The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Need Brake Diagnosis Quick!

I've been fighting with the brakes on my 56 now for days. To refresh everyone, I have a 79 Z-28 Camaro front end and rearend. Fronts are discs and the rears are drum. I've finally beaten the front ones. New disc & calipers (one of the new calipers was bad from the box). The rears are all new drums, wheel cylinders, hardware, shoes etc. New master cylinder. Bled everything for the umpteenth time and took it for a spin around the block. Pedal goes to the floor, though the braking is vastly superior to what it was. Get the truck back in the garage and look at the rears, and there is fluid on the inside of the drivers rear tire. I pulled the tire and drum and found fluid inside the assembly. Specifically there was fluid on the emergency brake bar that runs underneath the wheel cylinder between the two shoes on top of the axle. My thoughts are that I have a bad "new" wheel cylinder. What do you think?

Yep, just because it is new doesn't mean it is good, unfortunately some of the quality control standards are not what they used to be. Also make sure your rear brakes are adjusted up as that will cause a low pedal.
Fred

ANY fluid loss is a leak, regardless of whether the parts are new or not. Replace that wheel cylinder, and if the shoes have gotten wet, replace them, too. I've never found an effective way to clean up fluid-soaked, or grease-soaked brake shoes. Some parts stores will replace parts damaged by the failure of another item, some won't. It depends on your relationship with the parts guy, (and how much you spend every month!) Risking the loss of a couple of thousand dollars' worth of business every month if they get me upset makes my parts guys VERY accomodating!
Jerry

Everytime I've replaced wheel cylinders, I've honed the bore of the new cylinder and made sure the rubber seals are dry. If you put brake fluid on them to make them slide in easy, it can cause it to leak and not seal properly.

I've replaced the cylinder this morning and put on a new set of new shoes. Now my new drum has to hammered on to fit. Wheel is locked with the drum on. Parking brake is disconnected so that is not an issue. Adjuster is bottomed out in the retracted position. I'm thinking of having the drum turned a few thousands -- that maybe it is not quite to specs, being out of the box and probably manufacted in China, like the rest of my "new" parts. Help!!!!!

Something's not in the right position. Perhaps the shoes are hung up on the equalizer bar or not seated into the push rods all the way. Look into that before having the drums turned. You should be able to fit the drum on easily w/o hammering.

You're right. Had something out of place.

Sometimes you get the wrong length adjuster. (The wrong part in the correctly numbered box). If the adjuster is too long the shoes won't retract back far enough to put the drum on.