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Yesterday I picked up a 1970 LT1 that was sitting in a garage since 1996. Went to tow it out of the garage and the rear wheels were locked. Winched it onto the trailer and got it home and on my lift. I thought the trans was in two gears at once but I removed the linkage, no easy task, and put the trans in neutral, still locked up. Removed the drive shaft, no easy task to get the two top nuts, and the issue at the rear. Pulled the wheels to check the calipers but they are not
the issue. So I am assuming it is either the emergency shoes are stuck to the rotor, 1/2 shaft u-joint is bad or maybe something in the rear, which I doubt.
Anybody have an thought on this?
Thanks,
Joe
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Calipers look pretty bad in pics. How did you determine they were not the problem? Good chance parking brake mechanism is rusted solid and locked up. Had the parking brake setup rusted solid on my 68. Couldn't back off the shoes because star adjuster wouldn't budge. Had a lot of fun that day.
Calipers look pretty bad in pics. How did you determine they were not the problem?
Pulled the wheels in the PO's garage and all 4 pads moved freely. Tried to move both sides with a bar between the lug nuts and they both moved back and forth a little.
Will go in the garage tomorrow and check it out.
It took me 1/2 a day to remove both rear rotors...the E=brake shoes were engaged and had worn a lip inside the drum making it a bear to pry the rotors off without damaging anything.. The E-brake parts were rusted in place.
Some members replace Ebrake parts with stainless parts to prevent rust-up.
It took me 1/2 a day to remove both rear rotors...the E=brake shoes were engaged and had worn a lip inside the drum making it a bear to pry the rotors off without damaging anything.. The E-brake parts were rusted in place.
Some members replace Ebrake parts with stainless parts to prevent rust-up.
That is exactly what the problem was. I drilled all 10 rivets and it tested my old 75 year old body getting them off. Took almost all morning. I all ready have the stainless e-shoe kit.
That is a beautiful Corvette you have there plaidside!
I had a good friend who had a white 1970 LT1 and that was one amazing Corvette. The engine was a bit tired but the torque was still there and that engine loved to rev. The power a LT1 makes is the closest thing to a BB that you will find. We went out on the highways and did roll on's and other stuff. The LT1 was and is one of my favorite engines because of the power it can make.
While rebuilding my 427 I had a 1970 LT1 engine that I bought used. We stuck the 350 in my C3 while we were doing the rebuilding and re-installation. That little 350 was able to pull 26 mpg and make my 1968 C3 go fast to boot. After putting the 427 back between the frame rails I never looked back as my 427 was built to be a clone of an L88 engine.
My spare LT1 is sitting in my garage and covered in garbage bags. Someday I might find a need for a good little engine! Until then I will keep it, you never know when you will need a 1970 LT1 engine....
Enjoy your Corvette and that amazing engine it came with. The only negative with the LT1 is that the compression requires some help with the octane. I used to put a bit of Tetra-ethyl lead in the gasoline to bring up the octane a couple points above the 93 octane from Sunoco. It seemed that the Sunoco 93 was enough octane for most of the year, when it gets HOT is when the engine might need a bit more octane boosting. Whatever you do, keep the compression of that engine. Newer aluminum cylinder heads that flow better might be a good investment and eliminate the detonation/pinging issue.
FYI, EVERY ss parking brake kit I bought over the past say 20 years, I have had to fit the parts. Some are worse than others. Look at the hold down pins, they should be like arrowheads, not rounded from stamping. Some of the return spring ends are too long, the lever may hit the upper one and pop it out of the hole, the star wheels I automatically machine shorter, some are borderline too long.
It doesn't matter which supplier I buy them from.
FYI, EVERY ss parking brake kit I bought over the past say 20 years, I have had to fit the parts. Some are worse than others. Look at the hold down pins, they should be like arrowheads, not rounded from stamping. Some of the return spring ends are too long, the lever may hit the upper one and pop it out of the hole, the star wheels I automatically machine shorter, some are borderline too long.
It doesn't matter which supplier I buy them from.
Thank you for the information, I will check it out.
Just an FYI for anyone who encounters this problem with cars that have been stored for many years, especially those stored outside.
As part on my law enforcement career we towed or impounded many vehicles abandoned on the streets and private properties.
Back before there were flat bed tow trucks and when wreckers were used for towing, we ran into this issue with the rear wheels rusted and they would not rotate.
Many of the tow truck drivers wouldn’t put the rear wheels up on Dollie’s and would partially inflate the tires then tow the car down the street until the rear wheels would break free and actually roll.
The really badly rusted ones would start rolling freely within about 100 feet.
The not so bad ones would roll freely within about 30 feet.
Fair points but if the ebrake shoes or return springs have become dislodged and are floating or wedged between the mechanism and the drum, they are not coming free without something breaking!
Originally Posted by OldCarBum
Just an FYI for anyone who encounters this problem with cars that have been stored for many years, especially those stored outside.
As part on my law enforcement career we towed or impounded many vehicles abandoned on the streets and private properties.
Back before there were flat bed tow trucks and when wreckers were used for towing, we ran into this issue with the rear wheels rusted and they would not rotate.
Many of the tow truck drivers wouldn’t put the rear wheels up on Dollie’s and would partially inflate the tires then tow the car down the street until the rear wheels would break free and actually roll.
The really badly rusted ones would start rolling freely within about 100 feet.
The not so bad ones would roll freely within about 30 feet.
That is exactly what the problem was. I drilled all 10 rivets and it tested my old 75 year old body getting them off. Took almost all morning. I all ready have the stainless e-shoe kit.
FYI, EVERY ss parking brake kit I bought over the past say 20 years, I have had to fit the parts. Some are worse than others. Look at the hold down pins, they should be like arrowheads, not rounded from stamping. Some of the return spring ends are too long, the lever may hit the upper one and pop it out of the hole, the star wheels I automatically machine shorter, some are borderline too long.
It doesn't matter which supplier I buy them from.
I know who I’m going to reach out to when I get to that point. My car came with that stuff partially/loosely/maybe incorrectly installed. Glad you posted that and brought my attention to it.
My new LT!
