Brakes, or lack of......

[FMJ]

I second the brake shoe adjustment. They are probably automatic adjusting brakes. Drive in reverse and then apply the brakes. Do this several times to adjust the brakes.

No I think they are manually adjusted, According to the manual for the M35 it looks like adjusting the brakes is a PITA, and if you do it by the book, it looks like it will take some time to do all 6.......

 

[bugei]

fwiw, my duece started the same crap, after a couple of rounds of wtf?, the problem turned out to be the airpack. my 2 biggest symptoms were mysteriously consuming LOTS of brake fluid, and the air vent behind the motor in the motor compartment was "spewing" fluid when i hit the brakes.

the air pack rebuild is 6 hours or so with cleaning, pretty easy. BUT READ the sticky in the duece section about 100 times. the error in the tm is at the very end and you will be tired, as will be the person helping you.

as for the dot 3 dot five debate, the general word seemed to be 1) you can go either way, but you can NOT mix them, 2) so you should flush completely with which ever way you decide to go. i chose to go with dot3 because i was in the middle of no where and they did not have dot 5 around, and regret it now, because when you get dot 3 on the paint, it eats the paint. because of my air vent leak in the engine compartment, i now have a minor mess.

 

[FMJ]

I'm not loosing any fluid, so I'm going to do the Service Brake Adjustment in the TM today

 

[badgmc56]

The brakes MUST be adjusted before performing any bleeding procedures. If you are not loosing any fluid I don't think you have an airpack problem. Since brake pressure is greater than air pressure I don't see air from the airpack getting in the system. Adjust the brakes first then bleed from the farthest wheel from the master cylinder and work your way forward till the left front is the last one. I would do this just to flush the system every now and then if the truck is idle for long periods of time. I also pump the brakes in my deuce about 30 times once a week to keep the brake system operating.

 

[FreightTrain]

You know you can buy Dot 5 for $30 per gallon right?Buy US surplus.I would get a gallon of Alcohol and flush the system then refill with Dot-5 Silicone not Synthetic.Just cause the stuff you added is compatable with everything on teh market"NOW" doesn't mean it was compatible with the 30 year old mixture of brake fluid that is more than likely what is in the system now.Also it says Conventional fluid on the label.Conventional is Dot 3...Dot 5 is a specialty type fluid now days.Race cars,High end performance sports cars,and MVs.

 

[FreightTrain]

to adjust the brake.Look through the holes in the wheel.You will see a metal tab.Take the nut off the stud holding it on.Now remove the tab.Jack up that wheel and rotate till the hole is level with the hub.You will now see the shoe and drum.Adjust the big nut on top of the rear of the brake backing plate while watching the Gap.Go easy cause I am not sure what direction you need to gne side is one way the other is the other.Easy as that.Hardest part is getting the nut back on the stud when done if you didn't take the wheel off(whole lotta trouble!)

 

[FMJ]

to adjust the brake.Look through the holes in the wheel.You will see a metal tab.Take the nut off the stud holding it on.Now remove the tab.Jack up that wheel and rotate till the hole is level with the hub.You will now see the shoe and drum.Adjust the big nut on top of the rear of the brake backing plate while watching the Gap.Go easy cause I am not sure what direction you need to gne side is one way the other is the other.Easy as that.Hardest part is getting the nut back on the stud when done if you didn't take the wheel off(whole lotta trouble!)

I went through the adjust procedure in the TM today on all six wheels, Unfortunately I bled first then went to adjust, I will get some Dot 5 tomorrow and start over on the bleed process. I am able to lock the brakes on pavement, just not happy with how far the pedal travels.

 

[FreightTrain]

Use Alcohol to flush the system first.Then refill with Dot5.Build you a power bleeder while your at it.Only cost about $15 to build and so much easier to bleed the brakes.Make sure you get enough fluid too if you build one so you won't run out and be blowing air into the MC.

 

[FMJ]

Use Alcohol to flush the system first.Then refill with Dot5.Build you a power bleeder while your at it.Only cost about $15 to build and so much easier to bleed the brakes.Make sure you get enough fluid too if you build one so you won't run out and be blowing air into the MC.

I've got a line on the DOT 5, but where do I get that much Alcohol?, also, the power bleeder, a link to a thread, or will a pump up bug sprayer from Lowes work?

 

[FMJ]

bump, I'd really like to power bleed these, anyone have a homemade variant of the power bleeder in the TM?

 

[FreightTrain]

Just get a garden sprayer(gallon size) a peice of pipe that screws into the top of the MC cap(the vent line hole),a ball valve,and a quick connect.There is a how to on here.just search for Power AND Bleeder just like that in the search function.

 

[FMJ]

I found it, thanks!, power sprayer it is!!!!!

wait, still need a line on large amount of alcohol to flush the system with......

 

[bottleworks]

wait, still need a line on large amount of alcohol to flush the system with......

If you wish to flush your system with alcohol, the RED Iso-Heet bottle is 100% pure isopropyl alcohol. It's a 12 Fl OZ bottle.

 

[FMJ]

wait, still need a line on large amount of alcohol to flush the system with......

If you wish to flush your system with alcohol, the RED Iso-Heet bottle is 100% pure isopropyl alcohol. It's a 12 Fl OZ bottle.

Is that the largest container?

 

[Boatcarpenter]

You should be able to get a gallon can of denatured alcohol at any good hardware store. Don't know how it reacts with rubber parts, but it will absorb water, which would be a good thing. You can put the rest in the fuel tank of any gas powered vehicles you have to act as gas line anti-freeze for a lot less $ than off the shelf small expensive gas line anti-freezes.
BC

 

[beaubeau]

hey guys, there is no auto brake adjusting on a Deuce or 5 ton. I have adjusted many a brake while repairing MVs while I was in service. . Phil

 

[FMJ]

Use Alcohol to flush the system first.Then refill with Dot5.Build you a power bleeder while your at it.Only cost about $15 to build and so much easier to bleed the brakes.Make sure you get enough fluid too if you build one so you won't run out and be blowing air into the MC.

Isopropyl or Methyl?, or does it matter?

 

[FreightTrain]

I would use Iso since it is the stuff used to clean rubber and not eat it atleast at short use times.