The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Wheel cylinder advice

I have a 1/2 ton 1942 chevy truck. The brakes were all done about ten years ago and then the truck sat in the Arizona desert. When I got the truck the master cylinder was dry and the cap was off so water got into it. I replaced the master cylinder and now I want to do the brakes.

Do I just test the wheel cylinders with fluid, rebuild them first or just replace them?

What are the odds they will still be good after ten years of non use?

You're betting your life on your brakes every time you make a stop. Is it worth the risk to pinch a few pennies and try to reuse a marginal part? On the same general subject, if you're willing to take a chance, how about the danger to the rest of the motoring public? If your shade tree brake job results in the injury or death of one of my family, you can run, but you can't hide! Where brakes, steering, or lights are concerned, 100% reliability is just barely good enough.
Jerry

I agree with Jerry. Brakes are the first thing I want to tackle when getting an old Bolt going. If it doesn't have "good" brakes, there is no point in getting it running.

If the brakes weren't used in ten years, expect the wheel cylinders to be bad. And just because the brakes were "done" doesn't mean the wheel cylinders were honed to get all the pitting out or replaced. They could have been leaking a little then.

Your lines are likely trash as well. If the sstem was cvontaminated for a long period of time, you can bet that there is some corrosion in there somewhere that will bite you later. Might be on the initial test drive, might be down the road, just remember: Moving is optional, stopping is mandatory.

you could weigh the cost of rebuild vs cost of new cyls. no one is going to suggest doing it unsafe and i am not disagreeing with anyone. some might say rebuilding them would be safe. new wheel cyls kits are about $2 for my trucks which makes rebuilding look pretty good. just make sure you do it right. i'll give you the same advise the junk yard gave me when i crauled under a stack of 4 high cars to get a part off the bottom one- "be careful". ps you can't hide at my house if hot rod jerry come looking for you.

I had a 78 Chevy, the light turned RED, I hit the brakes hard, pedal went to the floor,out to the middle of the intersection I went before I stopped.
Whew, no one was coming the other way. Talk about a gut wrenching feeling, plus feeling stupid as other drivers looked at me wondering what the hect am I doing.
That was a popped rusty brake line on a duel brake system.
Your life is worth...how much ?
Dan