Re: IML: '62 Brake System Repair

[randalpark@xxxxxxx]

The car did not come with a proportioning valve, and I think you will 
have to make you own metal lines. I haven't seen any NOS made for the 
Imperial in recent years. Get a tube bender, they are not difficult to 
make. Be sure to clean out the brass "T" s as they can collect crap 
which could spoil your brake job once it travels through the system.

Paul W.


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Strickland <jwstrick426@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 9:52 am
Subject: IML: '62 Brake System Repair



To all who responded - Thanks.

No, I did not mean to imply that I was going to re-use what was there, 
just that
I am curious to see what shape they are in.  All the wheel cylinders 
had been
replaced back in '99 on this car.  The master cylinder was sent out to 
a repair
facility which advertised in Hemmings and was re-sleeved with stainless 
steel at
that time.  I don't think new master cylinders are avialable, but I 
will check.
I intend to replace wheel cylinders if I can find new ones.  If not it 
might be
time to send them off to be re-sleeved too.  In any case all the 
internal parts
would have to be replaced to get good sealing under load.  I plan to 
check with
my local NAPA store or AutoZone or O'Reiley's to see what I can find as 
new
replacements.  If I don't find parts available locally, then it will 
probably be
Andy Bernbaum or others listed on the club website.  NAPA charged 
$61.37 plus
tax for a set of flex hoses.

I was successful in removing the left rear drum this morning.  The 
hub/drum
puller worked its magic.  The drum came off relatively easily.  There 
was much
less struggle that when Jim Payne and I worked on his 61 Le Baron using 
a J. C.
Whitney hub/drum puller.  Not only was there less struggle, the 
pressure
applying bolt stayed centered on the axle shaft like it should have.  
Once I had
enough pressure applied I used light taps of a 3 lb. sledge hammer all 
the way
around the stamped steel portion of the drum assembly and also near the 
lug
studs and it popped loose.  The large castle nut and washer kept it 
from flying
off.  Then some additional pressure from the bolt on the puller got the 
drum off
after the castle nut and washer had been removed.

It might be a good idea to take wheel cylinders along when I try to get 
parts
ordered.  Sometimes parts catalogs of vendors show pictures as well as 
listing
in a table.  Here are the Chrysler part numbers that I believe are 
correct for
the '62 Imperial:
    Rear Wheel Cylinders   1857 051, both left and right
    Front Wheel Cylinders  1857 055, Front upper left
                           1857 053, Front lower left
                           1857 054, Front upper right
                           1857 052, Front lower right

The left rear wheel cylinder bore shows considerable rust along the 
bottom edge
toward the extreme travel position of one of the pistons.  It looks bad 
enough
that honing would probably not correct the pitting.  I expect the other 
wheel
cylinders will be in similar condition.

An interesting discovery I made when I got the left rear drum off was 
that the
rear leading shoe wheel cylinder boot was cooked to the point of being 
cracked
and brittle.  The rear following shoe wheel cylinder boot was not quite 
so
damaged.  The the leading shoe showed almost no wear, but the following 
shoe
showed considerable wear and some evidence of overheating.  I believe 
that when
Preston Chrysler worked on the car years ago that the mechanic who 
serviced it
did not know how to properly adjust the rear following shoes and had 
them too
tight.  That is probably why the brakes smoked badly when I drove it 
home.  At
the time I did not have a service manual for the car and did not bother 
to check
the adjustment of each wheel myself.  I wish I had now.  I may have bee 
enjoying
the car for the last eight years instead of letting it sit and 
deteriorate.

All rear brake adjusters seem to have adequate resistance to turning.  
I don't
think the tension on them is bad.  I do think it would be best to have 
new brake
shoe return springs on the car, especially the rear brakes.  After 
getting the
rear brake drums so hot it may have caused the springs to loose some of 
their
tension.

One of my biggest fears at this point is that both rear drums may have 
been
warped by the drive home after the dealer worked on it.  By the time I 
got the
car home smoke was pouring out from both rear wheels.  The front brakes
continued to enable me to stop OK.  I did get some replacement rear 
drums from
Bob Hoffmeister years ago.

I have a friend who said he would help me make new brake line tubes, 
unless one
of our vendors listed on the club website has reproductions available.  
Has
anyone checked for brake lines on the '62 models?

I haven't looked yet, but is there a proportioning valve for front to 
rear brake
pressure balance?  I am guessing that it would have been made of brass 
and not
too likely to go bad.  Ditto for the rear axle "T".  I don't want to 
crawl
around under the car anymore than I have to at this point.

Joseph W. Strickland
1021 Vaughan Lane
Tioga, TX 76271-2937

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