The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Parking Break question

I just bought a '54 3100 on ebay. I asked him a couple of times if there was anything that didn't work or needed repaired andthe guy told me everything worked well and there was no rust. Well the parking break doesn't work, the wipers don't work. The cab corners are very rusted, just bondo and painted over. The one fender looking into the engine compartment is rusted through. I'm trying to get him to at least replace the broken wiper motor and ebrake. I looked under the truck and the parking break isn't hooked to anything and I don't see anything to hook it to. How should I go about repairing this? Any idea what parts and labor would cost to have it done professionally?

The E-Brake on a 3100 is usually pretty easy to get parts for -- especially for 1953 second series and later. The E-Brake cables go from the clevis rod into the wheel backplates and hook into a contraption that engages the brake shoes when you pull the lever (or push the pedal -- whichever one you have).

Is the wiper motor Vacuum? Those are pretty bulletproof. Rebuild kits are available from the various vendors, as are cab corners and entire fenders.

Here are some places to start:

American Classic

Jim Carter\'s

Chevy Duty

Good luck getting any resolution. As you now know you should never expect the seller to be totally honest about somethings and that you should confirm the condition of the truck yourself before bidding or bid accordingly. Congrats on your truck though. The cab corners are not too hard to do yourself if you have the tools. If not then any repair on these old truck will put a significant dent in the wallet.
The wiper motor is vacuum operated as you probably know. They can be rebuilt or replaced with an electric motor which is what I plan to do. The rebuild information can be found doing a search here on the bolt.
The parking brake is a bigger challenge as it sounds like the arm that goes from the pedal assy to the rear cross bar is missing. I think these are available from the suppliers but they are not cheap. You might find one on the swap meet also. Are the brake cables from the crossbar to the rear drums in place? If not they will be needed also. If you do not have it yet, you will need to get the factory assembly manual. It can be found on ebay or from the various suppliers.
As for professional repair of the brake assy, it may be hard to find someone familar with the old truck. The average labor rate for mechanics is about $65/hr in this area.
As an old truck owner you should be willing to work on it yourself. If that is not what you wanted to do then a totally restored truck may have been a better choice. You might consider selling it now and looking for another option. Good luck.

I agree with Houston54. If your not a do it yourselfer, then I would resell it and take your loss. These trucks can get very pricy when you have everything jobbed out. I've got burned on e-bay too, so call it a lesson learned. Sorry someone took advantage of you, but there is always someone out there who has no problem with lying and making the quick buck. Cecil.............

Brake. I sure don't want anything that stops me while moving at speed breaking.

Sounds like you got ripped. If he didn't disclose material facts about the sale, it's fraud. Notify eBay and, if necessary, your local authorities.

Thanks for the advice guys. Other than the brakes, loose steering, and wipers the truck is in good condition. I'd definately like to learn how to do all the work on this truck myself. But being new at it, I don't want to start with something as important as brakes (especially if I can get someone else to pay for it).

I'd like to prime and paint the entire under side of the cab and frame as well. Recommend any good rust inhibitors?

Start by buying a shop manual. It's only $22.50 and will make life much easier for you. SM-54 is the one you want.
http://www.americanclassic.com/asp/...&iyear=1954&ytype=to&exyear=

Get Rust-oleum Rusty metal primer. Spray a heavy coat & when it flashes over go ahead & put the color on. I like Kry-lon smi-flat black for frame & under panel parts. Great for underhood parts.

I have a similar problem with Venus, my 67 C10.

I have no e-brake pedal in the cab.

I haven't had time since getting her back from the shop to see what else is missing.

I'll hafta to look at that as well.

The e-brake issue is not that important to me at present, but I definitely want it fixed. This is something that I "might" be able to fix myself.

Need to find the parts first.

Need gauges "first" though.

I'll keep watching this post.

Davey