1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

[Harry S.]

Last summer I installed two front wheel cylinders from NAPA on my 63. Felt a little soft but acceptable. Yesterday it was time to take the car off the lift for this summer. Both front wheel cylinders leaked and the Master Cylinder was empty. I guess a new line of foreign junk.

Anyway, anyone have a better suggestion than NAPA. I have a set of original Delco cores that I'll get sleeved for the next failure.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Harry,

Any idea what brand the NAPA wheel cylinders may have been?
We bought some Raybestos ones for the 63 in the shop from Rock Auto. What was on here was cheap replacements with metric fittings.
So far so good, and I've had good luck with Raybestos products in the past which is why I got them.

[Harry S.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

There is nothing on the part to indicate where it came from. On the Box, it's Napa and Made In China.

[James W.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

I replaced my front brake wheel cylnders on my '64 several years ago and kept my original ones. The car hasn't stopped well since. I'm sending the originals to LoneStar for a rebuild with SS sleaves. Rock Auto has both Raybestos at $18.73 each and AC Delco at $28,79 each. The AC Delco have made in USA cast in the body of the cylinder. Not that means anything.

James

[Jack J.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

On my 64, I installed Delco professional cylinders ( made in China) purchased on Rock Auto and I used silicone brake fluid. Unfortunately I wound up removing each cylinder and replacing the cups AND flushing out the entire system of silicone fluid and replacing it with Dot 4. CYLINDERS LEAKED!! Was it the cup material not compatible with the silicone or the cast cylinders?? Who knows but I had to make an executive decision and wound up starting all over again. With the power brake booster that I added, my brake pedal feel could be better so I just might RE-BLEED the entire system AGAIN (second time)!

[Mike M.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

harry: there is a pair of originals, stainless sleeved, for sale on the corvette forum. mike

[Edward J.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

[QUOTE=Harry Sadlock (38513);914794]Last summer I installed two front wheel cylinders from NAPA on my 63. Felt a little soft but acceptable. Yesterday it was time to take the car off the lift for this summer. Both front wheel cylinders leaked and the Master Cylinder was empty. I guess a new line of foreign junk.

Anyway, anyone have a better suggestion than NAPA. I have a set of original Delco cores that I'll get sleeved for the next failure.[/QUOTE.

good day Harry, I used Napa rear wheel cylinders in my 63, 2 years ago but have yet to drive it. I better take a look at mine. I don’t see any dripping going on. I must say I think no matter where you buy them there likely made in China these days, the rubber components just don’t stand up. Or just plain old poor machining.I don’t know if it’s possible to find some Gm kits to rebuild your sleeved ones or find someone who sells the rubber cups, Maybe someone here has a connection. When I was a kid just starting out I remember the owner of the gas Station I worked at had a metal tray with all the different sizes, I am dating myself.

[Dan B.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Harry, I have a Delco original set that have already been sleeved and rebuilt for sale. Will send you a PM.

[Harry S.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Harry, I have a Delco original set that have already been sleeved and rebuilt for sale. Will send you a PM.

Dan, sent my set out earlier today to be rebuilt.

Thanks anyway.

[Dan B.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

No worries, you will be glad you did.
I've done several cars with SS sleeved original cylinders and zero problems. The oldest set is now is 13 years in service in my 59 and still perfect. The Chinesium stuff rusts up pretty quick when the car sits and then you get to do it all over again and again which is why I sleeve all my drum brake jobs now. Do it once and do it right.

[Mike M.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

i too swear by stainless steel sleeving cylinders and calipers. in 1974 or thereabouts, i sent off the original calipers on our 65 FI roadster. sent them to stainless brakes in upstate ny. Then about a year ago, i finally got around to restoring the old 65. Inspection of the stainless steel calipers revealed dry puppies. not bad for over 45 year old sleeves and seals. seals were GM issues in '74. i have all our c-1 wheel and master cylinders sleeved also, i prefer stainless sleeves over White Post bronze sleeves. mike mccagh

[James W.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Earlier I mentioned sending my original front wheel cylinders to LoneStar for SS sleaves. Is there any other vendors that perfrom this work that people recommend?

Thanks,

James

[Duke W.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Where are they leaking? Maybe it's an installation issue.

One problem with installing new hydraulic or fuel system components that have flair fittings is getting the joint to seal. I always tighten, loosen at least three times to ensure a good seal before applying pressure.

Duke

[Harry S.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Guess I had a brain fart. What I installed last summer was two rebuilt Delco wheel cylinders. They were both leaking in the same spot. Both were leaking/weeping at the copper washer. I cleaned the area, installed new copper washers and new rubber on both sides. I'll add brake fluid, DOT 4, and look at it in the morning. If all is dry, I'll bleed them.

Has anyone see this before. The old rubber lines came from LIC last summer.

[Dan D.]

Re: 1963 - 1965 Front Wheel Cylinders

Guess I had a brain fart. What I installed last summer was two rebuilt Delco wheel cylinders. They were both leaking in the same spot. Both were leaking/weeping at the copper washer. I cleaned the area, installed new copper washers and new rubber on both sides. I'll add brake fluid, DOT 4, and look at it in the morning. If all is dry, I'll bleed them.

Has anyone see this before. The old rubber lines came from LIC last summer.

Similar experience Harry,

During the rebuild process several years ago I bought all new wheel cylinders and hoses from Zip. Other than being metric, 3 of them worked fine, but the left front flat area where the hose connects was apparently machined at the wrong angle and the hex on the hose interfered with the spindle at the king pin area. However, I was able to get it past the hex and I thought it was okay. It was not. It leaked at the washer.

So at that point I did what I should have done originally and sent all my original cylinders to White Post and had them sleeved with brass. I sent them out and had them back within a week. Well, the left front again leaked at the crush washer. This time the area on the cylinder where the hose connects had round ridges machined in it. That may be by design, to get the washer to form around the ridges, don't know. All I know is it leaked, and originally it never did. I am pretty sure White Post took cylinders off the shelf - don't think they were my original cylinders. That's how they returned them so quickly.

So I carefully flat filed the ridges off, made it a real flat area, installed a new washer, and it is not leaking now, for 3 years. The brakes work good. I am running older DOT 5 fluid - no problems so far.

I know a lot of people prefer stainless sleeves, which is fine, but I like brass. Brass is a much better lubricant, won't gall like stainless, and is a better galvanic match to the aluminum pistons. But none of these things are a real issue with these cylinders, so either one will work.

Dannnn