Them's the brakes?

Posted By: new bee

Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 01:53 AM

This morning, I found a small-ish puddle of brake fluid next to the left rear wheel. I drove the car around, came home, and parked it. The drum brakes worked as good as always, and when I parked it, I wiped the backing plate down.
It's been a full day, and there is not a drip of fluid. I am assuming it came from that left rear brake cylinder, but now it is not leaking.
Any ideas?

Posted By: Jjs72D

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 01:58 AM

Thank the Mopar god.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 02:23 AM

Quote:

Any ideas?

Pull the drums & ID which wheel cyl is leaking/replace it/bleed it out

Posted By: new bee

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 04:45 PM

Of course I can swap the part out, but I am more curious why it would leave a puddle (it did sit for a couple months), but now it all seems fine. If it no longer leaks, can I assume I don't need to replace the part?

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 04:59 PM

Quote:

but I am more curious why it would leave a puddle (it did sit for a couple months), but now it all seems fine. If it no longer leaks, can I assume I don't need to replace the part?

(1) not sure why but brake fluid/sealing behavior is erratic at best (2) No as it will again it's just a matter of when. Brake psi can reach 1500 or more & if gravity made it leak (even tho it was sitting) that doesn't speak well for the integrity of that particular wheel cyls' bore/seals

Posted By: Pacnorthcuda

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 05:52 PM

Quote:

This morning, I found a small-ish puddle of brake fluid next to the left rear wheel. I drove the car around, came home, and parked it. The drum brakes worked as good as always, and when I parked it, I wiped the backing plate down.
It's been a full day, and there is not a drip of fluid. I am assuming it came from that left rear brake cylinder, but now it is not leaking.
Any ideas?

Couple things.
Is it possible that when you drove it before the puddle you applied the brakes harder than the test drive after clean up? It's entirely possible that the wheel cylinder is only leaking during heavy pressure. It needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

It's also possible (though maybe not likely) that is did leak after clean up but simply hasn't dripped on the floor yet.

Posted By: bonefish

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 06:07 PM

if i leaked once it,ll do it again,hopfully no in traffic.brake leaks DONT FIX THEM SELVES.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 10:27 PM

Probally one of them evil eastern OR conservatives came by, after seeing teh car sit so long, and put a little brake fluid on the ground so they could use that as a negotating tool to buy that old heap

Maybe it was one of the rich Chinese car buyers put some on the ground with the same intent

Maybe it was one of the NSA envoirmentalist activist that did it wanting to have it towed off and scrapped as being just to unsafe to be on the streets of Portland

Take the drum off and fix it, it ain't going to get any better

Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/09/13 11:32 PM

Quote:

This morning, I found a small-ish puddle of brake fluid next to the left rear wheel. I drove the car around, came home, and parked it. The drum brakes worked as good as always, and when I parked it, I wiped the backing plate down.
It's been a full day, and there is not a drip of fluid. I am assuming it came from that left rear brake cylinder, but now it is not leaking.
Any ideas?

Do you have a dog?.....if so maybe it wasn't brake fluid, might be pee!...DAMHIK

Posted By: new bee

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 01:40 AM

I climbed under the car today, and the left rear cylinder is definitely leaking. Tomorrow, I will pull the wheel and drum off to see what's going on.
It's been almost 5 years since finishing the restoration, and I cannot recall if I used silicon or DOT 3 fluid. Is there a way to tell the difference?

Posted By: Pacnorthcuda

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 01:53 AM

DOT 5 silicone is dyed a bluish purple color. Dot 3 or 4 is the standard clear/very light amber color.

Posted By: new bee

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:03 AM

Cool - I am using DOT 3 or 4. I have read it's best to replace cylinders in pairs. True? Or, can I replace just the one? Sorry - I know this is maintenance 101, but it's been ages since I did this kind of stuff.

Posted By: Pacnorthcuda

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:11 AM

They really should be done in pairs. If one is leaking, how long till the other goes, AND you want equal resistance/application of force from side to side.

Posted By: Shoozy

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:11 AM

I would do both. For a few dollars and minutes it's one less thing to worry about. Your car is worth it.

Posted By: BDW

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:15 AM

Quote:

They really should be done in pairs. If one is leaking, how long till the other goes, AND you want equal resistance/application of force from side to side.

Interesting, never heard that before.

Posted By: new bee

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:20 AM

Funny, they were brand new when I restored the car, and I have only put 4 thousand miles or so on the thing over the past few years. I didn't expect them to give up so easily. Looks like tomorrow I pretend to be a mechanic.

Posted By: ahy

Re: Them's the brakes? - 06/10/13 02:31 AM

As a bonus you will get a rear brake fluid change. It wouldn't hurt to flush a couple pints of fluid through the front while you are at it and change the front fluid also.