A little squeek

[jon]

I heard a little squeek inthe front end last time I took the clipper out. Getting ready for  Laborday weekend I suddenly remembered I hadent checked that squeek out yet. Figureing it was a wheel bearing I pulled everything apart. In the process i found why it pulls to the right everytime i step on the brake. Caliper rusted solid. so.....


2 new brake calipers, all new seals wheel bearings, (one actually fell apart in my hand when I took it out.) New rubber brake lines, and new brak pads and a gallon of brake fluid........$285 at carquest.

Put it all together and the master cylinder went out. They said i must have overextended it when bleeding the brakes. This thing sat for atleast 5 years maybe more before i got it so im shure the seals were about shot anyway. so

Master cylinder at napa was $26 Im putting that in this morning so we can get outta here asap.

Oh btw the little squeek i heard was not a bearing or sticky brake. The little tin rock guard behind the rotor was bent a little bit and rubbing on the rotor.

[John Eversoll]

  Hi Jon, I myself am going to replace the rotors on my rig..

When I pulled the motor I did check them out and they are such a lovely shade of rust!!!

I priced everything and it comes to a total of "drum roll please"   $283..  that is with the new calapers and pads..

I got the fuel tank back in and noticed that I did not connect the fuel vapor line ...sigh

So I guess I will drop the tank tomorrow and connect the vapor line..

Have fun,  John

[jon]

Im having a hell of a time bleeding the brakes. My brother and I worked on it for a couple hours. The bleeder is located tward the bottom of the cilaiper. On other vehicles its located tward the top. We got em prety good but I still have to pump up the brakes. The pedel goes all the way to the floor then let it come up and I got all kinds of brakes and they dont fade away. I even called a buddy that owns a auto repair shop and he said open the bleeders and let gravity do the work. Just keep topping off the resivor in the master cylinder. But that didnt work either.
Its only 12 miles of country roads to the campground so i took it anyway. just drove extra carefully. Its not like i had to get on the interstate or busy highway.

[John Eversoll]

  Sounds as if you are having one head ach!!

   I had a friend of mine come over and let me learn from him.  He disconected the master and bled it Clean.. then did the right rear then did the left rear then the right front and the left front..  And I am glad to say...have breaks.. but now I see the calipers and pads should need a change...  Then I have to take the back axels out and replace the rear breaks

Something I havent done in 7 years......  kinda scary just thinking about it.

Jon, where ya located???  I be here in Souther Ca.
Hope ya get the bugs out of those breaks!!!!

John

[jon]

Im in northeast Nebraska....Why do you have to take the rear axles out to change the brakes? Ive never heard of that before. They are just normal drum brakes in the rear arnt they? Thats one thing on my list of things to check out over winter.
My boss built a nice 80x80 heated shop and I already told him Im claiming a corner to put the clipper in so I can fix a few things and get her cleaned up over the winter.

[Hank Jourdin]

Hello Jon, I read your post,you said you were having trouble bleeding your brakes. The first thing you need to do is bench bleed the master cylinder, making sure to get out all the air bubbles before installing it on the brake booster.Also I belive you said your rig is a 1976, mine is a 77 and the bleed valves are on the top of the caliper, hose at the bottom. Make sure you have the right calipers and hoses 76 & 77 are the same 78 is different. The 6th number on your vin number will tell what year it was made. Make sure rear brakes are adjusted up real close,because Chrysler uses what they call a hold off valve so the rear brakes apply 1st, then front brakes. If they are not adjusted up the pedal will go down alot more until you get a good pedal.It helps a great deal to use a preasure bleeder. If you dont have one make sure not to let the master cyl. run out of fluid. Bleed right rear 1st, left rear 2nd, right front 3rd,left front 4th. Also helps to use a brake dye so you know when you have completely changed out all the fluid with new 4 dot.When finished your pedal should only have maybe 2 inch free play.  Good luck ! Hank out

[jon]

Thanks Hank. We did all that except adjust the rear brakes. I bet thats got to be the problem. After I pump the peddle one time all I have is about 2 inches of free play and they do no fade. Its just the way it should be. I could hear the right rear brake working as we blead the others but not he left. We were in a hurry to get it done and were quite frustrated so we just went with it the way it was.
I checked the vin and it is a 76. I heard others talking about getting wrong parts so I checked the calipers right away when I got them home and perfect match to what was on it. No telling if someone had put he wrong ones on there before I got it but I told the guy at the parts store to make shure it was for a 76. Its a small town and we do busness there all the time so I trust the guy. The bleeder is at he bottom hose at the top. I was a little puzzled at how the hose has to make a hard bend comming off the steel line. it almost kinks. Im a chevy guy so I just chalked it up to stupid Dodge engenering. (no offence to mopar guys intended).  We did make extra shure to get all the old brake fluid out of it. I didnt need dye because the fluid that was in it was about the same color as what I find in my babys diaper every morning so It had to go.

[JerryT]

Hi Jon
If your bleeder is toward the bottom then you have the left caliper on the right side and the right caliper on the left side. The bleeder should be on top. Check it and let me know, I have more advice for you on your brake issues but lets take it one step at a time.

JerryT

[jon]

Thanks jer It will take some time to get back to you but I will asap. Harvest is about to start gona be real busy very soon.

[JerryT]

Bless the Farmers!!!

[Hank Jourdin]

Farmer Jon, I must agree with Jerry T you need to switch sides there on the wrong sides, bleeder at the top. Hank Out!

[John Eversoll]

                This is where I say   OOpppppssss"

                  I've done this stuff too!!  Don't feel bad"

                      John

[USNRetired]

I am copying all of this into a file titled "Clipper Cal/Cyl" so that I don't re-invent the wheel when my time comes.  AND, I know it will.  sigh....

Thanks Guys!!

[jon]

well I finally got to work on the clipper again after a long busy winter. You guys were right. The damm calipers were on the wrong sides. I just put them on the way they came off. The last guy had it wrong. I had never seen that before. Didnt know it was possable to mix them up. Thanks everyone for your help.