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| | | | Joined: Jun 2019 Posts: 43 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2019 Posts: 43 | I have a completely stock 53 Chevy half ton than I have been using occasionally for the last 20 years, before which I completely rebuilt the entire brake system with new parts. I have had no problem with the brakes until I drove it on a rather long trip to a swap meet ; about 60 miles round trip. As i reached home on the return trip , I noticed I had virtually no free travel on the brake pedal. The brakes still engaged and stopped the truck without pulling to one side or another. The brakes now engage on contact with the pedal and I feel they might be staying partially engaged during driving. There is no mushiness and engagement is very firm. It feels like the system pumped itself up during the drive without my doing and stayed pumped up. I suspect a faulty master cylinder but hope someone on this site can advise me before I throw money at it. Thanks George | | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,152 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 11,152 | If the master cylinder is engaged enough that it closes the hole from the reservoir, then heat from the brakes could cause the fluid to expand and cause what you're feeling. There should be enough free travel in the pedal that you see an initial spurt of brake fluid into the reservoir when the cap is off and the pedal pushed. A re-adjustment of the master cylinder pushrod should take care of that. If you continue to drive it that way, it'll wear the shoes prematurely
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2019 Posts: 43 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2019 Posts: 43 | You say that heat from the brakes was the cause. Than might explain why my problem arose after a long trip. My shop manual is for 1951 models with a 1952 supplement and was not much help for me. I will try to adjust the rod to give about an inch of free play and see if it solves the problem. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,305 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,305 | When you are under the truck, move the brake pedal lever back and forth a little bit. There should be a tiny bit of play in the clevis of the master cylinder push rod. The pin in the clevis should be free to pull out when the brake pedal is released. It the pin is not free, then you need to loosen the lock nut on that push rod and turn the push rod until the pin is free. There is a knurled section of the push rod to grip with channel loc pliers.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
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