I just replaced the wheel cylinders on my early '71, hoping to finally fix the brake problems. Long story short, it didn't work.

 

I think the problem being the wheel cylinders don't slide in their slot. Just learned that's how they're supposed to work. Everything is new and clean. I've even wire brushed the plates and coated everything in a generous layer of brake grease. Now the wheel cylinders move with help from a good hit with a mallet, but I can't move them by hand. They definitely don't slide "freely".

How tight in the slot should they be?

Also, despite being an early model, mine had the late style wheel cylinders. The rear brakes never worked correctly since I had the car. From what I read online, it shouldn't be an issue but maybe there some weird fitting issue at play?

 

Edited April 22, 20195 yr by TheOwl

Are the retaining shims in good shape and installed correctly with the dimples matching?  They have a certain curvature to them too, the bow of the curve is the contact point.  You can see it in their drawing.  You can get them on backward.

Yes I installed them correctly according to the diagram. That's how I found this forum in the first place. ? I tried both set of new clips and old clips, to no avail.

Interestingly I just removed the passenger size cylinder. It was a early style cylinder instead of a late style. And despite everything in that wheel being seized solid, the old wheel cylinder slide way more easily in the slot.

Looking at them, the shoulder of the groove and the groove itself are not the same shape at all.

I'll bring them to my machinist father, so he can try to make them fit. I'll report back.

So far I assume the late cylinder don't fit on my early plates.

 

You could just take a file and clean up the cast flashing and smooth the contact surfaces a bit, just don't wide on it.