Help with Part Number

[Paul M.]

Looking for a part numbers for the 57 thru 62 Rear Big Brake wheel cylinders. I have the casting numbers but need the GM part numbers. My book only lists the repair kit numbers. Thanks in advance. Paul

[David L.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Gr. 4.665 in 1963 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1962)
60-62 Corvette w/H.D. Brake/Susp. - 5459987, rear, left (7/8" dia.)
60-62 Corvette w/H.D. Brake/Susp. - 5459986, rear, right (7/8" dia.)
60-62 Corvette w/H.D. Brake/Susp. - 5455479 , front, right (1 1/8" dia., cast 5453822)
60-62 Corvette w/H.D. Brake/Susp. - 5455478, front, left (1 1/8" dia., cast 5453821)

Dave

[Dave S.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Looking for a part numbers for the 57 thru 62 Rear Big Brake wheel cylinders. I have the casting numbers but need the GM part numbers. My book only lists the repair kit numbers. Thanks in advance. Paul

Paul,
Its a little confusing in the 62 parts book but they list 60-62 Corvette w/ HD brakes and Susp as rear left 7/8 dia. as #35459987 and right as #5459986. The 60-62 fronts which are cast # 821 and #822 are listed as part #'s - right #5455479 and left as #5455478. Can't find anything for 57-59 rears.

[Joe L.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Looking for a part numbers for the 57 thru 62 Rear Big Brake wheel cylinders. I have the casting numbers but need the GM part numbers. My book only lists the repair kit numbers. Thanks in advance. Paul

Paul-----


These 1957-62 HD brake cylinders are a very confusing situation. Usually, I stay away from questions concerning them. However, I'll offer this: Prior to 1960, GM did not catalog wheel cylinders specifically for 1957-1959 Corvette HD brake applications. Actually, the FRONT cylinders were cataloged but due to some sort of error the "HD" was omitted from the description. Beginning in 1960, they cataloged the REAR wheel cylinders for HD brake applications back to 1957. Beginning in 1961, they cataloged the HD FRONT wheel cylinder applications but only back to 1960. Of course, the 57-59 were the same.

Here are the part numbers from "beginning-to-end". All front cylinders shown are 1-1/8" bore; all rear cylinders shown are 7/8" bore. Note that some of these parts do not follow the normal left-odd, right-even part numbering protocol:

1960-62 front RIGHT---GM #5455479; replaced July, 1967 by GM #5461126; replaced uncertain date by GM #5463628; replaced April, 1985 by GM #18008610; GM #18008610 discontinued without supercession September, 1985.

1960-62 front LEFT----GM #5455478; replaced May, 1967 by GM #5461125; replaced March, 1981 by GM #5463627; replaced April, 1983 by GM #18008609; GM #18008609 discontinued without supercession October, 1987.

1957-60 rear LEFT-----GM #5456398; GM #5456398 discontinued without supercession July, 1969

1957-60 rear RIGHT----GM #5456398; GM #5456398 discontinued without supercession July, 1969

1960-62 rear LEFT-----GM #5459987; GM #5459987 discontinued without supercession January, 1971

1960-62 rear RIGHT----GM #5459986; GM #5459986 discontinued without supercession January, 1971

A tip: 1951-54 passenger car and 1951-59 1/2 on truck (except 4WD) use the same front wheel cylinders as 1957-62 Corvette with HD brakes except that the sides are reversed.

[Mike M.]

Re: Help with Part Number

the 51-4 pass car wheel cylinders, while cast #'d the same as the HD c-1 cylinders, won't work on a c-1 as the 51-4 pass car brake lines were larger than the c-1 lines. to use the pass car cylinders, you'd need to use a fitting to accomidate the c-1 brake lines, and don't think judges would care for them. mike

[Joe L.]

Re: Help with Part Number

the 51-4 pass car wheel cylinders, while cast #'d the same as the HD c-1 cylinders, won't work on a c-1 as the 51-4 pass car brake lines were larger than the c-1 lines. to use the pass car cylinders, you'd need to use a fitting to accomidate the c-1 brake lines, and don't think judges would care for them. mike

Mike-----


The SERVICE wheel cylinders for the passenger car and HD Corvette applications were the same. Perhaps they were supplied with an adapter, though. None is indicated, however. If an adapter was provided, that would mean that NONE of the SERVICE wheel cylinders ever supplied would be completely correct for Corvette.

[Joe L.]

Re: Help with Part Number

the 51-4 pass car wheel cylinders, while cast #'d the same as the HD c-1 cylinders, won't work on a c-1 as the 51-4 pass car brake lines were larger than the c-1 lines. to use the pass car cylinders, you'd need to use a fitting to accomidate the c-1 brake lines, and don't think judges would care for them. mike

Mike------


Another question for you: from what I can find, the front rubber brake hoses were the same for all 57-62 Corvette, HD or standard brakes. The same brake hoses were used for 51-54 passenger car. So, I do not understand how the fittings in the wheel cylinders could be different for passenger car versus Corvette. What am I missing here?

[Andrew N.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Mike------


Another question for you: from what I can find, the front rubber brake hoses were the same for all 57-62 Corvette, HD or standard brakes. The same brake hoses were used for 51-54 passenger car. So, I do not understand how the fittings in the wheel cylinders could be different for passenger car versus Corvette. What am I missing here?

I'm interested in the difference also. I found two cylinders with the same part number 5450649, that look like the bleeder is different:
5450649.jpg

5450649(2).JPG

[Michael H.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Paul-----


These 1957-62 HD brake cylinders are a very confusing situation. Usually, I stay away from questions concerning them. However, I'll offer this: Prior to 1960, GM did not catalog wheel cylinders specifically for 1957-1959 Corvette HD brake applications. Actually, the FRONT cylinders were cataloged but due to some sort of error the "HD" was omitted from the description. Beginning in 1960, they cataloged the REAR wheel cylinders for HD brake applications back to 1957. Beginning in 1961, they cataloged the HD FRONT wheel cylinder applications but only back to 1960. Of course, the 57-59 were the same.

Here are the part numbers from "beginning-to-end". All front cylinders shown are 1-1/8" bore; all rear cylinders shown are 7/8" bore. Note that some of these parts do not follow the normal left-odd, right-even part numbering protocol:

1960-62 front RIGHT---GM #5455479; replaced July, 1967 by GM #5461126; replaced uncertain date by GM #5463628; replaced April, 1985 by GM #18008610; GM #18008610 discontinued without supercession September, 1985.

1960-62 front LEFT----GM #5455478; replaced May, 1967 by GM #5461125; replaced March, 1981 by GM #5463627; replaced April, 1983 by GM #18008609; GM #18008609 discontinued without supercession October, 1987.

1957-60 rear LEFT-----GM #5456398; GM #5456398 discontinued without supercession July, 1969

1957-60 rear RIGHT----GM #5456398; GM #5456398 discontinued without supercession July, 1969

1960-62 rear LEFT-----GM #5459987; GM #5459987 discontinued without supercession January, 1971

1960-62 rear RIGHT----GM #5459986; GM #5459986 discontinued without supercession January, 1971

A tip: 1951-54 passenger car and 1951-59 1/2 on truck (except 4WD) use the same front wheel cylinders as 1957-62 Corvette with HD brakes except that the sides are reversed.

Joe,

It's strange that the part numbers for front cyl's for 60-62 were originally odd numbers for right and even for left. Replaced with numbers that are opposite, odd left, even right, the normal odd/even numbering system.

This same strange/opposite numbering situation was used for rear wheel cyl's for 63-64 Corvette. That's because the exact same cyl's were also used for passenger car but used on opposite sides. The primary usage for the cyl's was pass car instead of Corvette and that's why the odd/even numbers were opposite for Corvette.

Could this be the case for the C1 cyl's too? Were these cyl's used on the opposite sides of some other vehicle? Truck possibly?

I see that the part number changed but the replacement numbers now conform to the typical odd/left even/right system.

[Joe L.]

Re: Help with Part Number

Joe,

It's strange that the part numbers for front cyl's for 60-62 were originally odd numbers for right and even for left. Replaced with numbers that are opposite, odd left, even right, the normal odd/even numbering system.

This same strange/opposite numbering situation was used for rear wheel cyl's for 63-64 Corvette. That's because the exact same cyl's were also used for passenger car but used on opposite sides. The primary usage for the cyl's was pass car instead of Corvette and that's why the odd/even numbers were opposite for Corvette.

Could this be the case for the C1 cyl's too? Were these cyl's used on the opposite sides of some other vehicle? Truck possibly?

I see that the part number changed but the replacement numbers now conform to the typical odd/left even/right system.

Michael-----


Yes, for the 1951-54 passenger cars and 51-59 light trucks, the cylinders were used on opposite sides.