Time for a Brake

Time for a Brake

Over the course of the winter storage of Cornelius, I noted that a wet spot had started to appear on the back side of the driver’s side backing plate. Once it got warm enough, I pulled the tire and the drum to have a look. Sure enough, the wheel cylinder had developed a leak and was dripping brake fluid into the bearings and thinning the grease as well. Time for some brake work.

Front Driver's Side Brakes Prior to Repair

Front Driver’s Side Brakes Prior to Repair

First item was to clean things up, which took a while – there was quite a lot of grease and gunk covering everything. I ordered and received a replacement brake cylinder and some replacement brake springs (see the “Parts” page for part numbers). Fortunately, the brake shoes seem to have been recently replaced and are in excellent condition. The wheel bearings were also in excellent condition and only needed a thorough cleaning and repacking.

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Stop It!

Stop It!

So the truck is now running, but the stopping part could use a little more attention. The brake pedal is precariously close to the floor before any strong pedal is felt. An inspection of the brake fluid in the master cylinder indicates that the fluid is both low and in need

Brakes After Cleaning and Painting

Brakes After Cleaning and Painting

of changing. I had to remove the flooring in the truck to get a decent look at the master, so I decide that a good place to start would be with replacing it.

As it turns out, the master cylinder in the later K-Series is the same as the one in the D-Series. Why is this important? Because Rock Auto carries theĀ Raybestos MC1722 master cylinder for the K1 for a mere $114!

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