belair 4 door standart trans??? Thanks in advance.
Make sure your master cylinder is working. Who knows how old that thing is? Everything else looks to be in good shape. Usually you'll see a trail of fluid or brake dust caked all over everything if the fluid had been leaking from the wheel cylinders.
Alright guys & gals, here are some pic updates. Been driving it around for the last couple weeks and it's been fun. Still more to come like figuring out the wheel set up, lowering the front, a stereo, split header and dual exhaust...or lake pipes, I want this thing loud! and the list goes on...
For what its worth dept. That throttle plate on the Rochester one barrel is a very exating fit. and should not have been swaped in another base. The entire base should have been swaped. Just a bit of stuff that was taught when we went to SCHOOL at GMAC training center years ago. If it works and idles ok you good to go. Iceman
yup I swapped the entire base, from another (same model carb that came with the car) runs ok for me. Thanks for the heads up and good eye 'Ice Man' how'd you see that from that pic?
Just curious. What did you do to the brakes to get them fixed??? I have a 63 with no brakes at all. All was good 5 years ago. I think it may be the M/C.
New MC. new lines all around, new junction boxes, rubber hoses, new springs on shoes, drums and shoes were good....umm probably forgetting something but I thinks that's about it as far as the brakes.
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