Hello all, my family just reacquired my late grandfathers 1955 88 sedan and I wanted to pick some of y'alls brains regarding brake parts and issues the car is having. A quick rundown, I assume for it to be all original outside of aftermarket A/C and it had a 76 Pontiac 350 and Turbo 350 put into it by my grandfather. He was worried about finding parts for the 324 back when he owned the car so the Pontiac engine was his solution. The car does have issues outside of the brakes, but the break issue keeps me from driving it which I want to do. I am thinking at a minimum the brakes need adjusting, at the worst a full rebuild. That brings me to my question, does anyone know where I can find replacement front wheel cylinders? I can find replacement rears and rebuild kits for the fronts, but not the actual fronts. Or are there any wheel cylinders from other cars that could possibly be bolted in? Along with wheel cylinders, I might need the drums for all 4 corners so any leads would be mighty appreciated. So far using the forums and the 1955 shop manual I have, I know that the master cylinder is underneath the toe board and that I could have a vacuum leak somewhere which could cause the lack of pedal, and my basic instinct also says it could be low on fluid. I appreciate any help or knowledge that y'all can give me, and any tips on what to look at/for.

I understand that was a lot to read, to summarize:
1. The car has very little brakes, pedal basically goes all the way to the floor before they even think about working
2. The brakes stick when leaving from a stop, but release when the car can overcome the friction in them
3. Ideas about what to look for and how to proceed
4. Some parts are hard to find, rebuild or replace front wheel cylinders?
5. Any brake parts that are interchangeable?

Late Grandpa's 1955 Oldsmobile 88

 

Welcome to the site Christian! Nice Car! I've dabbled a little with the 1955's but don't have the knowledge you need. I did add to your title putting the year of your car in. I believe that will help you catch the attention of members who know your vintage of car.

 

I moved your thread to the Vintage car section. Welcome to the site.

 

Welcome!! That is a very nice car you have there! Lots of help here for your issues.

Regarding #2 I would suggest you lift up the boot on the brake pedal under the dash (hold it up with tape to keep it out your way) and squirt the hole with a silicone lube and then squirt it again. Eventually the pedal will ease up.

 

Thanks guys! I appreciate the tips and complements. Turns out my entire issue at this point is that the pedal was not connected to the master cylinder. I had already noticed that the pedal could be kinda floppy at times and I was lookin the car over and realized that it the pedal and the rod where the master is were not even close to being lined up. I was looking for a spot to connect the two on the pedal and couldn't find anything. I just put the rod in the best spot I could find on the pedal and went to move the car and the brakes were not too bad for 4 wheel drums.

 

Congrats on getting the brakes working. If you have other problems let us know. There are two or three of us that have been through these old brakes.

 

Welcome to Classic Oldsmobile, nice ride. Just cereous are we talking power brakes or manual ? Which ever it is get a 55 service manual and be sure you have assembled them correctly. Brakes are the most important thing on your car. You can get most brake parts and other Oldsmobile stuff for a 55 from Fusick Automotive Parts 860-623-1589 and John (2blu442) may have some used wheels as he is parting out a couple mid fifties Oldsmobile's if they haven't already been sold.. Keep us posted on your build and let us know if we can help...... Lost in the fifties... Tedd

 

Welcome to the forum. Very nice 55. I sent all my wheel cylinders out to be sleeved and rebuilt. I sent them to White Post restoration about 20 years ago. They give you a lifetime guarantee to the original purchaser . I have not had any issues with them. Good luck getting the brakes squared away.
Rick

 

Welcome to the forum Christian, and congratulations on your inheritance Driving your grand father's car must be cool and somehow very emotional.
I don't know much about mechanic in general (I'm in the learning process though), but you'll find experts in this forum
There are several guys here that know every bolts and nuts of these cars, and they are ready to share their knowledge.

My 2 cents for you: Buy the shop manual asap, it's really helpful.
I bought 2 copies, a re-print version that I use while working on the car and an original for tutorial / pre-work.
The original shop manual were offset printed and the pictures are very sharp, and some electric diagram are in colors.
The re-print are copies and the pictures not detailed, and the color diagrams are b&W.

 

Nice looking 55 and very special that it was your grandfather’s.

 

I think I got my wheel cly. for rock auto. they have a lot of brake parts for 55 olds