Not a stellar first drive...

[vacca rabite]

So I figured I'd take the truck around the block. I have had it for a week, and not driven it, and wanted to see how it did.

My driveway is around 30 yards long with a slight down hill grade towards the street. At idle, I nearly had to stand on the brakes to stop the truck at the end of the drive. Is that normal? I can't see how the truck could stop at all at speed on some of the hills around here.

Then I found out that reverse did not seem to be working. Reverse was selected, but the truck would not back up. I tried four times, bringing the truck from Rev to neutral and then back into reverse. Nope, nothing.

At this point I was blocking traffic outside my driveway, and getting a little flustered. So I put it in first and went back up my drive and parked it again.

Not the most stellar first tour. I guess it is a good thing I did not descide to drive it home when I bought it.

Zach

[rboltz]

As others have mentioned, the brake cylinders are most likely shot. You will find lots of posts, including mine, with pictures of our brakes when we got the trucks. I had only 2 shoes moving on mine. Looks like you will be doing the "ford" cylinder retrofit like most of us.

[Binford]

The lack of reverse would be a concern too....

Oh well... Just think of the adventure you have ahead of you now!

[kwai]

The adventure certainly won't be behind him since he doesn't have reverse.

Brake rebuild should get your truck stopping again. If you are going to drive it a lot I would put in a dual-reservoir master cylinder as well.

[randyscycle]

I'll bet you have at least two wheel cylinders corroded so badly they are locked up.

My truck had waht appeared to be new brake shoes on three of the wheels, then when I got to the Left rear wheel, I found them to the rivets. That is because it was the only working wheel cylinder! And it had been driven that way for a long time. Even scarier!

Reverse may not be as bad as you think. Pull the floor cover and the transmission top cover and see that the selector is engaging in the reverse idler gear and moving it when the shifter is moved. Those transmissions are not hard to rebuild. Just no fun to remove.

[Tomahawk715]

Sounds stellar to me-you got to drive it-didnt crash or run anyone over My first trip after the SBC/SM420 swap--we got the SB started after a 20 some year sleep (and a bunch of parts swapped out)-the 420 had been gone thru-its roaring thru open headers-middle of winter and my battery is crap so we had to jump it. Its running off a boat motor tank. I pulled it out of the garage-moving it under its own power for the first time in over a decade. Smiling ear to ear. Drove around the garage with it sputtering. My cousin says run down to the corner with it-I said what if it stalls-he says It wont. Drove down to the corner-pulled in my other cousins drive-put it in reverse-stalled. Tried for a half hour to jump it in sub zero temps with high winds. Just about froze-never did get it started. Had to get a new battery the next day-then it popped right off. Oh and had to listen to my cousin-What the Feck is "that thing" doing blocking my driveway. ROFL

[vacca rabite]

I found reverse.
I don't know where the heck it was hiding Monday. I bet I was trying to shift on top of the gear instead of into it. Coupled with not being familiar with the vehicle...

Clearly, the problem there was the nut behind the wheel.

The brakes, on the other hand. Not had the time to look into those yet.
Zach

[Barrman]

Just pull each corner apart, hone the wheel cylinders, clean up the cups or put new cups in and then adjust the shoes. It will feel like power disc after what you had. Until you have a full bed, 10K on a trailer and are going down hill to a just turned red light at a busy intersection.

[rboltz]

If your stock cylinders are re-buildable, I have kits here I don't need.