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1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Brakes


Tim Larson

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I bought my first Plymouth last weekend - a 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe - Two Door.

 

I'm working on an oil change and general tune up, but the main thing that needs attention is the brakes.

 

When initially stepping on the brake pedal it goes right to the floor, but with some pumping the brakes do activate and the stop light on the back of the car does work.

 

When taking off in first gear it seems that the brakes are grabbing a bit since it is not as smooth a start as I'm used to with my '52 Mercury.

 

The master cylinder has plenty of fluid. I have done brake work in the past, (replacing wheel cylinders/lines/etc.) but am wondering if I would be better off taking it to a mechanic that is experience with older vehicles in order to just have it done right with limited frustration on my part.

 

Any tips would be appreciated!

 

Tim

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have you a repair manual for this car to study up on the brakes used on this model?  Suggest this as I also suggest using the proper brake gauge to ensure that you are adjusting your brakes centric to the hub and drum.  One can accomplish a rather close setting by feel or alternate methods but miss on long wear along with other issues.  As it seems you are not losing any fluid but get a pedal only when pedal is pumped suggest there is yet air in the system...perhaps a good bleed will give you a better picture of your brake system

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Lots of topics lately on here about brakes. If you search,  there is a lot of great helpful responses here. 

 

Most folks ask the same questions. I too did the same when I started to tackle my brakes for the first time. Most of our brakes are all the same. 

 

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by-passing internally is when you use the brake and come to a stop...light pressure to hold you at the stopped position and the pedal with light pressure applied will slowly go t the floor..apply pressure it stops the movement...no pumping is required to recover from this....only a reset of the pedal if you allow it to go to the floor and then apply and maintain greater pressure.

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I would suggest as a first step that you remove all the hubs and drums in order to inspect the overall condition.  Pull back the rubber boots on the cylinders to check for seepage.  Assess the lining thickness.  Clean dust and grime off the backing plate. 

If all seems serviceable, lube the contact points of the shoes and backing plate.  Assemble, adjust, bleed if needed and top off fluid.

If any issues are found, like leaks or worn shoes, repair as needed.  Please don't rush this or take shortcuts.  Brakes on older cars need to be in top shape to operate in modern traffic.

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Welcome to the forum. You said you have or had a 52 Merc. If you worked on those brakes then the 49 should be that different. The 52 Merc had the Bendix brakes with the wheel adjuster at the bottom and single wheel cylinder at the top. The Plymouth has the Lockheed brakes The big difference is the way you adjust the shoes to the drum. Your service manual will tell you how. Easy Peasy. As far as no brake light check the brake light switch, should be about 2 feet forward of the Master cylinder.

 

Joe Lee

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I do still have my ‘52 Merc and I did replace the wheel cylinders and brake lines. I’m not to concerned about the difficulty aspect. I’ll give the service manual a thorough read through and then start tackling the project. 

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