The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Frozen wheel, First Engine test

I have pulled the great rust mountain out of its 27 year home of muck, and now would like to move it about, but, front left drum is frozen on the brake shoes. I removed the hub cap and there is plenty of grease and goo in there, so I doubt the wheel is frozen on the spindle. This is a 59 1 ton with the big 8 lug hubs. (Got truck for free) We removed wheel and pounded on the drum with a hammer, but that and dragging out of mud with **** 8n tractor didn't get the wheel to rotate. Should I cut off the drum with a grinder? Or, heat it up with torch and give it another beating? I could remove the spindle but still in same place. I think the drum maybe gooved with brake shoes inset.

Other question was a motor test. Was going to dump some marvel mystery oil in plug holes and let it sit up for while, then change the oil, and maybe bar the engine over and see if it will even turn. Any suggestions appreciate. Plugs are ash brown, looks like 'it ran good when parked'.

Thanks for any advice.

I don't know about the brake shoes but what you want to do to the engine sounds pretty good. I'd let the mystery oil work for a couple of days at least before trying to move it. If it won't move on the first try put some more oil in it and let it sit again. I'd also check the points to make sure that there not coroded, clean points work better. When you do turn it over it should turn without having to use a breaker bar on it, just a standard 1/2" rachet should be fine.

good luck, hope it runs.

Irwin
This could get brutal, Remove brake line and bleeder, try to back off adjuster, RATTEL DRUM WITH HAMMER. If this does not work, take bolts out that hold wheel cylinder in . THIS IS THE BRUTEL PART. TRY TO [PUSH/ HIT] ADJUSTER IN AND DOWN TO DISCONNECT FROM SHOE.THEN RATTLE DRUM, IF NO WORK, TRY CYLINDER IN THEN DOWN, I have done this on a 59 one ton, it's not pritty, your wheel cyl is probably froze,and not any good. IF anything comes lose you will need to remove drum and remove pieces or they will tear it up when it rotates, REMEMBER BIG HAMMER= $$$$

MY 5-4 WHEN I DRUG HER OUT OF THE GROVE THE REAR DRUMS WERE LOCKED UP TIGHT... ENDED UP TORCHING THE LOWER SHOE ADJUSTER OUT AND SMACKING THE DRUM WITH A 2LBS HAMMER FOR A WHILE... STILL LOOKING FOR BRAKE HARDWARE.

Thanks for the advice gentlemen. It always helps to follow the path blazed by those ahead of you.

I will let the motor set up with some mystery oil for a few days while I work the drum over. I have a feeling it is not going to be ugly and should turn with the half inch breaker bar. If not, well....

I have the brake adjusting tool, so I think I might get the adjuster to back off, and hopefully the shoes will retract. I will also try backing out the slave cylinder next. I have been planing on changing to disc brakes anyway, so if the drum gets a bit beat up, well, tough beans.

Speaking of which, I have seen a lot of brake conversions for 5 lug wheels, but, nothing obvious for the 8 lugs. Any suggestions on who might have a kit that would work on this jewel?

There are two ways to remove your drum, with or without the hub. You didn't mention what you had done there.

Without the hub: There are two slot screws through the drum into the hub. Usually thouroughly rusted and require one of the hammer type impact tools to remove. This should free the drum from the hub and allow you to tackle the brakes.

With the hub: Remove the 8 bolts holding the axle, then pull the axle out. Inside there are some large nuts with keepers that tighten the bearings. Remove these and the hub/drum pulls straight off. It's heavy, so be careful it doesn't land on your foot.

As for disc brakes, there are no kits. We had someone post a website where someone was making his own, but his setup was unsafe. I tried e-mailing him, got no response. Too bad these old trucks are so narrow, I would love to put a late model front and rear under my 52.

The mystery oil of which you speak is ATF. Tranny fluid does a wonderful job of freeing up old stuck engines.

Ryan

Irwin: Check out this site:

www.boyceequipment.com

These people specialize in 1 ton and up, axle conversions and military stuff. They build 4WD 1 ton components as a speciality, for use as mudder and "Big foot" type racing trucks. They stock a complete line of 1 ton & up truck brake components and have disc kits for Dana 44's front axles, and corporate 14 bolt 1 ton rears. They will certainly have something to fix you up.

Think Chevy! :rolleyes:

Oh well, just paid $2 for a eazy pour quart of marvel mystery tranny fluid! been raining like crazy here so I haven't had a chance to work on THE GREAT RUST MOUNTAIN.

I have removed the left front wheel, which amazingly, came right off with little effort on the lugs. I have shot a bunch of rust eater type goo all over the hub and drum and through the adjuster hole and about anywhere else I could shoot goo in there. I thought about removing the whole spindle assembly to get the drum free, but it maybe easier to use the truck as a part holder. I noticed the two slot headed screws on the drum, and wasn't sure what they were for, but blasted them (with more hope than anything else) with rust eat goo and hope that will allow me to get them out. I could always drill em out if worse came to worse.

Thanks chevyman for the web site, I have emailed them to see if they had anything that could help me. I was wondering if the spindles on this truck are of different size of that of a standard half ton. If not, then I could use any number of conversion kits but I would lose the 8 lug hubs up front. I could live with that trading disc brakes for drums. I like stopping.

I will make a web page for the beauty so you can all see what the great rust mountain looks like. :p

Ok, if you want to see the great rust mountain, here is a web site I just cobbled together:

Great Rust Mountain

it also links to a humorous ad which I might enter in the 2002 it ran when I parked it contest.

Looks about as rusty as my truck, but probalby in better overall condition. (Wasn't used as a woods truck)

Ok, in case you were wondering, the way to get a froze up frpmt wheel off is to do 2 things: Remove the outside ball bearing to get some play in the brake drum/hub, and then remove the bolts that hold not only the brake slave cylinder on there, but the upper pivot bolt where the brake shoes join up above the master cylinder. That allowed the drum and hub to be wiggled off with a couple of pry bars. Once drum was free (I had already loosened the brake line) I could rotate it to remove the brake hose. Wheel spins real good now. (don't forget to remove the brake drum attachment to hub screws too)

The brake star adjuster was one solid hunk o rust so that was broken with a cold chisel, thus allowing the brake shoes to be popped off the drum. The brake shoes showed absolutely square edges so they either were just replaced before parked, or, they never worked! Going to try to get the rig home tomorrow.

The engine has a rebuild plate showing its already .060 over bored, and plugs 1-3 and 5 were ok. 4 is oiled up and 6 is corroded. I doubt this motor is going to be workable without oilers on plugs, etc.

So if anyone has a 235 near Dallas Texas they'd like to unload cheap...

btw chevyman - I contacted boyce about front end stuff, but they couldn't help me. 4x4 is their main deal, but I appreciate the info to try to find stuff.

the best brakes stuff I have found was local - www.praisedynobrake.com - they have some rather pricey brake shoes, but the brake co-efficent is .41 rather than .25, which might be good enough. I have a bud who drives a 1960 chevy 1/2 ton (executive director at the Age of Steam Railroad museum here in town) and he runs stock brakes and sez they are fine, as long as there is no load in the truck.

Anyone used praisedyno's stuff? Believe it or not they knew all about what was needed for my rust mountain, and had the bits in stock! Must be a common bit.

Irwin, COOL TRUCK. I like it a bunch. Now where is Garland Texas?-LOL You might have your hands full but what fun and One Cool Truck!!!

Thanks Oly, high praise indeed. Got the great rust mountain towed home, and as with all projects found that a bit of work will be required. My back alley is small and truck got only part way up the driveway. Rest was come-along using base of the fence posts. :rolleyes: When I got under it to grease the driveline for the drive found the rear shock mounts mangled and no shocks on the rear. Oh well, that way I can make anything I like! Not a problem, an opportunity! When we have bugs in our software, they are called 'opportunities for excellence....' ::snore:: ::gag:: ::barf:: ::retch:: going to use it for my race bike. Maybe rent it out as a summer home - time share...

btw, Garland is just northeast of Dallas, its a suburb now. I watched my neighbors slowly drive past as the gas tank leaked out some varnish. MAN! Now everyone will want one!