1940 Ford hydraulic brake adjusting?

[hazman1929]

I have a 1940 ford truck front end on my car with the hydraulic drum brakes. I figured out that the two bolts on the upper backside adjust the shoes in and out. I'm having a hard time adjusting them and would like some advice. I put car on a jackstands and spin the wheel while turning each bolt until there is a slight drag. After trying this several times I still can't seem to get them to stop very good. If I just push the pedal they go almost to the floor before stopping, if I pump it a couple of times they seem to work ok. I don't think I have air in the line because after I pump them a couple of times the pedal seems to hold and doesn't go to the floor but I have to pump them each time I stop to build up the pedal. Any suggestions? Should I bleed the brakes? Is there a trick to adjusting them just right? How do I make sure both shoes are adjusting evenly? Thanks for any help, DK

 

[LOWANDRATY]

brake adjusting

Just my .02 worth, my dad taught me that to adjust these style brakes you need to back adjusters off so there is no drag, then tighten 1 adjuster untill you can't tighten it anymore, then back it off till the wheel moves with some tension on it, then tighten up the second adjuster all the way tight and back it off till it fells the same as the first, he always told me that was the only way to get a true adjustment on this style brake, and it works that way on old vw's also.

 

[LordMaximo]

If you have to pump the peddle a couple times, then you DO have some air in the lines. The simplest way to clear all the air, is to cut a stick, use a block of wood, or some sort of rod, then wedge it on the peddle and under the dash, leave it over night, and the residual air should be naturally bled out.
This is an old faithfull instruction used to clear the stuborn bubbles. And before you remove the block, fill the brake reservoir.
Good luck,

Maximo

 

[hazman1929]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will give them a try. I've moved to working on the electrical system and interior for right now.