Update: It was a good day in the garage. A long day, but a good one. I was able to adjust all of the brakes. Turns out, it isn't that hard. After that, I was able to bleed the brakes by myself, using the old tube and bottle method. Worked like a charm. Afterward, I tested the pedal pressure and found that there was a little play or slack in the pedal, but it did not go to the floor. It also maintained consistent pressure. The starting hard then going soft with successive pedal pumps must have been related to air in the lines. I'm guessing that I can eliminate the pedal slack by adjusting the shoes tighter. All in all, a lot of work done and now I'm off to the next project on the truck...cleaning out the interior. That'll be a separate post in the correct forum area.
Thanks, everyone, for your help and suggestions! They were invaluable.
