Deuce Brakes

[ecostruction]

I've been reading, searching and looking up TM's. However, I still have a question or two.

I have to recover a Deuce with no brakes. Pedal goes to the floor. I have good air so it's not that. I need to investigate where the leak may be. Any suggestions?

I suppose the first thing I need to do is refill the master cylinder. Looking at the TM, do I remove the nut/plate that is about 1" in diameter on top under the hatch? Or do I somehow use the nipple on the top of the plate? After that, what fluid do I use and assuming I'm completely out, how much do I need?

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'd like to drive home as opposed to towing. Unless someone has a tow bar in southcentral PA that I can rent/borrow.

Thanks guys.

J.

 

[maddawg308]

When I topped off the master cylinder, I first removed the vent line on top of the filler cap, then the filler cap. Use DOT 5 brake fluid. Get a friend to help you bleed the brakes, and pump them to make sure you have good pressure.

The designers didn't put the master cylinder in an easy spot to work on, but it also prevents folks from screwing around with it too much as well.

 

[bugei]

i am no duece brake expert, but like most duece owners, my dueces brakes and i are intimate.

the master cylinder is under the hatch just in front of the right side of the drivers seat. the top of the master cylinder is a bit behind the big oval hole. you will need to loosen the vent tube (should be there), then you can just unscrew the top of the master cylinder.military dueces use dot 5 or silicone brake fluid. (someone just had some great gallon pricing), some have been changed to dot 3, hopefully you know the history of the truck. the bleeding path is to bleed the airpack first (under the truck, just behind the master cylinder), then the farthest axles first, then work forward. the process is well documented in the tm 9-2320-361-20 (which is worth getting very familiar with)

there is a general agreement here that brakes are very important to dueces, and a 13,000 lb brakeless truck is BAD. the brakes are fairly simple in design, but quite female in behaviour, they just seem to go hormonal with no warning.

 

[gringeltaube]

Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

[quote="bugei".... quite female in behaviour, they just seem to go hormonal with no warning.[/quote]

 

[sermis]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

Check your hubs and tires and see if any have fluid on them. That will indicate a leak. I think there is a brake fluid worm that drinks the fluid. I loose fluid with no indication on where it went.

 

[jwaller]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

you can also get speedbleeders from russell so you can 1 man bleed the whole system easily.

 

[bugei]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

j, how did those speedy bleedies work?
i keep looking at them at the summit store, and wondering, if they work as advertised? i might run down and buy my duece a present, as much as i hate a trip to summit, anything for the duece. do you remember which ones fit the duece?

 

[Recovry4x4]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

You might can build a powerbleeder for the same cost as speedbleeders. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=3439

 

[FreightTrain]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

Build the powerbleeder.I built one and it took me all of 5 minutes to bleed the entire system from bone dry.JUST MAKE SURE TO KEEP ENOUGH IN THE BOTTLE!If the garden sprayer run empty then you just introduced air into the system and gotta start all over.Personally.Since the system is already nearly empty I would get some denature alcohol and power bleed the system to remove all teh old Fluid.Then refill with Regular Dot3.Especially at this point you don't know if you have a blown hose,Cylinder,hard line,master Cylinder bad etc.Cheaper to use Dot 3 for a temp fix to get it home or evaluate the system than to fill with Dot 5 just to find out you gotta break open the system and basically loose 30 bucks worth of fluid.

 

[oifvet]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

I got to do some speed-bleeding this weekend. VERY impressive, and absolutely the ONLY way anyone should ever go about bleeding a brake system, especially a deuce!

We used the first system listed below.

Three straight-forward, speed-bleeder options (and there are more):

http://www.speedibleed.com/

http://www.jscspeed.com/universal/products/motive.htm

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...&group_ID=1671&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[bugei]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

i built freight trains with a few personal mods, because that was what they had at home despot. i am in mine about $12.00 and counting building the bleeder, the brakes were totally bleed in under (well under) 30 minutes.

it is amazing how well this works, especially when there is already a 1/8" fitting on the top of the master cylinder

 

[oifvet]

RE: Re: RE: Deuce Brakes

The nice thing about the "Speedi-Bleed" is, you don't have to pump a handle, at all. The air pressure from the tire (which can be regulated WAY down), is constant throughout the bleeding process.

Beyond slick!