1953 Belair Master Cylinder Removal...

[BelairBetty]

Hello Folks,

My son just bought me an old Belair that needs some work. Brakes first, we are trying to pull the master cylinder to rebuild, and can't get it out. Our shop manual claims you remove the assembly (it's frame mounted...buried under the pedal floor) by poking a 'stiff wire' into an unplugged hole on the pedal linkage pivot housing. We guess this should push out a pin of some kind which will free the pivot shaft??? Any better suggestions or insight into the 'stiff wire poking' phenomena? Mucho Gracias.

[Oldcar_Mechanic]

My thinking after looking in my shop manual is that the shaft has a spring loaded ball or locking pin of sorts that you will be dis-lodging so that you can remove the clutch and brake pedal pivot shafts. Then you should be able to take the master off. So, a stiff wire would be something like a coat-hanger? While pushing the wire into the hole are you trying to slide the shaft out?

I'll ask around, but maybe Mike being the Chevy Guru might know.

Keep us posted at any rate.
Ron

[BelairBetty]

Thanks Ron, yes we are trying to slide the shaft out - freeing the linkage assembly to be removed. Since the stiff wire will prevent the shaft from coming out, I hope the spring loaded thing isn't true...otherwise you will relock the shaft everytime you pull back the wire? This may be an obscure operation, as (thank God!) the master cylinders moved up into the engine compartment for easier service soon(?) after the 50's.

[Oldcar_Mechanic]

Well, I was thinking that it was like the old ignition switches, where you had to push a wire into the hole and wiggle the switch so it would remove from the body.

I'm still asking around
Ron

[DdeuceMan]

Well, I was thinking that it was like the old ignition switches, where you had to push a wire into the hole and wiggle the switch so it would remove from the body.

I'm still asking around
Ron

Yup........My 63 Chev II's Key Switch is like that. Use a PAPER CLIP though.....coat hanger's to thick. But seriously.......would'nt know on that cylinder.

[Chester]

I looked at that page with the illustration using a wire to release the pedal assembly (Off frame repair!). But in the parts book blowup only shows the bushings, shafts, and lube fitting.

[blazerswampthing]

I just removed the master cylinder in my 54 and I just unbolted it from the frame (2 bolts), removed the clutch and brake pedal higher up on the fire wall (not fun), removed the tension spring and then removed the brake lines. Then I pulled the master cylinder out of the car. Unless the 2 years are completely different, this should not be that difficult to remove, but not fun either.