Deuce pickup advice needed

[wsucougarx]

Ok guys, I'm set to pickup a deuce next Tuesday. I noticed in the pics I took that there is a front leaky wheel cylinder. I did check brake pressure, looks good and I checked the MC and it was 3/4 full. I do plan on driving her home but what's your advice? I'm not sure the extend of the leak but I don't want to take any chances. My plans are to clamp off the rubber hose and drive home. What are your thoughts?

Also, when I took a pic of the dataplate on the engine I noticed oil on the motor. Now I know it's no big deal but I didn't have any oil on my last two deuce motors. Just want to make sure its not a leaky gasket or anything serious.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Mine has torn boots and look like that. Might not be a wheel cyl. I'd just buy a plug. Why chance screwing up the hose? Unscrew it, and plug the line.

 

[scooter01922]

I wouldn't chance it. Even if you clamp off the rubber line there is nothing stopping that most likely really old rubber from tearing where you clamped it as its not used to being squished that much. IF you gotta drive her home, the most half assed repair i would rely on would by to cap off that line with an actual metal cap. Even that is kinda pushing it but a hell of a lot safer that the other options. As i'm sure you are well aware, blown line on a deuce = no brakes at all, not squishy petal that slowly stops you, just straight to the floor.

 

[wsucougarx]

Is the brake line cap a "standard" plug? Is there a particular size to ask NAPA for?

 

[wsucougarx]

Anyone available on Dec 16th in the Tacoma/Olympia area to be on standby w/their MV and towbar? Please PM if you are

 

[bugei]

are you sure it is "actively leaking"? i mean really, mv's drip, that's how you know they still have fluids in them. kinda like a wife, if they are nagging..........

be safe and make sure the e-brake is working, it's alot better than nothing if there is a full on brake failure.

 

[wsucougarx]

I'm not sure if it's actively leaking or not. What I do know is the truck was driven from one side of the yard to the other. The truck was sitting for no more than two weeks and the pool of fluid is what you see from when it was driven to the time it sat there. I would imagine it is an active leak. The fluid was too thin to be GL-1 and too thick to be water. My only guess is it is Dot 5.

 

[KaiserM109]

Mine has torn boots and look like that. Might not be a wheel cyl. I'd just buy a plug.

IT’S A WHEEL CYLINDER! It’s too thin to be anything else. See how it has actually wet up the tire by the rim.

Last fall we brought a deuce from Norman, OK to Denver. When we picked it up it had NO brakes. There was no fluid in the MC and evidence that it had leaked out the RRR wheel cylinder. We filled the system, bleed the system and brakes were good for the whole trip. In storage in Colorado it has leaked some more and the owner is planning a rebuild of all wheels.

On equipment as old as most of these trucks, time has taken a serious toll on all things rubber. My deuce is hurting around the cab and some wiring. In the wheel cylinder are 2 rubber cups that swell out when pressure is applied. When they sit for a long time, and some of these rigs have sat for over a year since they left their unit, the cups relax and gravity takes over by leaking out the fluid.

If you have another way of getting the truck home, use it. The deuce we drove back from OK and mine that I drove back from KS are both M109s (11 ft. tall) and can only be hauled on expensive lowboy trailers. If yours is an M35, you have more options.

If not, drive it carefully with LOTS of stopping distance and pump the brakes frequently, even when you don't need to stop. Fluids might have contaminated the brake shoes and that will cause them to grab. Since we are talking about a front brake, it is more serious than a back one. I can still see the face of the guy in a green Chevy pickup I was going toward when my deuce's brakes failed because of water (1/2 pint in the system).

Pump up your air tanks and drain them before you drive it. If you get water do it again. Once you get it home, park it until you can rebuild your wheel cylinders, ALL of them. If 1 is bad, the others are probably close behind. I plan to rebuild all my cylinders and replace all the grease seals. It’s more tedious than expensive and requires some big tools. I have to tell you that loosing brakes in a 14,000 truck in traffic is exciting!! Thank XXX that I learned how to double clutch on a ’49 Ford.

 

[wsucougarx]

So the biggest thing to worry about with a leaky wheel cylinder is the loss of fluid and not necessarily air getting sucked up into the system? Not trying to downplay anything but just trying to get an understanding of the deuce's system. I did some research and see that this particular truck was originally listed on GL in June but was defaulted. So in the span of 5 months, the truck only lost about 1/4 of the fluid in the MC (of course it probably leaked while in storage or when it was turned in, who knows). So looks like a small leak but I know small leaks can easily turn into big leaks after a second or after months.

 

[mbwarner]

Were it me, I'd take some brake fluid. I'd get in the cab and mash the brake pedal hard, and if it didn't weep down, I'd fill the MC and drive it away. It takes trifling little loose brake fluid to look like a heck of a mess. If I recall correctly, you aren't going terribly far, like 55 miles almost all of it divided highway. If the brakes don't weep down, or do so very slowly, I'd make the trip, and give the pedal a push every 5-10 minutes along the way to make sure I still had serviceable brakes.

If a little air gets sucked into that cylinder, it won't travel far., and remember that fluid leaking out is doing so at several thousand psi, but vacuum maxes out at 15 psi.

Your symptoms will likely be a front wheel that tends to grab, but not enough to lose control. Next you would notice the "pressure point" where you meet resistance when you push the pedal down moves closer to the floor. Then, as the pedal gets closer to the floor, you'll pump the pedal once or twice to "prime" the system, which is either compressing the air bubble, or blowing it out. A full reservoir will supply you with several of these repriming episodes before needing a refill.

Having said all that, if, when you test the brakes before departure, the pedal under firm pressure moves steadily toward the floor, determine that the leak is a wheel cylinder and not a brake line. If it's a brake line, track it to the junction block and plug it there. If it's the cylinder leaking, cap the line. These are flare caps and plugs, and you should be able to find them at any auto parts or farm supply store.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

 

[wsucougarx]

Hey thanks for all the advice gentlemen. Looks like clear beautiful COLD weather on pickup day thus far. Suppose to have snow on Saturday, hopefully it doesn't stick around

 

[wiggall]

Did you get the deuce home? FTG2 Wiggles USS EDSON DD 946 1969-1973

 

[wsucougarx]

Did you get the deuce home? FTG2 Wiggles USS EDSON DD 946 1969-1973

I did get her home w/absolutely no problems. The brakes were good to go w/no leaking.

 

[bigelk50]

Glad you got it home safe. I am the one who called you about the truck. Are you keeping it? Hope so looks like a great truck.

 

[wsucougarx]

Yah, looks like I will be keeping this one. My wife likes it. Dare I say it? Oh I will, she said the truck is "CUTE". Sorry guys

 

[bigelk50]

Haha Thats better than what mine says about them! Glad to see your keeping it!