Dad's cars

[Young Ed]

Over the last week I've gotten all but one started up. Took the 66 wagon and 54 out for rides up north. Yesterday took the 51 for a ride to my house and gave it a bath. So far 6 will start. The 69 is low on atf so we couldn't drive it and it needs a new battery. The 54 IHC will only run with gas poured in the carb so something happened to the fuel system. The slightly weird part the 51 brakes were weak. MC looked empty so I filled it and immediately had brakes. I hunted for any sign of a leak but couldn't find any. Even pulled both front drums because the backing plates looked a little oily. 

 

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

nice thing to do for dad on Father's day....the good son!

[Young Ed]

Thanks - it's kind of self serving though as Dad can't drive anymore. Was nice putting the top down and going for a ride. Mom even took me for ice cream 

[Los_Control]

I wont buy the self serving attitude.

Very possible you will be stuck with the vehicles when your parents pass. ...... Makes sense to maintain them.

 

But the joy you gave both your parents to take them out for a ride, something they could not do by themselves without your help.

You even got ice cream ...... I wonder how many memories your mother/father had in them vehicles .... even if they cant drive anymore, just riding along.

 

Stick them in the back seat and take them for a tour of the countryside ..... they might be happy.

 

Sucks getting old but we all get there .... making it fun helps.

[Young Ed]

I maybe didn't make it that clear but when I said Mom took me for ice cream she was driving! We have a big car show this weekend (10-11k cars) and she wanted to practice a little before attending 

[Los_Control]

Just now, Young Ed said:

I maybe didn't make it that clear but when I said Mom took me for ice cream she was driving! We have a big car show this weekend (10-11k cars) and she wanted to practice a little before attending 

Could she have taken you for ice cream if you did not prepare the car for her?

It's not self serving!

 

[Los_Control]

I remember my most favorite person, my wife Uncle.

When he was getting old, in his 80's, his eye sight was going bad ..... Dumbass had cataracts & I tried to convince him to have the surgery ..... he would not.

 

He had a 2 acre property that was his own private wrecking yard of cars from the 40's to the 90's.

Even though he could no longer drive, was his greatest pleasure to walk outside & choose what vehicle he wanted to be driven into town in.

His son lived with him who was disabled & drove.

 

My favorite stories from Uncle was when he was a teen, he got kicked out of high school .... he would come by in his model A & sneak his girlfriend out of class ... during sports activities or whatever, they would go riding in the country .... she never finished school either. ...... They were married over 55 years before she passed.

 

I never asked my uncle what he & aunt Jenny did on those rides ..... he sure had lots of smiles remembering them though.

Those cars are a lifetime of memories.

[Young Ed]

Well I figured the brakes were too good to be true. Drove it a little more and came home to a puddle under the MC! Had the wife pump the brakes while I watched and there is fluid coming out around the pushrod. Is that something a rebuild will solve or should I be shopping for new?

[Los_Control]

It is leaking past the rubber cups ..... The rebuild kit will supply new cups.

 

I would think since you had decent brakes but now leaking .....very possible a new cup will cure it.

Depends on the condition of the bore. Has it been rebuilt in the past? .... how many road miles on it ?

I would say you have better then 50/50 chance it would work for awhile anyways. .... Maybe with a light hone on the cylinder.

 

But if you take it apart, find the rubber cup failed because the cylinder bore is in such bad shape ..... A new rubber cup wont help.

 

Pull it apart & take a look at it.

[Young Ed]

I would guess it was new when the car was restored in the mid 90s. Has 16k miles since then and probably hasn't been touched in that time. 

[Los_Control]

I just feel you have a really good chance to replace the rubber cup & make it work.

 

Like my truck, I'm guessing it sat 20 years .... the wheel cylinders were completely junk & frozen .... no way to rebuild them.

The master cylinder looked promising.

 

I honed the crap out of it to get it to look decent, put a kit in it ..... I actually got decent brakes from it when I bled the system out.

Then as a test I imitated a panic stop & stomped on the pedal ..... blew the rubber cup right out. .... straight to the floor the pedal went.

 

I honed it too much, but I honed as much as I needed to get a good clean bore. ...... I call it a swing & a miss. Strike 2!

 

I just do not think you will have the same issue, I would absolutely 100% have to try throwing a kit in it ..... $15-$20? Good chance it will be better then the offshore replacements ... Or send it off & have it sleeved & rebuilt ..... Less then $150 I think, still better then the off shore replacements imho.

 

Myself I went to a modern dual stage Toyota MC. ..... I'm not looking for original.

Edited June 23, 2023 by Los_Control