ChrisMinelli Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 I came into some random parts and I have enough vintage brake cylinders to outfit four cars. Problem is they are rough — like rusty in and out with some scoring. I would normally pitch them, but they are Mopar and they are original from the 50s. (As I’ve been told). I know people go Ga-Ga for USA made stuff. Can these cylinders be restored to a level of functionality that makes them safe? Or should I just let them give up the ghost? (The photo is of the best of the stuff. The rest is sitting outside because they are leaking fluid). thanks! Quote
Andydodge Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 I can't see why they couldn't be sleeved with either a brass or stainless sleeve and reused apart from the actual cost of getting this done..it might be worthwhile pulling all of them apart, keeping the pieces for each in a zip lock bag and getting some prices on getting them sleeved etc and built with new kits then flog on ebay, at the present time the "Made in USA" won't detract from their value I'd have thought..........andyd Quote
JBNeal Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 additional information - White Post Restorations testimonial Quote
ChrisMinelli Posted December 20, 2020 Author Report Posted December 20, 2020 I'm unfamiliar with the term "sleeved," does that mean coated? Then rebuilt? (I suspect I can do the rebuilding myself -- you would recommend the sleeving instead of just dipping it in a solution to remove the rust and grime?) Quote
kencombs Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 I recommend as a first step, just get rid of the rust. Evaporust will do the job. Or white vinegar is cheaper, takes longer and requires more rinsing and scrubbing. Once the rust is gone, lightly hone the bores and inspect. If they aren't pitted just replace the rubber parts, and pistons if badly pitted. Coat the outside to prevent rusting, WD40, paint or your favorite product. If pits are present, they are candidates for sleeving. That process rebores the cylinder and inserts a sleeve, usually stainless steel or bronze/brass that is the new sealing surface. Not cheap but works well. 1 Quote
knuckleharley Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 5 hours ago, ChrisMinelli said: I came into some random parts and I have enough vintage brake cylinders to outfit four cars. Problem is they are rough — like rusty in and out with some scoring. I would normally pitch them, but they are Mopar and they are original from the 50s. (As I’ve been told). I know people go Ga-Ga for USA made stuff. Can these cylinders be restored to a level of functionality that makes them safe? Or should I just let them give up the ghost? (The photo is of the best of the stuff. The rest is sitting outside because they are leaking fluid). thanks! Yes,White Post Restorations in Virginia,for one,bores them out and installs stainless steel sleeves. What you get back is a much nicer wheel cylinder than came with the car new. Kinda pricy,but these ARE brakes we are talking about,not some stylish doo-dah. 1 Quote
JBNeal Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, ChrisMinelli said: I'm unfamiliar with the term "sleeved," does that mean coated? Then rebuilt? (I suspect I can do the rebuilding myself -- you would recommend the sleeving instead of just dipping it in a solution to remove the rust and grime?) I posted a link in the testimonial in my build thread that I linked in this thread...WP goes into detail as to the services they offer...there are others that offer similar services, but WP is who I chose when I was doing research in Hemmings mags back in the 90s EDIT: to clarify, the wheel and master cylinder castings are salvageable when needed but it is not necessary to recondition immediately. I have 2 big folger's cans of wheel cylinders and a stack of master cylinders that are salvageable but I'm not spending any resources on them until needed...these are USA made castings without any visible cracks so they have value. The only thing I did with these castings was to drain any fluid, wipe down with blue shop towels, and put on a low shelf for the garage spiders to protect from leprechauns and unicorns ?? Edited December 20, 2020 by JBNeal added information 1 Quote
RobertKB Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 I have used White Post for three of my cars. The use a brass sleeve, not stainless as mentioned in an earlier post. I sent the master and all wheel cylinders from my '51 Dodge D39 business coupe project to them. The wheel cylinders were so bad I could not get the pistons out even using compressed air. The cylinders came back better than new. They reuse any internal parts that are re-usable and replace everything else. All new rubber of course. They are a bit pricey but I am certain you get back a product that is better and will last far longer than anything new you buy off the shelf. Never had a problem with any master or wheel cylinders they have re-done and I highly recommend them! Quote
desoto1939 Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 Or look for Old Stock Cylinders made by Wagner or EIS brakes. I have catalogs from both these compnaies that are on CD if interested good reference catalogs for doing other brake parts. Rich Hartung Desoto1939@aol.com Quote
keithb7 Posted December 20, 2020 Report Posted December 20, 2020 You’ll need to decide if you want to invest the cash today to sleeve these cylinders. Sure then they’ll be great. However if you don’t need them, put them away and store for future options. Sleeved cylinders won’t improve braking performance. They will however address leaking cylinder problems. When I was scabbing together my ‘38 to make it at least rod worthy, I found very old leaking wheel cylinders. I cleaned them up and honed them. I installed all new seals. That worked well for 3 cylinders. The 4th one decided to leak again a little while later. I took it apart again. I spent some time polishing it up with emery cloth and my thumb. That was last May. Its been fine ever since. No more leaking. Many folks are upgrading to front disc brakes. I see you have some sets of upper and lower cylinders there, for the fronts. Likely many sets of these front cylinders are tossed in the scrap metal bin when folks upgrade to disc. I doubt theres too much interest in someone buying old rusty original cylinders. They’ll want a deal. For example you spend $250 sleeving them. Then buyers will likely want to pay $100 to buy them from you. Me? I’d put them aside as-is. Store them for possible future needs. You can always sleeve them when needed. Quote
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