Good Studebaker day.

Got the insurance and "antique" licence plate for the GT Hawk
organized on Monday.

Tuesday, I did a little yard work, and then some work on the GT. Had
to move the great hunk of iron off the backside of the forklift I'm
parting out, so I hitched a chain to it and dragged it to a remote
corner of the yard with the US6. The truck scarcely felt the load.
Then I mowed the the patch of yard that the US6 gets parked in, and
did the slope break along the ditch as well. Every litle bit of mowing
helps.

Then I got into the GT. Took the driver's door apart to find out why
the window wouldn't go down. That was easy; the forward pin on the
regulator that fits into the slot on the window frame had popped out,
and the arm of the regulator had become bent due to all the load being
on the rear pin. I removed the regulator, washed it, straightened the
bent arm, and lubed it up and reinstalled it. Also removed, washed and
lubed the rear track for the window guide shoe. Used spray-on dry moly
lube for that, wheel bearing grease on the regulator. It had been
previously lubed with white grease that dried to a hard crust. Not
good, IMHO. Window works very easily now. I also was able to get it
setting a bit more level; not perfect, but close. Incidentally, the
inside of the door is as nice as the day it was made, with no rust at
all to be seen. I LIKE that.

Got under the front end, and found both front brakes had tightened up
again. Slacked off the adjusters once more. While I had it jacked up,
I popped one of those little threaded spring wedges in between the
coils of the left front spring, which was sagging a bit. Made an
improvement. Not the best solution, though.

Drove the GT to Calgary to attend the Foothills SDC picnic at Carburn
Park. We had Dave Hart's '51 Champion sedan, Neil Crichton's '63 GT,
Jack Gregory's newly-restored '61 Lark VI deluxe (very nice car),
Tracy Ronak's nifty modified '50 C-cab, and my GT.

The car ran well there and back, although I felt that the brakes were
beginning to drag again. Acts like the self-adjusters are
over-adjusting. I DON'T think it's a problem with a bad hose retaining
hydraulic pressure in the front brakes, although I will concede that
it remains a possibility. If it were that, though, you would think
with all the adjuster slacking-off I've done, that the pedal would be
very low after the trapped pressure finally did bleed off. And it's
not.

I think I'll pull the front drums and have a good look in a good
light.

Gord Richmond

Gord,
Your brake "problem" doesn't sound like a matter of adjustment. It can be several things- but I'd
check these first:
1) Residual pressure relief hole plugged/partially plugged inside the master cylinder. Remove cap-
look inside the master cylinder- and you will see 2 holes in the bottom. The larger (front) hole-
provides fuid to the piston. The smaller (rear) hole- bleeds off the residual pressure back into the
MC after you take your foot off the brakes. IF this hole is plugged- the pressure builds up in the
lines, and causes the shoes to drag. THIS IS VERY COMMON.
2) Your rubber lines to the front brakes- are beginning to deteriorate internally. This swelling
will often result in the brakes dragging- because the hoses don't allow the pressure to bleed off.
Replace the front hoses.
3) Pinched/crushed hard line between the brass junction block and the front hoses. Inspect the hard
lines between the brass junction block- and the front rubber hoses. One may be kinked or crunched
from road debris. This will also restrict the residual pressure from bleeding off.

*** For those of you that have front disk brakes- Often, those that don't know- will replace the
master cylinder with a cylinder for a NON-DB car. This will cause the front pads to constantly drag.
The DB master cylinder- does not have a residual check valve on the spring inside the master
cylinder. You can get a NON-DB cylinder- and defeat the check valve in several ways. Poke holes in
the rubber baffle OR melt the rubber with a little heat from a propane torch.

Ray

Gordon Richmond wrote:

 > Got the insurance and "antique" licence plate for the GT Hawk
 > organized on Monday.
 >
 > Tuesday, I did a little yard work, and then some work on the GT. Had
 > to move the great hunk of iron off the backside of the forklift I'm
 > parting out, so I hitched a chain to it and dragged it to a remote
 > corner of the yard with the US6. The truck scarcely felt the load.
 > Then I mowed the the patch of yard that the US6 gets parked in, and
 > did the slope break along the ditch as well. Every litle bit of mowing
 > helps.
 >
 > Then I got into the GT. Took the driver's door apart to find out why
 > the window wouldn't go down. That was easy; the forward pin on the
 > regulator that fits into the slot on the window frame had popped out,
 > and the arm of the regulator had become bent due to all the load being
 > on the rear pin. I removed the regulator, washed it, straightened the
 > bent arm, and lubed it up and reinstalled it. Also removed, washed and
 > lubed the rear track for the window guide shoe. Used spray-on dry moly
 > lube for that, wheel bearing grease on the regulator. It had been
 > previously lubed with white grease that dried to a hard crust. Not
 > good, IMHO. Window works very easily now. I also was able to get it
 > setting a bit more level; not perfect, but close. Incidentally, the
 > inside of the door is as nice as the day it was made, with no rust at
 > all to be seen. I LIKE that.
 >
 > Got under the front end, and found both front brakes had tightened up
 > again. Slacked off the adjusters once more. While I had it jacked up,
 > I popped one of those little threaded spring wedges in between the
 > coils of the left front spring, which was sagging a bit. Made an
 > improvement. Not the best solution, though.
 >
 > Drove the GT to Calgary to attend the Foothills SDC picnic at Carburn
 > Park. We had Dave Hart's '51 Champion sedan, Neil Crichton's '63 GT,
 > Jack Gregory's newly-restored '61 Lark VI deluxe (very nice car),
 > Tracy Ronak's nifty modified '50 C-cab, and my GT.
 >
 > The car ran well there and back, although I felt that the brakes were
 > beginning to drag again. Acts like the self-adjusters are
 > over-adjusting. I DON'T think it's a problem with a bad hose retaining
 > hydraulic pressure in the front brakes, although I will concede that
 > it remains a possibility. If it were that, though, you would think
 > with all the adjuster slacking-off I've done, that the pedal would be
 > very low after the trapped pressure finally did bleed off. And it's
 > not.
 >
 > I think I'll pull the front drums and have a good look in a good
 > light.
 >
 > Gord Richmond