I'm slowly assembling my '63 Dynamic 88.
The chassis was completed in 2020, and the bare body shell was dropped back on in November of that year.
Since then, I have been installing all the pieces to the body that will make it a car.
Practically every mechanical part on this car is new.
I hooked up my new master cylinder to the rest of the system with a new line that I had made and declared the brake system complete.
I filled the master cylinder with DOT 5 silicone brake fluid, and started to bleed the brake system.
I bled the system with a hand vacuum pump and a covered cup.
After the first round I had a pedal, but it was spongy.
It was quitting time, so I knocked off for the day.
The next day I crawled under the right rear of the car to proceed to bleed the brakes again.
I noticed that he sidewall of my Maypop tire was covered with brake fluid.
It was leaking from the brake drum above it.
It was an AWSH*T moment!
I pulled the wheel and drum to discover that a brand new wheel cylinder was leaking.





Of course, it had to leak on the brake shoes too.





Well, I did an autopsy on the wheel cylinder and discovered it was rusty inside.






Since the wheel cylinder and the brake shoes are readily available and cheap.
I ordered them from Rock Auto.
The failed wheel cylinder was probably NORS from E-Bay 8 or 9 years ago.

Does anyone else have a tale of " New is not always good. " to share?
Comments?

 

That is one reason why I don’t replace parts that aren’t broken. Old does not necessarily mean bad. I say this in reference to people who “preemptively” replace functioning parts.

 

I get what you are saying, however the original wheel cylinders were in pretty rough shape.
That's what " restoring " is all about.

 

I wasn’t referring to restoration, but folks who do “preventive maintenance” by replacing functional parts that aren’t typical wear items.

 

I would rather have a used original part than a new chineseum part.

 

 

Why are you using DOT5 silicone? That's for motorcycles. Don't mix with anything else now!

 

I was wondering the same thing about the DOT 5 brake fluid.

 

IMO, if the entire brake system was replaced with new components (which have never seen the light of day) & the system properly flushed, it doesn't matter what brake fluid you begin to use in the new system. DOT 5 (silicone-based) brake fluid is superior to any of the glycol-based brake fluids. I see advantages of using DOT 5 over other conventional glycol-based brake fluids.

 

I have Dot 5 in my Olds and used to have it in a old Dodge. I like it but didn't put it in my F100. There are big discussions/ arguments about it. I think if you already have Dot 5 in it stay with it. I never had any trouble with it, though it is a lot harder to find. I just put some hoses and calipers on my Olds and the 20 year old Dot 5 fluid was like new, I found Dot 5 on Rockauto.

 

And therein lies the problem. I bet the wheel cylinder was fine when you bought it.

I cringe when I do an engine for someone who is "restoring" a car or truck. I don't know how long it is going to be before the engine is started and how it will be stored along the way. Most people do not have climate controlled garages and after a year or even less of temperature changes almost anything bare metal will rust.

 

Must be a US Post Office Oldsmobile! Our local US Post Office vehicles use DOT5 brake fluid!

 

The reason for using DOT 5 in a collector car.is that it doesn't absorb moisture.
This is important in vehicles that see infrequent use, and may be the reason that Harley-Davidson and others specify it.
You are correct in the fact that it cannot be mixed with other brake fluids.
You must start with a "clean" system to use it.
Here is a recent discussion on it;
DOT 3 or Silicone brake fluid ? - ClassicOldsmobile.com

 

Yeah, I restored a 69 Buick GS convertible for the original owner around 10 years ago. Rebuilt/restored/replaced just about every part on the car. Luckily, I ran it around for a few weeks, while I waited to sand and buff it. Had around 5 "new" parts fail, in that time. Not bad statistically but still......