Projects Mild custom '51 Pontiac Chieftain

Once I've got the brake set up properly again, I'll bring it down to the donut shop.

 

Moved the car again today, cold it told me the valve lash on a couple valves has slipped. That's added to the list now.


I was told I should make the photo I took look older than it is. F-stop is a bit deep in terms of focus but it's still photogenic.

Phil

 

So what happened with the "breakdown"? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I had tightened the brake shoes up because the pedal was getting low as they're bedding in.

The anchor must need adjustment because the wheel turns freely but I think the shoe is servoing itself onto the drum at speed and it was heating up badly.
I jacked the car up at the roadside, grabbed my brake spoon from the toolbox and backed the adjuster off a couple notches.

That mostly fixed it. The wheel was tepid warm when I got home so it's still binding slightly. I'm going to pull the drum off and inspect for fault, clean, readjust and hopefully that should see it working properly again.

Phil

 

Looks like Fox Chrome paper from the late forties.

Mine I was going for Polaroid.

 

Went for donuts.


...and a chocolate malt!


Phil

(That's a 21 mile round trip, by the way)

 

Don’t remember reading if you replaced your rubber brake hoses but I had a similar issue with my rear brakes...turned out to be a deteriorating rubber hose not allowing fluid to flow back when brake was released, sort of like a check valve.

 

Looks like it could be a picture of grama's new car!

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Nice work bro


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MMMM donuts.

 

I did, yes. At a standstill the car moves freely. Once it picks up speed the brake likes to pull itself on. Just means the anchor isn't adjusted correctly.

My problem is I can't quite get them right yet because the new shoes were 30 thou' oversize "to account for worn drums", but my drums are good. So, the shoes had to go in on the squint, with the bottoms not touching, and adjust them out until they've bedded in. Makes gauging the correct position for the anchor very difficult.

Phil

 

A tool has been procured.



Got told I'm not doing it tonight, so. Hey. At least I have the tool.

Phil

 

What a mess! Thankfully only transmission fluid.


Made a fine paper hone by gluing a couple pieces of 2000 grit paper into a piece of dowel.


Cleaned up the valves.

Behaves much better than it did but it still likes to stick in first when it's hot.
I might try get some magic in a bottle and see if that helps stabilize things, this ATF is cheap stuff.

Fuel pump is starting to give up the ghost too.

Phil

 

Mmmm doughnuts and malts.


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Man, I thought the ATF on your arm and hand was scars for a moment! Glad it all washes off!

 

Me too, but gosh does it ever make a mess.
End up not being able to open the door handles in the garage to go get paper towel to wipe it all off.

Went out tonight to fix a couple electrical contacts and saw the brake master had barfed all the brake fluid all over the floor and now the service brakes are inop.

I'm glad it decided to do that in the garage and not on the highway.

I'll pull it off and inspect the bore and seals and see what needs doing. Hopefully just seals.

Phil

 

Aren't old cars fun? Like an old boss of mine once said: "Like wipin' yer ass with a hoop... there's no end to it!"

 

There's truth right there. Every wear part I haven't changed has failed, despite initially being good.

 

Haven't done much recently due to the holidays and the brakes but today I washed and dried the blankets again and refit them. I'll pin the back of the front down to stop it flapping in the wind, as there's nothing to tuck it into.

Phil

 

Wanted a break tonight, and it's moderately cool out (55), so I grabbed my safety pins and went to the garage.


Pinned the blanket so it won't try take off like it did when I had the windows open.

Then I looked at the ash tray, which was covered in surface rust and dirt.
I pulled that out and took the rust and dirt off with a brass brush, then polished it up.
I then unscrewed the frame and did the same. Surprisingly, behind the vinyl is the original seat backing!



I also cleaned the grab rope escutcheons up. I need to make a new grab rope.


It's a big old car, really. I then turned my attention to the front- the front ash tray handle would always come off when pulled so I found a new screw for it, cleaned and lubricated the runners. Now it pulls out easily.
I also lubricated the glove box hinges and that pops open like it should when you push the button now. This is good because the first thing passengers do is get in, touch the "Pontiac Eight" script badge, then pull on the ash tray handle. I don't know why, but everybody gravitates towards it.


Little things, onward and upward.

Phil

 

Shiny new things arrived in the mail today.

Phil

 

Old one's off. Gotta clean up the fittings that go back on now.

Phil

 

The bits that don't come with the new one, which need to be recycled.
Threads in the brass aren't great, which sucks.

Phil

 

New master assembled on the bench.


Wiggle wiggle wrench wrench clip adjust.

Set the pedal height (4 3/8" from toe-board) which stops the cylinder bottoming out and pushing the seal past the fluid inlet and also keeps the pedal at a sensible height in relation to the gas pedal.

All unions tightened up.

Next up, shoe readjustment and then fill/bleed.

Phil

 

Looking good.

 

It will stop.

 

Thank goodness. would hate see anything happen to that beautiful Pontiac. You have done a marvelous job Phil, now enjoy it.

 

The shoes are still a little bit big, and they're being really difficult to adjust in correctly.

Also it does show how much the front suspension needs a refresh. All the rubber parts are... Careworn.


Particularly as tonight it rolled over 104,000 miles.

That's 4000 miles more than the car was designed to do!

 

Phil,
I am still really enjoying your thread!!
I chased a similar brake issue on my 1953 Pontiac. It turned out to be the washer on the master cylinder push rod was installed backwards. You can read about it here.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...l-4-brakes-lock-up-after-short-drive.1073811/. I fought that issue for weeks until I found it. I was diving around with an infrared thermometer to check wheel temps to find which wheel(s) were causing issue. When it happened I had to wait an hour for pressure to bleed down or loosen a line to relieve pressure. If the washer is backwards it won’t let the pressure out after you brake and it slowly builds up until brakes drag or lock up.
Greg