my youngest brother has been using his 65 nova w/t manual brakes, as a daily driver for the past month or two. Ran great for a few weeks, then it overheated, he couldnt figure out why that was happened, no strange smoke out the tailpipe, no bubbles in the radiator, removed the thermostat to be on the safe side, although it opened and closed fine in heated water, started the car up, drove it another couple days trouble free, then it overheated again but this time the car flat wouldnt move, come to find out, the rear brakes are locking up for no apparent reason, emergency brake is completely released that doesnt seem to be it, hes convinved the brake cylinders are bad, but I thought it was kinda strange for both sides to go bad at the same time. reason he suspects both rear brakes, is the last time things went south, smoke was rolling off each rear brake drum by the time he got home, suggesting the brakes were engaging for no reason. I really have no idea what makes up a manual brake system, so I dont have much to offer him in the way of help. I would think it would be something before the brakes causing the problem or maybe his bad luck runs in twos, I dunno.

The Rubber brake hose is collapseing so the fluid is only going one way.So when ever he steps on the brakes the fluid can not return to the master. Which problem holding the brakes.

rear brakes? Is there a flex line for the rear brakes at the master cylinder?

NO it is right over the rear axle Normaly in the center. How do you think the rear of any car can move up & down.?? lmao something has to be flexable and it Sure isn't a steel line.

It was the brake cylinders I believe. They wouldnt compress.

What happned, I called and ask if he replace the flex line, he said there wasnt any....so being puzzled, I wondered if it was near the MC, little miscommunication. It is a chevy after all.

Not on any NOVA i ever owned there is 3 rubber line left,right,rear. Or any other car for that matter.Ever ur fords have 3 lol Just like any other model.

Just to veirfy, I have a 65 Nova. It has a single hose over the rear end feeding My rear drums. Those drums kept locking up and I knew they were dragging. So First thing I did was replace everything, replaced the brake hose over the rear end, brake cylinders, shoes, springs, and finally the whole front to rear brake lines. No dragging now. The rubber hose was original (Calif car) and was real cracked.

Its cheap insurance to do this.

believe the front brakes were replaced before he purchased the car...he fixed the problem...finally up and running.

OK sOooooooooooo what was wrong????? What your not going to tell us now LOL

No one asked.


Actually, the flex line was faulty, after he ran it with the new cylinders, it ran fine for a few days...but like you knew and I suspsected, it had to be something before the brakes...considering there isnt much else there...had to be the flex line.


Now to convince him to swap in a later master so he gets rid of the single circuit master.