Ponyboy1970

70 mustang coupe 302 manual brakes 4 wheel drum, my 2 rear wheel cylinders were rusted as **** and the pistons wernt even moving but i replaced them, now i dont know what happened but when i tested it the pedal feels spongy but when i pump it it gets hard and when i let it go it gets soft again until i pump it again, so i looked to see what was happening, when i pump it the shoes goes up and out but way out like almost coming off the shoe guide and it makes the pistons kinda bend upwards and then they dont retract i connected everything right the only thing thats not on is the parking brake cable because i dont use it but could that be it?

6mustang6

YOu need to bleed the brakes. The only reason the shoes go out so far is because the drum isn't on to hold them in. So more then likely your brakes need to be bleeded.

68COOP

Let me get this straight, you are appling the brakes with the drums off??? I don't think thats a good idea, but I could be wrong, because the cylinder could start leaking... Maybe I'm wrong, but I've always heard not to apply the brakes tore apart. I think if you are checking them assembled, then 1 of 2 things could be wrong. The lines need bled like 6mustang6 said, keeping an eye on the fluid in the MC, or the rubber lines are shot, and they are acting like a balloon and trapping the fluid before it can expand the brakes.

Soaring

Put the drums back on, and adjust your shoes so they just barely rub. Then bleed the brakes. Begin at the corner furthest from the driver and proceed in order toward the driver. (Right rear, left rear, right front, left front.) While the actual sequence is not critical to the bleed performance it is easy to remember the sequence as the farthest to the closest. This will also allow the system to be bled in such a way as to minimize the amount of potential cross-contamination between the new and old fluid.