Hello fellow ambulance and hearse owners. The brakes suddenly stopped working in my 1966 Cadillac Miller[-Meteor 48” High top ambulance today…right before it was due to be in a parade. The good news is they did not fail in the parade. The bad news is the $1500 brake job I had done two years ago to be able to drive the car 1800 miles (to be in the 2007 PCS International meet hosed by Lou Farah’s Southern California PCS Chapter) is going to have be completely redone. The Master Cylinder seal failed, and the rear drums had axel grease in them, indicating the seal had broken there too. Plus the glue that kept one of the front brake shoes on the housing had apparently been super-heated, so that brake shoe was coming off. The brakes were never THAT great before, but they worked ok earlier today until I had to do a HARD “emergency” stop to avoid hitting a car that changed lanes without warning. The brake shop suspects that stop put the system under so much pressure, something blew.
Anyway, they found the new brake parts but say there are also some front end problems. I had the gear box worked on and an alignment done two years ago, but it has gotten more “loosey-goosey” steering-wise since then. They say they found a new gear box but also need a new (or good used or reconditioned) Pitman Arm.
Does anyone out there know when I can find one, and how much do they run? The brake shop seems to know what they are doing and will guarantee the work for 3 years parts and labor…so I am inclined to fix this. Who knows, maybe if I get this stuff fixed, maybe I’ll drive the car to Piqua for the M-M reunion this fall!
Art in Boise
pawzup@qwest.net
(208) 853-7756 (email me and I’ll call you back on my dime)
Anyway, they found the new brake parts but say there are also some front end problems. I had the gear box worked on and an alignment done two years ago, but it has gotten more “loosey-goosey” steering-wise since then. They say they found a new gear box but also need a new (or good used or reconditioned) Pitman Arm.
Does anyone out there know when I can find one, and how much do they run? The brake shop seems to know what they are doing and will guarantee the work for 3 years parts and labor…so I am inclined to fix this. Who knows, maybe if I get this stuff fixed, maybe I’ll drive the car to Piqua for the M-M reunion this fall!
Art in Boise
pawzup@qwest.net
(208) 853-7756 (email me and I’ll call you back on my dime)