How to Replace the Wheel Cylinder on a 1984 S-10 Pickup

The 1984 Chevrolet S-10 was available with a 1.9-liter in-line four cylinder engine, a 2.0-liter in-line four cylinder engine, a 2.2-liter in-line four cylinder engine and a 2.8-liter V-6. The 1984 S-10 was equipped with the option of a two-wheel or four-wheel drive drivetrain. The rear brakes on the 1984 S-10 were drum style brakes, that include shoes, hardware, drums and wheel cylinders. When replacing wheel cylinders that have ruptured or leaked within the brake drum, you should replace all of the drum brake components as they become saturated with brake fluid.

Instructions

Wheel Cylinder Removal

1

Place wheel chocks in front of both front tires on the S-10. Loosen the rear lug nuts on the truck, using a tire iron. Raise the rear of the truck using a jack. Place jack stands beneath the rear axle housing of the truck, about six inches inward from the rear wheels. Remove the rear lug nuts completely, then remove the rear wheels from the truck.

2

Remove the rear drum from one side of the truck by hand. If the drum does not come off easily by hand, remove the oval shaped rubber stopper from the rear backing plate, using a flat-head screwdriver. Insert the screwdriver and adjust the rear brakes to back the shoes off of the drum. Hit the drum toward the front of the car then toward the rear of the car to push the shoes off of the drum, using a rubber mallet. Remove the drum from the truck.

3

Unhook the primary and secondary return springs from the brake shoes, using a brake hook tool. Remove the hold down springs from the brake shoes, using a circular brake tool or nut driver. Turn the hold down spring cap, while pressing the hold down pin from behind the backing plate, so that the pin does not rotate. Turn the cap until it aligns with the end of the pin, then slowly let pressure off of the cap to release the hold down cap and spring.

4

Remove the actuator link by raising the actuator lever and twisting the link rod free. Remove the self adjuster spring, using your brake hook tool. Remove the brake strut bar and self adjuster screw, by pushing the brake shoes apart. Pull the bar and self adjuster screw out by hand. Twist the brake shoe downward, that has the parking brake lever attached. Remove the parking brake lever clip from the shoe, using your screwdriver to pry the clip loose. Remove the shoes from the back of the truck.

5

Place a drain pan beneath the brake assembly you are working on. Remove the brake line from the wheel cylinder, using a line wrench. If the brake line is corroded or rusted, spray the line thoroughly with penetrating spray, and let the penetrating spray set for about ten minutes. Do not force the brake line fitting off of the wheel cylinder, or you will twist or snap the brake line. Turn the brake line fitting counterclockwise to remove it from the wheel cylinder, once the penetrating spray has has sufficient time to work.

6

Insert two awls or pins, 1/8-inch in diameter or less, into the access slots on the wheel cylinder retainer clip. Pry both locking tabs on the clip outward simultaneously and remove the retainer clip from the wheel cylinder. Remove the wheel cylinder from the brake backing plate, using a flat-head screwdriver to pry the wheel cylinder loose of needed.

7

Spray the entire backing plate and parking brake lever thoroughly with aerosol brake cleaner. Remove any brake fluid and sludge from both brake parts. Use a wire brush to clean out the wheel cylinder mounting hole, if there is an excess amount of corrosion near or around the hole. Apply a light coat of high temperature grease onto the contact point of the brake backing plate, where you see exposed metal or worn paint on the outboard side of the plate.

Wheel Cylinder Installation

8

Install the new wheel cylinder on the outboard side of the brake backing plate, with the brake line mounting hole and bleeder screw facing inward. Install the new retainer over the wheel cylinder from the inboard side of the backing plate, using a 1 1/8-inch 12-point socket and extension. Push the socket and extension toward the backing plate to lock the new retainer clip onto the wheel cylinder.

9

Install the brake line onto the new wheel cylinder, and tighten it snug using a line wrench. Install the wheel cylinder bleeder screw onto the new wheel cylinder, if it was not installed at the factory. Turn the bleeder screw in by hand a few threads to start it, then use a deep well 1/4-inch-drive socket and ratchet to tighten the bleeder screw snug. Using a deep well socket and ratchet will help make sure you do on cock the bleeder screw and strip the threads.

10

Install the parking brake lever onto the secondary shoe. Install a new clip from your all-in-one kit to fasten the two parts together. Use the tip of a flat-head screwdriver to push the new clip into place, until it locks the brake shoe and parking brake lever together. Connect the primary brake shoe to the secondary brake shoe, using a new self adjuster screw spring from your all-in-one kit. Insert the adjuster screw between the two shoes, in the exact position that it was removed from. Spread the two shoes apart and over the axle flange.

11

Install the parking brake cable onto the parking brake lever at the bottom, using a pliers if needed. Inspect the self adjuster screw and spring. Make sure that the two parts are not touching one another. If they are touching, adjust the self adjuster screw slightly to move it away from the spring, or remove the spring and reinstall it in the opposite direction. Spread the shoes and insert the parking brake strut bar and spring between the two brake shoes. The spring end of the strut rests against the secondary shoe, and the other end against the primary shoe.

12

Install the actuator lever on the secondary shoe by hand, followed by the actuator pivot. Connect the return spring between the actuator lever and the primary shoe, using a brake hook tool if needed. Lift the primary shoe slightly away from the backing plate and install the parking brake link onto the shoe. Twist the link with pliers and install it onto the parking brake actuator lever. Insert the small return spring between the secondary shoe and the actuator pivot. Collapse the spring with pliers if needed, then insert it between the shoe and pivot.

13

Install the hold down pin through the secondary inboard side of the backing plate, through the secondary shoe, actuator lever and actuator pivot. Install a new hold down cap onto one of the new hold down springs. Grab both parts with a set of flat nose locking pliers. Hold the pin from behind the backing plate with your finger. Push the hold down spring and cap onto the actuator pivot, so that head of the pin protrudes through the cap. Rotate the cap and spring with your pliers until the pin and cap form a "+" symbol.

14

Push the primary shoe against the backing plate and install the hold down ping, spring and cap the same way you did on the secondary shoe. The cap and spring will rest directly against the primary shoe. Install new primary and secondary return springs between the upper and lower portions of the brake shoes. Set one end of each spring into the secondary brake shoe. Stretch the springs across and set them into the primary shoe, using an awl. Use a flat-head screwdriver tip to push the spring into the primary shoe hole if needed.

15

Install a new brake drum onto the brake shoe assembly. If the brake drum will not easily go over the brake shoes, check the alignment of the shoes on the backing plate and the new wheel cylinder. The brake shoes should be vertically held on the pistons of the new wheel cylinder, at the top of the assembly. If the alignment is correct, adjust the self adjuster screw to bring the shoes more inward. Install the rear drum.

16

Adjust the brake shoes outward slightly if the brake drum can be installed on and off of the axle flange, with no resistance from the shoes. A slight bit of resistance should be felt when installing the the new drum on the shoes. Install two are three washers over one of the wheel studs, then install a single lug nut to hold the drum in place.

17

Repeat Sections 1 and 2 if you are replacing the wheel cylinder on the second side of the truck. Make sure you place your drain pan beneath the second assembly, prior to removing the brake line. Proceed to section 3 of this project.

Bleeding the Drum Brakes

18

Open the hood on the truck and check the brake fluid reservoir. Fill the fluid reservoir with brake fluid if needed. Ask your assistant to sit in the driver's seat of the S-10. Place your drain pan beneath the brake assembly, on the side of the truck that you are going to start the bleeding process.

19

Open the bleeder screw using an open-end wrench or line wrench. Ask your assistant to push the brake pedal slowly to the floor of the truck and hold it. Use verbal commands like "down", "holding" and "pump" with your assistant, to make this process go smoother. Tighten the bleeder snug when your assistant is holding the pedal to the floor of the truck. Repeat this process three times on both sides of the truck, or until you notice no air bubbles being expelled from the bleeder screw. Move the drain pan back and forth with you to each side.

20

Check and fill your brake fluid reservoir after each side of the truck has been bled. Ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal about 10 to 15 times, or until the pedal is stiff and hard to depress. Ask him or her to hold the pedal firmly. Open the bleeder screw and tell your assistant to push the pedal to the floor with the weight of his or her foot and hold it. Close the bleeder screw when the pedal is being held to the floor of the truck. Repeat this step three times per side.

21

Check the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir, and top it off. Install the fluid reservoir cap. Bleeding is completed when your assistant has a firm brake pedal and both bleeder screws are closed. Tighten the bleeder screws snug with your wrench. Spray the inboard sides of both backing plates with brake cleaner, with the drain pan beneath the side you are spraying. Remove excess brake fluid drips from the backing plates.

22

Remove the single lug nut and washers from the lug stud, on both sides if you replaced both wheel cylinders. Install the rear wheels on the truck and tighten the lug nuts snug, using a tire iron. Raise the truck off of the jack stands, and remove both stands from beneath the truck. Lower the S-10 to the ground and tighten the lug nuts to 81 foot-pounds if you have standard wheels, or 100 foot-pounds if you have the optional wheels. Use a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket to tighten the lug nuts.