VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 1950 Wheel cylinders

I've been looking around and reading a lot, but I can't seem to figure this out. I bought a 1950 Chevy Styleline Deluxe last week and I am close to having it driveable. My big issue is the brakes. I need to replace my wheel cylinders, but everywhere I am seeing is charging $60-$90 for them. Are there any wheel cylinders that will work that don't cost this much? I am on a tight budget. I plan to do a full restoration on the car, but right now I want to at least drive it around the block before the tear down begins. Let me know if you have any suggestions please! It would be much appreciated.

Repair the wheel cylinders. A kit is very inexpensive and easy to install after you have honed the cylinders. If you want to go first class send the cylinders out and have them lined, then install the kits.

Figure on buying a new master cylinder. Not too expensive and a job you only want to do once.

Interesting, I have a 1950 Styleline Deluxe 4-door that I am just finishing up.

Not sure if I'll be able to get the bleeder screw out without it snapping. That's my biggest concern with a rebuild kit.

Try going to your local auto part store.

Tweed50,

Welcome to the chat site. Please rethink your interest in finding a cheap repair of you brake system as a new owner. There is no system on your car that is more important to your making this a successful hobby and a safe one. If you have a family what will be their impression of riding in your new car and having a brake failure? There are a lot of what ifs to operating a car of this age without thoroughly examining it. Best restorations, without experience, should take many baby steps before beginning "complete restorations."

Hopefully, you already have purchased a complete set of manuals for the car or have gone online to read your manual about brake work? Have you done a Search of our old chat site articles on brake work?

Here is the type of articles you should be carefully reading:
1947 Brake poblems
1947 Parking Brake Problems
Complete Brake Rebuild on 41

Additional resources:
Old Car Manuals Project
In-Line Tube
Chevs of the 40's 1950 Brake Parts


My recommendation is buying all new brake cylinders, brake shoes, a new master cylinder, new brake lines, have the drums turned, and to do a complete restoration of the emergency brake system before trying to do a drive around the block. You have already done the cheapest thing in a restoration, buying an old car. A complete rebuild of your brake system could cost about $700-$1000 in parts, with labor add at least another $2000.

Good luck, Mike

P.S. Try soaking the bleeder screw with a penetrating oil for a few hours or overnight, then using a socket instead of a wrench and tightening the bleeder screw about a hair first then untightening it a hair. Repeat the tightening and loosening process. The harder the bleeder screw takes to free up probably indicates the length of time since the last brake work.

How many years since it was last driven regularly and safely? A couple of years? Then start with rebuild kits. 10 years or more? Then start with kits, and replace cylinders that are really bad - as in pistons frozen in the castings. Sleeve those that are pitted or replace them. You have choices. Good luck!

I have a variety of Hucks wheel cylinders that I got from someone cheap or probably for the price of shipping. I have pictures but no idea of what they fit. If you are interested, send a private message with an e-mail address and I can send you pictures showing casting numbers to whatever you may be able to tell from them. They are new with shelf rust externally. Be glad to help if I can.

The casting number on 1949-1950 wheel cylinders are
RF 5450990
LF 5450991
rear 1075899 either side

The 1948 and prior will also work and that is all that is reproduced today
RF 5300955 and 956 and 5300866 rears.

What I have is...(1) 5450990 and one that looked like a mirror image but did not have casting number that made much sense. Then I have (4) 54500072, (2) 1074899, (3) 5453781 Sounds like fronts are covered...need some expert deciphering for the others.

That's good to know. Do you know of any websites that sell them? I believe I found the right ones, but they don't have a picture of the front right wheel cylinder so I am a bit worried.

Looks like I can help you with the fronts. I was hoping Gene could tell us if any of the others would help for the rear. Once we get clarification on that, PM an address to me and they are yours for the shipping. Looking at flat rate USPS I am sure.

The fronts will look the same except for the angles of the opening where the hode attaches.
the 5450072 is 46-50 1 ton front and various 1936-1950 trucks for the rea (larger trucks)
The 5453781 is a front for a 19511952 1 1/2 ad 2 ton truck.

I think we have been able to help out another member. I believe I got these from another member of this site for shipping years ago. I needed the Bendix style and now the leftovers help someone else. I love it when these deals work out like this.

Parts "trading" has worked well for me over the years. I always seem to end up with some really great part coming my way unintentionally just after I've given something away.

Any wheel cylinders that have been sitting for any length of time under unknown conditions should still be opened, cleaned and most likely have fresh seal kits installed as the parts still can deteriorate with age.

There is nothing wrong with taking your wheel cylinders and master cylinder apart and repairing it. Go to your local parts store and order the repair kits and get a wheel cylinder hone and some brake fluid. DOT 3 will be just fine.

Hone out the cylinders so that there is a smooth surface when sliding your finger in the hollow. The cup only travels a short ways.

Smear the hollow with some brake fluid and put everything back together. Get the cups and pistons in in the right direction. Use something to hold the pistons in place.

Run the adjusters down and then back off until you can just get the drums on. Then lock down the wheel by adjusting the cover clockwise while looking at the cylinder at closest advantage. Looking toward the front of the car its clockwise and looking toward the back it is also clockwise. After the wheel is locked by strength of you arm, then back off 4-5 clicks counter-clockwise.

Make sure that the parking brake is in good working order and, if needed, adjust where both cables come together at the bar near the transmission.

Don't worry about brake failure. They may leak but they don't blow out. You'll have plenty of warning that something is amiss if the fluid is low. Air will compress, fluid won't. Honed cylinders and new cups won't leak. If you're worried and have the family along have a concrete block along with a rope tied to the real axle so you can toss it out ,if needed. Might not be sufficient for folks in MI but it works well down here.

Best and good luck. I got my kits from O'rialies or something like that. "Best Brakes" parts.

Charlie

BTW: Have someone pump the brakes while you bleed them. Left front, left rear, right rear and right front. I think that is right: the longest distance via the lines from the MC to the wheel cylinders is best. Only bleed until no air squirts out. The air will come out first so no use bleeding after the air is eliminated.

You will find many of the wheel cylinders are deeply pitted, have already been hone out a fewtimes and often not rebuildabe..

The Filling Station offers a sleeving and/or a rebuilding service thru a vendor . I recently had a master cylinder sleeved and the price was very fair with a quick (two week) turn around time.

Greg_H saved me a ton of money! Joined the forum and posted this right after. Greg had the parts laying around and they were super clean and work great. Of course, nothing goes as planned when fixing things. Had to make a new brake line and it was leaking, managed to fix that issue. Ordered new springs today (along with a gas pedal since one didn't come with mine). Since I started this project in late February, I have gotten the car running and idiling smooth and it should be ready to go around the block by this weekend!

Give us the report on the "drive around the block" and it will all be well worth it.