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Hello all,

I have a 1953 Patrician with a straight 8 that has been sitting covered in a garage for about 10 years. Before it was parked it was repainted and the motor was rebuilt. Also, the braking system was re-done (new lines, new wheel cylinders, hardware kit, brake linings, etc.) I recently pulled it out of "storage" and found that the brake fluid has turned to a crusty gel in the master cylinder:( I scooped as much as I could out of the master cylinder and now I don't know the best way to clean the lines and other components. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!:)
Thanks in advance.

After sitting for 10 years, I'd suggest that a simple cleaning is not adviseable. You should do a complete hydraulic overhaul.

Check the wheel cylinders for similar problem.

I used to deal with this a lot. Remove all four wheel cylinders and the master, completely dissassemble each of them and inspect the rubber parts for failure or wear. Clean everything with denatured alcohol and then plug the ends of the lines and fill them with denatured alcohol, and let that sit in the lines for a couple of days. Pull the stopper out at the ends and blow compressed air through the lines. If anything looks jakey in the wheel cylinders or master replace it, between the Raybestos and Wagner catalogues you can get new cylinders. If you get new cylinders, take them apart and clean the parts with denatured alcohol then coat them with whatever fluid you are going to run the system on. Same with the master. Put everything back together and bleed. One thing I really like abut the new wheel cylinders is that they use steel pistons now and the old problems with electroysis is no longer possible.

You should disassemble the master for a complete cleaning and replace all gaskets and seals. Assuming you have TreadleVac, minor overhaul kits are widely available. Not sure about standard brakes.

If the tubing is not rusted, you might be able to chase through with a piece of wire, flush with alcohol, and repeat as required until your confident the path is clear.

Don't be surprised if the pistons are stuck in the wheel cylinders - due to crud and corrosion. If so, considering time involved, it's probably cheaper to replace than over haul. New cylinders should be available through any parts store worth their salt; Stay away from mass market stores that only carry the fastest moving stuff. Even if there's no catalog listing for Packard, a good counterman can study the casting numbers and match them up.

If the wheel cylinders are not seized and the bores are not pitted, then disassemble and replace the seals. Wheel cylinder kits might not be necessary, however. It used to be that good old parts stores carried an assortment of these "cups" for wheel cylinders - not sure what inventories are these days.

Brian--remember the good old days when the stores carried kits to go into your old cylinders? new pistons, springs, cups and boots. They were fairly cheap too. I think those have gone the way of the button hook, buggy whip and 3.5" floppy disc.

Earlier this summer I was able to get rebuild kits for my 38 wheel cylinders from my local Autozone

Great! did they come with new steel pistons?

John -

I sure miss those days.

About 15 years ago, I knocked a set of seized wheel cylinders apart (with hammer and a hardwood dowel), but after so much honing, I wasn't sure I could trust using the cup seals that Kanter includes in their brake overhaul kit.

At that time, wheel cylinder kits included seals, boots and a spring - no pistons. Yet, my dad told me about kits from EIS that had a specially wound spring that helped press the cup seal more tightly against the bore. A good old partsman was able to get them for me. I put 'em in, and never had the slightest leak - not even with DOT5!

I think EIS has long since gone by the wayside, however. Now, a Raybestos paper catalog from more recent years lists wheel cylinder repair kits for some vehicles, but doesn't go back far enough for Packards. Rock Auto's online catalog shows 'em for some years of Packards - but more often, its only wheel cylinders.

Even though I had good results with kits back then, I wouldn't mess with them now, as long as new wheel cylinders were available - unless it was a matter of needing to replace cup seals only (in otherwise good cylinders). Avoid value-priced cylinders and stick with reputable brand names; that cheap stuff can come back to haunt in short order.

Still, I save any old cylinders - in case the day comes that new ones are NLA. That way, I'd have a set to send off and be sleeved in brass, if needed.

Brian--I just really am comfortible with using new wheel cylinders. The bores are good as gold, the new steel pistons are set to go for a long time without reacting to the bore metal. The bleeder screws are nice and free, I like to coat the threades with anti-sieze compound to insure long, trouble-free life. In the end it's not that expensive, considering that all of your work effort is moving forward with a definite improvement at the end of the job.