Lockheed brakes--Left/Right Parity...?

Wheel cylinder Part?s List ( Maybe )

I?m into the wheel cylinders and found the exact configuration on the front ( 1-1/4 to 1 & 1-3/8 to 1 ) which is odd?

Anyhow I cleaned them up and attempted to come up with a rebuild kit part?s list, from Dorman?

1 3/8" : www.dormanproducts.com/p-2925-35103.aspx

1 1/4" : www.dormanproducts.com/p-1512-11336.aspx

1" : www.dormanproducts.com/p-4304-351743.aspx


( ordered from Amazon )
Quantity 2 : Dorman 35103 Drum Brake Wheel Cylinder Repair Kit
Quantity 1 : Dorman 11336 Wheel Cylinder Repair Kit
Quantity 2 : Dorman 351743 Drum Brake Wheel Cylinder Repair Kit

Order Grand Total: $41.94

Don?t know if it will work yet, but it seems plausible, I?ll post the results?

One last item, I found ?Dorman W7350 W7351 Drum Brake Wheel Cylinder 1 - 3/8? Basically looks like they would be a ?fair? replacement ( but not stepped.. so ? ) I didn?t order it ( 50 something bucks ) because I wanted to experiment with the kits first and my wheel cylinders are not pitted?

Scott

Hi Tom,

I didn't have to replace any of the C-clips or washers. Everything was still in very clean condition. The only problem I had on the rear brakes was the RR was leaking and the LR was sticking.

I replaced the wheel cylinder cups, but probably didn't really have to. There was a build up of junk around the pistons and I figure the cups rode up over this junk and caused the leak. On the left side, the buildup was causing the sticking condition.

A simple cleaning of everything and a light honing of the cylinders and everything reassembled nicely. I did the whole job this evening in about 2 hours.

This brake problem is due to my Dad letting this car sit too much!

-Maurice

Hi Maurice--thank you for your response. Aren't brakes FUN ?? <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

When I fished through the boxes of parts, I found that the wheel cylinders that were on the front of the car in 1950--the ones my dad took off--were 1-3/8" straight-through cylinders. I assumed they were original. As they cylinders were straight-through, it was not real clear which way the three-hole configuration should go. I know now that they were incorrect cylinders installed by someone who presumably couldn't find the right ones or who wanted improved stopping power in reverse. <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: -->

The correct front ones are 1 x 1-3/8" stepped cylinders. I have the heavier-duty drums: the early light-duty drums were operated by 1 x 1-1/4" cylinders in the front. Perhaps this is why your car has a mismatched pair in the front--one may have been replaced with a later part number. Anyway, the big end does go toward the front, which is the primary and--in the Lockheed anchor point system--the longer shoe. This does clearly identify the parity of the backing plates.

I found that the front wheel cylinder castings are the same as a post-war Ford, but the pistons and cups are Ford/Bendix-style, not Lockheed. The units are available at Autozone and Advance Auto parts. I was directed by another club member to www.brakeplace.com which not only has now sleeved my master cylinder with stainless steel (a beautiful job, btw), but also provided new Lockheed style "square-ish" hole dust boots for the wheel cylinder castings. Combining that rubber with two (2) of my four (4) 1-3/8 pistons with the two 1" pistons from my parts car's rear wheel cylinders, I have managed to come up with two complete correct Lockheed style front brake cylinders.

I also found that J K Howell had provided information in the past on altering the Lockheed shoes to accommodate the Ford/Bendix-style cylinder pistons, but I didn't want to alter the irreplaceable shoes if it was not absolutely necessary. I am happy instead to have come up with correct cylinders, albeit by a rather awkward route.

The correct thick washers and C-clips that hold the shoes to the backing plate are available from NAPA. Email me if you need the NAPA part numbers. I am not sure about availability of the "hat" washers.

The information I have gotten has come from club members, and I acknowledge that I would be much further back on the trail without the assistance of the club membership. Thank you all who have helped me with the brake issues, particularly to the member who sent me the service bulletins, parts listings, and diagrams. I look forward to seeing all of you in the park in 10 days or so.

---Tom

It's easy to tell which backing plate is left and which is right. Since you have the wheel cylinders and they will each only mount on their designated backing plate, the larger half of the cylinder goes towards the front of the car.

If someone is working on a Cord and they are installing the backing plates but don't have the wheel cylinders yet, if you look at the 3 mounting holes for the wheel cylinders, there are two holes that go towards the front of the car and one hole towards the rear.

Hope that helps.

-Maurice

I have a new question that has come up with my got-it-in-boxes-of-parts 37 Cord Westchester.

The brakes are Lockheed (my 37 is a re-numbered 36) with a single anchor point. My 1940 MoToRs manual shows the unit, but doesn't deal with my question.

As I did not have the experience of dissassembling the front brakes (see reference to "boxes" above), it is not clear to me which brake backing plate is LEFT and which is RIGHT. There IS a difference: there are three holes for mounting the wheel cylinders, and these three holes make the backing plates mirror images rather than twins. It is clear which wheel cylinder goes to which plate, but it is NOT clear which plate is LEFT SIDE and which plate is RIGHT SIDE. I assume it matters, since Lockheed evidently took pains to make them this way.

The wheel cylinders (1-3/8" ID, btw) have numbers cast into them: FD 3768 and FD 3769. The cylinders are mirror images. Left and Right could be determined if the meaning of the number code is known.

Can anyone help me tell my left hand from my right?

Thank you in advance!

-Tom