Years ago I bought a 57 that done the same but it was froze up wheel cylinders and bad hoses and glad to hear it was a much simpler repair.


Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

Sounds like buggered wheel cylinders.. and your linings could be undersize, push as hard as you like not much is going to happen.. Ask me how I know ...



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

You are welcome,had the same problem a couple years ago and took me awhile to figure it out.  Carl

Carl,. you were correct on the bleed hole being plugged with some small rust particles. Took the MC apart cleaned it out and flushed the entire system.  Works great now. Thanks for the input.  Dave V

SE Wis

I know you said you put a new master cylinder on but it sounds like the small bleed hole is plugged.There is two holes in the bottom of the reservoir,a large one in the rear and a smaller one just forward ,the large one lets fluid to the piston and the smaller one lets fluid return when you let off the brakes,I had the small one plug up with crud a couple years ago and it did exactly what yours is doing   Carl

I also wondered about the wheel cylinders but don't understand why both would seize up at the same time.  I did order them yesterday and will be installing them tomorrow (Sunday).  Will post the results. Thanks for all the input.  Dave V

SE Wis

Disconnect the front brake lines and slowly depress the brake pedal a little bit to make sure the master cylinder is pumping.,  If so, then pull the wheel cylinders and remove the cups to see if the plungers are stuck.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

I had this problem  on  a Ford  pickup after it sat over the winter, What was  wrong  with it is it had a ring of corrosion inside the Wheel cylinders
Causing them to only travel half the distance it took to apply the brakes!  I don't know why the  peddle gets hard when this happens but my truck elt like stepping on  a rock! 

Frozen cylinders was my thought also. Remove the drum and have someone push the brake pedal slowly and check for movement..

Just throwing this out there but are the wheel cylinders moving like they should?

Durham Missouri