Well I can't be 100% sure but I am pretty confident I ruined a brand new wheel cylinder. Tore the boot and is leaking fluid. This may just prove to be a creepy end to an otherwise productive day.

 

The boot is just a dust cover.
If it is leaking fluid then it is probably the cup inside

wheel cylinder - Bing Images

 

I think I over extended the cylinder by pushing the brake prematurely. If I push the piston back in am I ok or sol

 

It might go back together and not leak, if the seal is not damaged.
You can buy rebuild kits (new cups and boots) for most wheel cylinders

 

The piston and seal can be pulled out without damage, if the cylinder is not damaged just put it back together making sure the parts go in the correct order and direction. If the dust boot is torn, buy a rebuild kit as suggested. be sure to dry any fluid behind the boot.

 

Sadly no one makes a rebuild kit for the f3 front brakes. Our at least nobody can get one. Before buying new I thought I might try to rebuild and looked for a while with no success. But thanks for all the help

 

I don't know anything about the f3 but if you take the cylinder apart on the rubber cup it should give you a size, when I was doing brakes I had a lot of rubber kits. Maybe one of the brake shop guys has some. What size does it say and maybe show a picture. I might have one.

 

'49 f3?
1948-1952 Ford F3 Wheel Cylinder Repair Kit - Raybestos, OE replacement, Front - JCWhitney

Or take the old boot with you to your auto parts store and match one up.

 

Thanks Kurt. I had to knock off work for the night due to rain but I will try to open it up tomorrow and see what I have.

Crazy wheel, I really could have used you a couple of weeks ago. I was all over the ford sites, local auto parts stores, and Summit. I even went on raybestos's Web page and went to see their local vendor who was surprised to discover that they were listed as a local vendor. JCWhitney never occurred to me.

Thanks to all,
John

 

O'Reilly has them listed too.
List: Wheel Cylinder Kit - 1949 Ford F Series | O'Reilly Auto Parts

BJ

 

I ran into that as well but when you go in and all about them they say they do not have them. When asked whether I could order them I was told that the warehouse could not get them. Very possible I just ran into lazy auto Parts employees, I'm not sure. Oreilys did have the original wheel cylinders.

 

If all that is needed is the outer dust boot, just pinch one off an old cylinder that you replaced, clean it up and stick it on the new cylinder. If the cylinders are new the inner parts are fine, even if they were over extended without the drum in place. Just shove everything back in and it will be like nothin' ever happened.

 

That's an F1 kit and would not work.

 

That's odd. I put in F3???? That's why I like to go to those old school parts stores with the manufactures catalogs at the counter. They don't mind opening boxes and comparing what you have with what they have.

BJ

 

Measure the bore of the cylinder if you don't know it and search for the size kit you need, or the individual dust cover you need.