Brakes: Rebuilding Wheel Cylinders, help!

[StarDiero75]

Howdy everyone,

So I bought a 61 Lark OHV 6 and 3spd OD a few months ago and it needs a lot of love. I finally got it running but it needs to stop so I figured I'd start rebuilding the brake system. The front wheel cylinders are the 1" bore while the rear are 13/16" bore. I got the kit for the front and now I'm working on the back, but the rebuild kit I got didn't fit! The inner cup pieces fit perfectly but the outside ones were too small. I got these from O'Reillys, which is what I'm afraid you all are gonna say is my first mistake, haha.

Anyone else have similar problems? Or can help Me?

Thanks a lot,
Ryan

[RadioRoy]

There are a bunch of vendors who specialize in Studebaker parts. They know and sell the correct parts.

studebakervendors.com

[thunderations]

No matter who you get parts from, if they are packaged wrong from the factory, they can't help it. Take the cylinder with you and ask for the correct size parts, and check them while still there. The other thing is that those outside seals/caps do fit very tight over the cylinder to keep them from coming off under use, so make sure they won't stretch over and work before going much further.

[StarDiero75]

Yeah I decided it was probably best to take them in with me. The outer cap was way too small, I compared it to the original and there was no way it was going on. Probably packaged wrong.

[cowboy204]

Howdy everyone,

So I bought a 61 Lark OHV 6 and 3spd OD a few months ago and it needs a lot of love. I finally got it running but it needs to stop so I figured I'd start rebuilding the brake system. The front wheel cylinders are the 1" bore while the rear are 13/16" bore. I got the kit for the front and now I'm working on the back, but the rebuild kit I got didn't fit! The inner cup pieces fit perfectly but the outside ones were too small. I got these from O'Reillys, which is what I'm afraid you all are gonna say is my first mistake, haha.

Anyone else have similar problems? Or can help Me?

Thanks a lot,
Ryan

I found complete wheel cylinders on ebay. Haven't put them on yet. there's also other brake parts there

[nvonada]

It is possible someone put the wrong wheel cylinders on too. Could they be front cylinders in the back?

[Corley]

I've given up on rebuilding wheel cylinders, replacements are just too cheap to be bothered with rebuilding, and possible rust issues.

[Ron Dame]

The dust caps are necessary to keep crap out, but not critical for safety. If the old ones are in satisfactory shape, they can be reused. Not the inner cups though!

[voxnut]

I've given up on rebuilding wheel cylinders, replacements are just too cheap to be bothered with rebuilding, and possible rust issues.

Me too. I've found in my case rebuilding cylinders to be false economy. They never seem to last as long as a new one, and the new ones aren't that expensive. Your mileage may vary. When I got my wagon I figured I didn't want to have to worry about brakes for the foreseeable future, so I went through everything and the only things that are not new are the backing plates and drums.

[T.J lavallee]

Some things are just not worth the effort or time involved to rebuild. Wheel cylinders are definitely on top of the list. As mentioned, they are easily attainable from our vendors. Heck, the store you bought your rebuild kit from can probably get the replacement cylinders for you. This would free you up to do other work on your Lark project that might be more worth your time and effort. Best of luck with your project.

[StarDiero75]

Thanks guys. It's probably better to just buy replacements. Rockauto had some but I waa trying to cheap out but that's not always the best option.

[StudeNorm]

Nobody mentioned the most critical reason for NOT rebuilding wheel or master cylinder... Corrosion. If you inspect the part and it has any pits in the bore toss it. Over the years I have spent many hours trying to hone the pits out of an old cylinder. In the end all I did was create an out-of-round bore that worked after a fashion for a short while and then eventually failed. Buy new!...

[52 Ragtop]

Thanks guys. It's probably better to just buy replacements. Rockauto had some but I was trying to cheap out but that's not always the best option.

TWO MOST Important systems on any vehicle! Steering and Brakes! Do it right, and do it once! How much is your life or somebody else life worth?

Jim