Seems like a complete list, maybe a few things you don't need. You think a backup carb? The battery might be much, too, but with your history of charging issues it may be wise. Are you still 6V? If so, I wonder if a smaller "tractor battery" would work. I know charging packs are dicey with 6V, so maybe it is the battery as an extra part.

 

I know Jim, with the 52 Coast Guard panel trucks, brings a spare battery with him to TS.

 

Can't hurt to add some wire to your list of spares on-board. I keep a couple of 5' lengths of 16 ga, some crimp terminals, and a crimping tool in case something needs to be jumpered. That said, I had never needed any of it. But it's nice to know I've got it.

 

I think the carb is going on the shelf, but I have a spare battery. I thought mine was shot because I couldn’t get a full charge even after the new brushes in the genny. However I put it on trickle charge and it went to full in about 24 hours. I’ll insulate them terminals and throw it in as a spare.

I have a charging/starting pack that I keep in whatever car has the oldest battery, but I’m afraid to connect it to 6v. I knew a young lady in HS who tried to jump her friends car, which was 6v, from her 12v car. The 6v blew and burned her badly.

Thx, heading out to the shed to collect parts.

 

Good idea. Maybe some with alligator clips too for a quick fix.

 

I've experienced some of those "failure to proceed" moments, and having tools, spare parts, and an extra battery offers some peace of mind I guess. But it's also been my experience, that no matter how "prepared" you think you are, you can still have unexpected trouble when you are out on the road in a vehicle almost as old as you are.

Take yesterday as an example. I made a 70 mile trip to the Iola Car Show without incident--except maybe it was raining and my single wiper struggled a little more than usual because I didn't have Rain-X on the windshield.

On the way home though, about 5 miles out from Iola, I braked a little harder than normal coming into a turn, and the peddle went right to the floor. Not wanting to lose fluid, I tried to avoid using the brakes and limped about 25 miles to the next closest town using engine braking and my pretty much useless emergency brake.

I got myself to an auto repair shop (which was closed of course) and did some investigating. I had fairly good clothes on so didn't do a lot of crawling around under the truck, but it looks to me like the brake master cylinder itself is leaking rather than a line somewhere.

...so my spare carb and fuel pump and battery and newly purchased distributor weren't that helpful. The shop had a nice drop box though for keys and a note for people like me coming in off the highway with issues after hours. I called my wife to come get me, and left my truck in the parking lot of some random shop 40 miles from home. The next part of my journey home would have been on a busier highway, and I didn't want to risk trying it without brakes.

...so do we add master cylinders and brake line and fittings to our lists of must have items to carry in our trucks?

Jim

ps I needed a phelps screwdriver to get to my under the floor master cylinder, and wouldn't you know, it was missing from my tool stash. I must have used it for some non-emergency and not put it back. Luckily a small flat blade worked.

One side of the master cylinder was "dry". The side that still had fluid sure didn't provide much braking. At 40 mph, you barely could notice the peddle was to the floor. Creeping up to a necessary stop at 5 mph, you could sort of feel a little something. My emergency brake, weak as it is, had more stopping power.

 

Wow Jim, glad you’re ok. Good luck with the shop. Worst case get it towed home. Note to self, add brake fluid to the list. Unless you have a major leak filling the master would get you home.

Yesterday we went to a local cruise night, maybe 3-4 miles from home. I found a parking space and fought to parallel park with no power steering. As we starting walking around to look at other cars, I saw a puddle under my truck. I stopped, dipped my finger in it and smelled it, plain water. Must’ve been from the previous car’s AC because there’s no plain water in my truck.

FYI, my Hagerty insurance includes towing up to 50 miles with an emergency roadside assistance phone number.

 

Glad you avoided disaster! Did you try pumping the brakes? They "should" have come up at least a little. But don't always. This is why I have resisted going to a dual MC. BTW I do keep a MC (stock) rebuild kit in the truck, wanted it for the long trips.

 

Thanks Bob. When I got to the little town, the first thing I did was call for a tow. It was the tow truck guy answering the phone that recommended the local auto repair shop. I thought it was pretty nice of him to talk himself out of a 40 mile towing job. He said the shop would do a good job and treat me fair. It was on his recommendation that I let my keys fall into the drop box.

It took about an hour for my wife to show up, and while I was waiting, the tow truck guy showed up in person to have a look at my truck. He crawled under and confirmed it was probably the master cylinder that was leaking. What a great guy! As you've heard me say, "Small town America is alive and well", and, "You are never alone driving an old truck". In the midst of all the horrible headlines we see everyday, there still seem to be wonderful caring people everywhere.

I heard you express your confidence in dual master cylinders in another thread. I thought they were a good idea too and made the switch expressly because I didn't want to have a, "Bob Jones experience", careening down a PA mountain without brakes. I'm convinced the braking power I had yesterday (emergency brake and the brakes from the one remaining cylinder that still had fluid in my duel cylinder set-up) would have been no help whatsoever going down a steep incline. i would have been through the guard rail and over the cliff for sure.

Going forward, I'm going to do what I can to get more stopping power out of the emergency brake and find out why the one axle that was still supposed to have brakes didn't work better. I couldn't access the video that Nick posted today, but it seems like it is very appropriate to my experience and what we are talking about here.

Jim

 

That video was disturbing. They had a very bad crash with some serious injuries.

Do you have the e brake on the transmission or rear wheels? Mine is rear wheels. I’m going to test it, and make adjustments.

I’m wondering if you might need to adjust the brakes to get equal power from both circuits. I once did a brake job on my Corvair and had the rear adjusted so weak that I went through the front shoes in a few thousand miles, and the rears were like brand new. Adjusting drum brakes is a pain.

 

So Jim, it is back to the drawing board with your brake system. The loss of one of a two brake system should provide some halfway decent braking. Start a new thread and we can discuss the possible issues. If your truck is in a reputable shop, you may ask them to determine why the secondary system is not working. Perhaps only one system, probably the front, has been working all along.

 

Thanks Ray and Ross. I'll start a new "Brake Issues" thread when I learn more about what went wrong with my truck. I did try pumping the brakes when I got to the edge of the little town where I was going to stop and call for a tow. There was a little momentary improved braking as the last of the fluid was probably pushed out, but then almost nothing. The "almost nothing" must have been the second brake circuit that still had fluid. It didn't seem to be affected by pumping. I'm pretty sure my emergency brake works on the back drums. Those suggesting my front and back brakes weren't equalized are probably correct. It was careless of me to think the brake peddle feeling good and the truck stopping without pulling horribly to one side was good enough. It wasn't! And I'm thankful I didn't find out going down a steep mountain grade with switch back turns.

Jim

ps If Ross has a MC rebuild kit with his "spare parts" stash when he travels, probably we all should. I'm wondering how the little shop where my truck is at 30 miles away from any town of any size is going to find parts if the MC needs to be rebuilt. Having a rebuild kit in my little tote with my carb, distributor, fuel pump, battery, and assorted other goodies and tools would be a good thing.

 

feeler gauge (for the points)?
jumper cables (rather than battery)?
small tube of white grease?
old cut up t-shirt (for rags)

 

A match book cover will work for gaping points and you can then use them to set the truck on fire when it really pisses you off

On the master if not leaking the piston cups could be bypassing fluid.
When I got my 81 F100 on the road I found the used master & power booster from my parts truck, a roll over soit was used up to that point, was bad.
I replaced them both and had a little trouble getting a good pedal but it stopped.

In the rebuild I replaced the rear axle ebrake cables and must have ordered the wrong ones as they did not fit but I made them work LOL.
I went to replace the cables with the right ones and when I hit the brake pedal to center the shoes to adjust the drum brakes it went to the floor?
All the bleeding even with a pressure bleed system could not get a pedal.
I replaced the master, was a little over a year old, with a new one after a bench bleed and a pressure bleed the brake pedal has never been so good.

So even if not showing any leaking on the outside the pistons can not build pressure and the master is bad like mine was I think from day one.
Dave ----

 

This falls under tools, and yes, I’ll bring them in the tool bag.

The reason for a battery rather than jumpers is two fold.

1) 6v system, jumping with a 12v can ve dangerous
B) if I’m alone jumpers would be useless
4) I always have jumpers, the battery is added insurance.