The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Bleeding rear drums - no valve?

'57 Chevy 3200, I have replaced the drum breaks with disc on the front, and have everything mounted up and connected - time to bleed the brakes.

On the front drums (the ones I've removed), there is a bleeder valve nipple exactly like I expected to see. On the rear drums, there is a 2 part bolt in place of where I would expect to see the bleeder valve. What's going on here? Should I pull the valves off the removed front drums and install them in the rear? I feel like I'm missing something obvious, but I can't seem to find an answer as to why there is a bolt in place of where I expected to see bleed valve.

Apologies if this is a stupid question, and thank you in advance for any assistance.

I think I would be reluctant to drive that truck on farm fields...Did you pull the rear drums and refurbish the rear drums with all new hardware? A system is only as strong as it's weakest point, that you do know.

To me it looks like a guy snapped off the bleeder valve and did a quick bolt-in job, BUT, I am here before more learned minds.

Good luck

Thanks - haven't pulled apart the rear drums yet, trying to take the referb in stages - but your point is well taken, and I plan on rebuilding them once I have everything else I have dismantled back together.

I am not certain from your picture but that looks like what I have for bleeder valves on my Diamond T with Lockheed brakes (see picture). The top bolt is there just to seal the bore of the hollow bleeder valve. Just below the hex head of the top bolt is the hex of the valve itself. Remove the top bolt and turn the hex counter clockwise to open the valve like an ordinary bleeder valve.

Sweet - thanks LD, that's the info I was looking for. I've not seen a valve like that before.

While you are at it, if you can get new cylinders, use them, the labor to upgrade the old ones is hardly worth it.

Ed

All great advice, new to me LD. Ed, you are so right.