Wheel cylinders not touching brake shoes

There was a tool to adjust the brakes. long gone.
You have 12" drums. check
At 9-3 oclock measure 11 7/8" shoes out and center best you can.Now try and put the drum on.
If it hits up top.
What to do is grind lining back 1/2" and depth 1/8" both sides.
Grind to fit so drum goes on.
Have shoes up against Wheel cylinders.
When you have that, bleed wheel make sure WC is lower then MC once the fulid flows gravty takes over and drain to no bubbles.If you let the wheel hang that will lower them.

 

Schematic:

 

Adjustment:

 

All right I’m on to something. Letting off the pedal made the fluid suck back up into the brake line. I tore the master cylinder apart, found the check valve, and I can blow through it both directions easily. I took my old master cylinder and got the check valve out of it and I can only blow outward through it. So I have replaced the check valve with the old one. Finding this I am not planning on putting RPV’s into the system yet.
Also I have not had the chance to measure the drums. I’ll measure them before they go back on.
Tonight I’m hoping to get all the brake lines tightened back up and fluid in the system. Thank you guys for helping me with this issue. Glad I tore it all apart instead of doing something janky. I will report back after it’s back together and let you know if it works.

 

Without reading through all the posts again let me ask you this. Did you bench bleed the new master before you hooked up the lines?
The Wizzard

 

It has been sitting level & full of fluid since last night. I put a clear tube on the outlet and pump fluid into a bowl. after a few pumps I got nothing but fluid. it dosen't seem to have anymore reverse sucktion. I hope it works this good when i'm all done. I will pump it a few more times before it gets plumbed just to make sure all the air is out.

 

You also have some free play at the pedal push rod when the pedal is in the full up position correct? Sounds like you may have found the issue in the master cyl.

 

No wheel cyl push rods on those....Ford has a very specific proceedure to do a "major" brake adjustment; The anchor pins ("lower") adjustment must be done first.

The repo copies of the Ford green cover shop manuals spell out exactly how to do this. I believe Sac Vintage still sells those,..as well as other Ford places.

4TTRUK

 

Ditto, Dick Spadaro (Aplogies,.I missed that post)

4TTRUK

 

Brakes bled fine everything adjusted and tight. The pedal gets nice and stiff well before the floor. And there is just a hair of free play at the top of the travel so I don’t ride the master cylinder. The wheel cylinders no longer collapse too far. I’m glad I didn’t just adjust out the gap. Thanks everybody for all your input. Now on to the next gremlin.

 

I like it when things work out. To many times today we over think things. Even now at 60+ my Dad's advise still holds up well. Just think basic 1-0-1 mechanics or the K.I.S.S. system specially on this old stuff. Unfortunatly today you also have to be careful who you ask for advise.
The Wizzard