I got the engine running! That means that I had better have a way to stop this thing if it ever gets moving! I should mention that I am trying to make a driver out of this project.
59 years ago, I got pretty used to dealing with Bendix brakes - even purchased a couple of tools to do the installation of the springs and the adjusting without losing any blood.
A while back, we moved onto a boat for a couple of years and I slimmed down my tool stash figuring that there wasn't room for things like brake tools on a boat.
Now I am reading up on dealing with Huck brakes and see that there might be a Herbrand 188 tool that I should try to find on the used market. Are there any other hints that folks can offer as to what might make my life easier as I deal with these brakes. Should I find a pair or just try to thrash my way through? Any other specialized tools that are recommended for dealing with this part of the project? (I am old enough that I don't expect to be doing this again.)
The project is a 1940 cab on a 1947(?) chassis. The truck came to me with the story that the brakes had been redone. It is hard for me to tell if this is true or not, as the project had been given up on and may have been sitting for quite a while. That the shoes have been relined is stamped on at least one of the shoes and they don't look very used to my untrained eye.
If it is true that some of the parts are (were) new, not too many miles ago, how should I decide what to trust and what to try to prove useable or not? How do I flush the metal brake lines? They aren't covered with crud as one would expect old lines to be. The line that would be connected to the master cylinder (if there was one) is just hanging out in the air not connected or protected. How should I clean it out to ensure that I don't cause problems.
The bottom portion of the interior of the one rear brake drum I removed seems to have a sticky residue on it. I don't know if it is old brake fluid or if it is lube from a leaking axle seal. What is involved with removing the axle seal from a rear that has a date of 1941 on it?
What brake fluid should I use?
How is one supposed to remove the hub caps from one of these trucks without scratching the paint on the wheel?
I took some photos of what I have seen so far.
Nick 1940 KC Model 1/2 Ton Pickup Project (with '37-'39 Bed and what we think is a '42-'46 Frame) Taos, New Mexico
