The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Bleedin' brakes!

I have
1 new master cylinder, 4 new wheel cylinders an 4 new speed bleeders. I've gone round the 2orld twice now. If I step on the brakes, it takes two pushes.
The second push is nice and solid.
Is it telling me to go around one more time?
Or could it be more serious than that.

Wouldn't hurt to go around 1 more time. I always bleed 3 times when I install new hydraulics on brakes, makes sure there's no air and that there's good clean fluid in all parts of the system.

If you go around again and gain no ground...crack the fittings at the master and let it gravity bleed a little. Sometime a tap will dislodge an air bubble if the master isn't perfectly level when you bench bled it.

If that doesn't get it...make sure your adjustment is to specs and that your rubber lines aren't bulging. I've put a full quart of fluid through a new system chasing an air bubble.

Two pumps aren't going to cut it in this one pump world!!!! Hope this helps!!!

Dave

Jim Bow,

My thought would be to trade the brake bleeder for the adjusting spoon.

Stuart

If your pedal is solid and not "spongy",, Its the adjustment. If you adjust them to where theyre supposed to be,one hit on the pedal and you'll have a good,solid pedal.
If theres air in the lines,,you can adjust them all day long and theyll still be spongy.
In short,,raise each wheel up,adjust it to where it drags slightly,,youll be good to go.
Marty
(extended version of automarcs reply)

I didn't bench-bleed. The instruction sheet said not to. It said something about pushing the piston too far. There was a picture the size of a postage stamp, and some instructions about running a tube from the outlet to the reservoir.
I didn't do it.
I'll try adjusting the shoes and then I'll bleed again.

Jim it's a good idea to bench bleed. Make sure that your adjustment is good as Stuart and Marty mentioned and bleed them starting from the closest point to the master cylinder working your way to the farthest point. If you don't get anywhere have someone step on the pedaled slowly wile you watch the fluid in the reservoir for turbulence. You will be looking for fluid that is making it's way around the piston in the master cylinder back in to the reservoir.

PS I will be doing the bleeding thing tomorrow my self. Hope my advice works for me.

I agree with Stuart and Marty on this one. if your pumping twice and have a solid pedal, adjustment, i.e., shoes have to move to far to meet the drum.
On the bleeding, I don't have a '56 manual, but the '48 to '51 manual states and I quote; "Pressure or Manual, bleeding should be done on the longest line first, the proper sequence being left rear, left front, right rear, right front."
I just replaced and or rebuilt the complete system, all new lines, and fittings, rebuilt the MC and WC's and, yes I added "Speed Bleeders" also. The second time through I had solid fluid. The system capacity is 3/4 pt. approx., I ran about a quart of fluid for the two times I bleed it. Just make sure the MC doesn't go dry and suck air or you need to start the procedure all over again. The Speed Bleeders worked great, just don't try to do more than one at a time. At first I thought I would put four plastic tubes into four beer bottles and give it a couple of pumps and have done with it. When I thought about it, the bleeder springs probably aren’t calibrated and the weakest spring is the only one that will open.
I put my "Big Old Wife" on a milk stool to watch the tube to the catch bag for solid flow. This sure beats having her, pump the brakes and watch the fluid level with me down below on the creeper.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I agree with the adjustment theory. If your shoes are not adjusted right, one pump on the brake pedal will not be enough to get the shoes to contact the drums. Adjust the shoes and bleed the system one more time starting with the brake farthest from the master cylinder.

I have the same problem with my 1958 60 series dump truck. It takes a 2nd pump, but the brakes are firm. No Leaks. I was begining to think the master cylinder was not big enough. I recently bought the truck from a person who said he had put a new master cylinder on it a year ago but never bled the system.

Mel

I should have included I have adjusted the brakes twice & they are all dragging a little. I have had the drums off & inspected each unit.

Mel

mschmidt,

Does your 60 series have a hydrovac under the floor? If this is the case, it must be thought of as another master cylinder in the sense of 'bleeding'....I think!

Stuart

I'm hoping my expereince goes a little better when I get a chance to properly bleed the brakes in Tater. I put in a new HydroVac and master, bled it through the ports on the HydroVac & that alone seemed to take forever to get the air out. Haven't done it with vacuum on the system yet tho, betting that with the HydroVac doin it's thing I'll get some more air out of it's bore.
Haven't getton to the wheel cylenders yet, thats a whole other phase of the project tho, tryin to get it mobile is the current push.

Jim,i had this problem on my 66.I went around seeral times and still had to double pump.Itryed gravity bleeding,no luck. Iput speedy bleedrs on,went around a couple more times and still 2pumps.My neighbor came over and used a vice grip to pinch shut the ruber lines one at a time. When he pinched off the third one i had full solid pedal.That worked great for isolaleing the problem.Turned out that the spring on one wheel that holds the star adjuster in place was missing and alowed it to turn way out of ajustment.Ron

automarc
my 60 series has the hydrovac under the floor mounted on the frame. we bled the hydrovac first then the slave cylinder, it did not help. I would like to talk to the engineer who designed the mounting location. **@@##%*

Mel