Mysterious Brake Part

[kenmatthews]

I was replacing my brake cylinder on driver side up front and ran across a piece I couldn't shake loose. It grabs the end of the brake line not threaded into the wheel cylinder and holds in place. There is a bracket held onto the chassis with a single 1/2in bolt and then a U-shape piece that I couldn't figure out how to take off. Anyone know how? I took U-shape/bracket off chassis and studied up close. Shoving a flathead screwdriver and prying between hose and the U contour gave me a little clearance but that's it.

ANy thoughts on how to pry it off?

[Bill Stoneberg]

If it is like the ones I had to force of the chassis of my 50, I took a flat bladed screwdriver and a hammer and beat it off. It slides with some persuasion. But looking at the picture of yours, I see you dont have the 1/4 " tang at the top where I put the screwdriver.....

[KAD36]

Hi Ken - Bills got it - that is a sprung steel clip that slides inside of a grooved flange in your brake hose and essentially mounts it to the bracket bolted to the car frame. This allows you to screw the hose into the cylinder on the other end without twisting up the hose, then you smack this clip into the groove on the hose and it mounts to the braket. I would mount the bracket back onto the chassis to hold it steady. That clip should have a raised edge on it - it would be at the top of the figure you attached - soak it with some PB blaster, put a flat screwdriver up against the lip and whack it a few times to slide it off. Or, if you can't position the screwdriver and hammer in there, put a set of vice grips on it, and pull it toward you hard while rocking it back and forth to free it up.

How's the rebuilt engine holding up?

Good luck -

[kenmatthews]

Hehehe...my mistake on the drawing. I was at work and was going from memory. So it does have the flange at the top so I'll give it a good whack and see what happens.

Rebuilt engine going well...much smoother!

Here's some interesting stats for you. It took me 2.5hrs to swap out wheel cylinder on L-side and only 45 min on the R-side! Dohhh!!

[Gene Brink]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's some interesting stats for you. It took me 2.5hrs to swap out wheel cylinder on L-side and only 45 min on the R-side! Dohhh!! </div></div>

Sounds like "practice makes perfect." When I was young and thought the gas pedal was supposed to pushed to the floor all of the time I got very proficient at changing out Dynaflows in my '54 Super. First one took me two days, by the time I did the last one (the 5th one!) it only took me two hours...)