Brake wheel cylinder question

[PhoenixFear]

Generally speaking, is it ok to rebuild 40+ year old wheel cylinders or just replace them? I haven't seen their condition yet, but the rebuild kits are cheap and easier for me to find than the cylinders. Plus I've been told to rebuild cylinders anyway, however I'm not sure about 40 year old cylinders. Thanks.

[19Fordy]

I don't think there will be a problem unless the pistons and/or cylinder walls are badly pitted and the rubber seals in your rebuild kit have lost their flexibility.

[Scott De Shields]

If I wanted to use the older stock used cylinders than you might consider having them machined for stainless steel sleeves.

[mrtexas]

A kit is about $15 and new is $40. Not a lot of savings there.

[PhoenixFear]

I'll check the cylinders to be sure. I can get the kits for about $5 each for the rears and a bit more for the fronts.

[mrtexas]

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I have a bunch of wheel cylinders I'd sell for postage.

[Fibber Mcgee]

Check the bottom portion inside the cylinders, that's where they are usually pitted the worse. If they look good I'd consider honing them and rebuild. If not I'd take mrtexas offer.

[Old Henry]

I have not generally tried to skimp and save on safety equipment. Not worth the risk to me. I replaced all of mine with new just to be sure and secure.

[Russ/40]

If it was me, I'd buy new ones and go to DOT5 and they would last forever.

[Mart]

The current wheel cylinders sold by a lot of vendors have some issues. The fronts are ok, but the rears are made incorrectly. The base cylinder is machined wrong, putting the feed hole too high up the larger bore. I could go into detail, but don't have time now.

This is just my opinion, but I would not use old cylinders due to reasons of cost, I would buy new if they are made correctly. With the situation at the moment re the rear cylinders, I would buy new ones for the front and sort through old rear cylinders to find good unpitted cores and rebuild them.

This is exactly what I have just done with my 33.

I stripped 6 old wheel cylinders and 5 out of the 6 were rebuildable. You can't just take it for granted that the pair you have will be rebuildable, you have to strip them and carefully inspect the bores. clean em up, hone them and if all looks good, use em.

Mart.

[don-wi]

What happens when using the replacement rear wheel cylinders that are wrong? Is it an issue with them fitting to the backing plate or is it a problem with the function of them?
Thanks Don

[46ford]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFear

Generally speaking, is it ok to rebuild 40+ year old wheel cylinders or just replace them? I haven't seen their condition yet, but the rebuild kits are cheap and easier for me to find than the cylinders. Plus I've been told to rebuild cylinders anyway, however I'm not sure about 40 year old cylinders. Thanks.

If they're in OK shape there's no reason not to rebuild them. Mine had slight pitting but honed out OK and kits are cheap. I look at them periodically for leakage.

The master cylinder needs to be looked at also. Again if it hones out OK and doesn't leak you should be good. Check the hoses too.

There's no reason to be afraid of the stock brake system if it's maintained properly. If you have any doubts by all means replace everything with new stuff. I have a machine shop available with above average ability to rebuild hydraulic components and trust my own work. I also don't have endless funds available so I do my own.

[Mart]

Originally Posted by don-wi

What happens when using the replacement rear wheel cylinders that are wrong? Is it an issue with them fitting to the backing plate or is it a problem with the function of them?
Thanks Don

Here are some pics.

Here are the new cylinder on the right, and an old lockheed cylinder on the left. Look pretty similar, but look at the angle the port is drilled at:


The old one has a drilling at approximately the 11 o'clock position.


The new one has it drilled a bit further round - somewhere between 10 and 11 o'clock.


What's the big deal?

Well, the deal is, the hole exits into the cylinder further up the bore. In my case with decent shoes and good drums, the piston was well back in the cylinder and the seal lip was back far enough so that the hole was open to the wrong side of the seal lip. The fluid just pissed out.

Here's the two holes on the good cylinder. They are roughly in the same area, the no mans land near the step in the bore.


In the quality product from China, the bleed hole is correct (hard to get that wrong) but because of the incorrect angle the feed hole is almost 10mm further up the bore.


With good or new drums and good linings on the shoe, even when adjusted up, the seal lip sits over the hole. The fluid just flowed out of the end of the cylinder.

How can people get something so simple so wrong?

Out of curiosity I checked the front cylinders and that look fine. The holes are aligned well at the same position in the bore.

I bought the cylinders from Macs, and have written to them about it. I am waiting for a reply.

I bought some more from a UK supplier, but they turned out to be the same. That's when I elected to rebuild the old ones.

Mart.

[41Fordor]

Made in USA cylinders are still available at NAPA, front 1 3/8 bore I got a few months ago.

PN 8264/8265

[PhoenixFear]

I'll look into the rears and probably the fronts, thanks for the info on the new rear cylinders they make. The place I go through I believe sells Raybestos wheel cylinders, but the price is quite hefty. I think normal cost is about 70-80 per cylinder, however I can get a discount at the moment to about 53 bucks a cylinder. Speedway sells stainless sleeved cylinders but I have no idea on their quality.

[waterboychuck]

I sent all my wheel cylinders, and master cylinder to Brake and Equipment warehouse in Minneapolis and they bored them out and relined them with stainless steel. No more pitting and I feel safe when driving the car.