1954 Plymouth Suburban Project

[RNR1957NYer]

2 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

I bought this one from harbor freight, cheap but works well so far. I thought this video was good description to clean it and set it up.

There is assembly lube in a new gun that will contaminate your product, if not properly cleaned before use.

 

 

I have a couple of those as well - a friend who is a long-time body man for GM dealerships swore by (not at) them.  While they don't have different size caps, there is a You Tube video by someone who drilled the cap out for heavy primer /surfacer.

[pflaming]

Getting it protected, anti rust surface. 

[pflaming]

I’ve been fighting old coil, distributor problems for a week. Yesterday I went to a 50’s electrical shop and got a good education. I did not know, for example, that the mounting plate was so easily removed to replace the points. And that old coils are temperamental. Now.i have a new coil,ceramic resister, condenser, and points. Results should be better.  
 

 

[pflaming]

https://youtu.be/KlZI1rgQnZw

 

Engine restart on suburban.  Will test clutch, shifter, brakes tomorrow if all checks out, will drive it for the first time! Wish me the best. 

[casper50]

good luck with it.

[pflaming]

first time I’ve driven it. Still a project car, but now it has life. 

[RobertKB]

11 hours ago, pflaming said:

first time I’ve driven it. Still a project car, but now it has life. 

 

Yes, but is it dead at the end of the video?

[pflaming]

Minor electrical glitch, already fixed. That’s why it will get driven, slowly at first. I totally disassembled this car, so a few glitches are to be expected. Goal now, CHP for vin number, DMV for title and license, State Farm for insurance. 

[pflaming]

Drove the suburban again today to test the shifter. I am very pleased. R and 1st so easy to use. Still have some cosmetic work on the handles but the mechanism is sound. Brakes are spongy, rebleed tomorrow and tendo some serious driving.

[Sniper]

Note on those spongy brakes, I had that issue when I first got my 51.  Turns out that while the PO had the brakes all redone with new brakes whomever was the mechanic did not do the adjustments.  The service manual has the procedure, though it calls for a special tool to set the major adjustment.  I don't have that tool but what you are doing is setting the shoe width so that it is just slightly less than the inside drum diameter.  You can get it there by measuring with a large set of calipers or failing that with a machinist's ruler to get it close, then it's drum on and drum off as you fine tune the setting.  Once it just drags back off just enough for it to free spin.  Now you can reassemble the drums and do the minor adjustment.  DO NOT forget to torque the shoe lower pivot bolt and the axle flange nut, both of which in my case were not torqued.  Once I did that to all four drums I went from needing two pumps of the pedal for any braking action to about 2 inches of pedal travel for solid braking.  If you go through the service manual's troubleshooting guide for spongy brakes misadjusted shoes is listed as a possible cause.  Also, since these brakes are not self adjusting it would be wise to do the minor adjustment every oil change.  Once the minor no longer works it's probably time to inspect or replace the shoes.

[Sam Buchanan]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

Note on those spongy brakes, I had that issue when I first got my 51.  Turns out that while the PO had the brakes all redone with new brakes whomever was the mechanic did not do the adjustments.  The service manual has the procedure, though it calls for a special tool to set the major adjustment.  I don't have that tool but what you are doing is setting the shoe width so that it is just slightly less than the inside drum diameter.  You can get it there by measuring with a large set of calipers or failing that with a machinist's ruler to get it close, then it's drum on and drum off as you fine tune the setting.  Once it just drags back off just enough for it to free spin.  Now you can reassemble the drums and do the minor adjustment.  DO NOT forget to torque the shoe lower pivot bolt and the axle flange nut, both of which in my case were not torqued.  Once I did that to all four drums I went from needing two pumps of the pedal for any braking action to about 2 inches of pedal travel for solid braking.  If you go through the service manual's troubleshooting guide for spongy brakes misadjusted shoes is listed as a possible cause.  Also, since these brakes are not self adjusting it would be wise to do the minor adjustment every oil change.  Once the minor no longer works it's probably time to inspect or replace the shoes.

 

You can easily build a brake adjustment tool (here is my thread on making and using the tool):

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by Sam Buchanan

[kencombs]

18 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

You can easily build a brake adjustment tool (here is my thread on making and using the tool):

 

I would add that if you're replacing bearings, one of the old inner races works instead of a nut.    Those types of homemade tools work just as well as the expensive ones for centering the shoes.  To help with the initial diameter adjustment you could consider one of these::

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-Digital-Caliper-63713.html

Measure drum ID, shoe OD and set with just a little clearance, then use the other tool to center

Useful for many other measurements also.

[Sniper]

Pretty slick, might have to do something similar

[pflaming]

Please explain how the mechanical adjustment of the rear brake shoes impacts the pressure of the fluid in the brake lines?  TKS.

[Sniper]

Each stroke of the pedal on displaces a set amount much fluid from the master cylinder.  the farther from the drums the shoes are the more fluid they need to move the shoes into contact with.  If the master cylinder runs out of volume before the shoes hit the drums you have to pump again.  remember, until all the shoes hit virtually no pressure is generated in the braking system.

[pflaming]

Sniper, so there may not be any air in the lines, the brake shoe distance requires more fluid than is available. I won’t do this, but would it be possible to disconnect the lines to the rear and have good pedal to the front?  Front brakes do 70% of the braking. BUT without rear brakes, the car would spin in a hard brake, like a semi when the trailer brakes fail.  Bad! 
 

[Sniper]

you'd have to cap the line going to the rear otherwise the fluid would just follow the path of least resistance out the hole.  Loss of rear brakes doesn't normally cause a spin, just reduced braking.  Locking up of the rear brakes can cause a spin though.

 

 

[Young Ed]

7 minutes ago, pflaming said:

Sniper, so there may not be any air in the lines, the brake shoe distance requires more fluid than is available. I won’t do this, but would it be possible to disconnect the lines to the rear and have good pedal to the front?  Front brakes do 70% of the braking. BUT without rear brakes, the car would spin in a hard brake, like a semi when the trailer brakes fail.  Bad! 
 

Put a vice grip on the rear line and let us know

[pflaming]

Sniper, I understand. Ed will do. 

[Sniper]

Do not use a vice grip.  Go to the parts store and buy an inverted flare plug.  If you use vice grips you will crush the tube and have to replace the line.

[Old Ray]

........ on the rear brake hose ? 

[Sniper]

You'll pinch the hose and damage it.  Not something you want to do in a system that can generate 1000+psi.  Unless you are already planning on a new hose.

[pflaming]

Was making good progress m then my knee went out. Cortisone shot in Thursday should fix it. My new shifter .

[pflaming]

Required parts to finish the Sportster back ordered until July 9, so with better knees, back on the Suburban and now will remain so until it is licensed to drive every day. It’s “ drivable “ as is, what remains is safety and cosmetically related. Sportster  is close also. Will tow the Sportster behind the suburban when I go to CHP and DMV. 

Enjoy July 4!  

[pflaming]

Wanted, complete pair of park lights.

1954 Plymouth. Dr’s appointment today, back-in the shop tomorrow. A new kit in the carburetor and I’m mechanically on the road. Work now is cosmetic so I can get it legal via CHP/DMV. Since my truck has a bad rod, we need a 2nd car.