Got all 4 drums off, noticed things wrong/missing in just about every one.
Have 0 brakes, think I found out why. One of the plungers [thats what I call it anyhow] or piston on one of the cylinders popped out of its slot in the brake shoe, and probably just pumped fluid when brakes were applied.

Anyhow I noticed only 1 wheel has a brake strut [I have always called them spreaders], is simply not there in the other 3.
I know these are tied to the emergency brake system, which has never been operable as long as I have had the car.
Do these have a function outside of the emergency brake system ? Are they supposed to be on all 4, or just the rear ? And any idea outside of a junk yard where to get the proper ones ?

I tried to get some new cylinder plungers, parts store guys have never heard of them much less stock them. Went to a junk yard and picked up a few but not the same size as mine.

You are correct, the "spreaders" are only on the back and they should only function with the parking brake. Did you price out complete wheel cylinders? It's a while since I bought any but they seemed very inexpensive at the time. you may find out you need some brake lines if you change the whole wheel cylinders though. Brake spring kits are cheap as well and help everything to function properly.
good luck. Neill

Yeah you can get springs all day long, other parts are hard to come by.
I did buy new cylinders, they don't come with pistons and they don't sell them in parts stores.

Are you talking about the two little push rods that go in the wheel cylinder that pushes against the brake shoe?

Ames performance or inline tube has just about everything related to the brake hardware. Download or get their catalog and it will show all the parts and the names. You can look in the service manual and there is a diagram how the front and back are put together.

There is only one Rod link that connects to the front self adjuster that you can no longer buy. If you don't have it you have to find one from someone that has some parts they took off. Or convert it to the way CAMARO did it which is like the back drum.

Yeah, brake cylinder pistons I believe is the technical name for them. Haven't started searching online yet, no doubt they are available somewhere. From the random few that I picked up at the junkyard they are in many different sizes, guess I'd need to get its exact length & diameter.

The brake cylinder piston is inside the brake cylinder. The little push rods or technically called wheel cylinder push rods or wheel cylinder pin.
Here are the ones from Ames.

Ames Link

Master cylinders, yes.
Brake cylinders such as in exploded diagrams usually have the rods labeled as pistons.

Well we must be taking about different things then. Your diagram does no show the push rod. It shows a piston inside the cylinder that also pushes the brake. Ours is a little different then that diagram.

This is our brake down. In the diagram of the cylinder you can see the piston is part of the cylinder., The push rod is external.

Both of these images were from the service manual

I switched to disc brakes. If you can't find what you need I have a handful of bits and pieces I'll throw in a $5 snail mail box and send you. Also have complete, good front assemblies. Rear assemblies were donated to a friends project.

Ok, we needn't get into a battle of terminology, I know what they are and what they do, so do you.

Most parts stores employees these days don't ,,, I went into autozone today and said "68 firebird 400 automatic", which is more than enough to get them into the right screen. He actually asked me "um ,,, and what make is that" ?
I told him Mitsubushi and he started typing that in, then I said no, Pontiac. Couldn't hardly believe that, I guess they'll hire anyone who can type these days.

Have them all done except left rear, am waiting on a spring kit and brake strut, both of which they had to order. Probably could have gotten by without the strut, as my parking break system is inoperable, but would rather have it there than not.
Then I'll get to bleeding and hopefully will be good to go.

edit: Wow thanks for the offer Dennis, I should be good to go now, save them I'm sure they'll have a use down the line.

I am actually amazed at how many auto parts stores there are out there these days. Very few people work on there cars these days so the numbers really don't add up for me. However, as you stated it is very hard to find anyone at these stores with any real experience. Sadly, it all comes down to money.

Thus the reason I am giving some serious thought to working part-time at a parts store after I retire in a couple of years.

I don't expect a master mechanic behind a parts counter but its getting pathetic out there these days.
I am getting distressed that I know a whole lot more than 90% of the parts people I have run across lately, I consider myself handy with a wrench and very mechanically inclined, but not a mechanic.
NAPA tends to have knowledgeable guys, unfortunately the nearest one to me is a 25 mile round trip else I'd shop there exclusively just because they usually know what they are doing and saying.

I have to agree. There are journeyman partsman, just like any other trade, they go to school and apprentice until they get their journeyman ticket. Mostly at a manufacturer's dealership, Ford, GM, Cat, etc..

Now at Joe blow's parts store, anyone who can push the buttons on a keyboard can get a job as a counter person. They're shown how to access parts by make model and year, they don't have to know what the part does or even look like. Try asking for something as simple as a type X 900 CCA battery, most likely you will be asked what its for, the year and model. It's not the counter person's fault, they just want a job to pay the bills, just like the rest of us.

Now if there was a parts store that hired car guys, gear heads, mechanics, etc., I'd gladly drive the 25 miles to give them my business.

Wouldn't drive 25 miles for most parts, not only a waste of gas but you risk an accident every mile, people are driving nuts with the warmer weather, especially bad are the cell phone talkers and texters.

Rear brakes went great, ran into a snag on the first front brake with a cylinder bolt that refuses to budge. Very inaccessible position, can't get a socket on it due to control arm interference. Wrench will go on but barely, can't get any torque on it. Its 7/16 and is now oversized for the rounded bolt, 11mm almost fits.
Have tried soaking in lube, heating cherry red, needle nose vice grips, haven't turned a thread and it is now all but rounded off.
Broke out the air chisel hoping to snap the head, even that is a failure since the only angle I have I dig more into the backing plate than the bolt. Had to walk away, will try again MON, if necessary I'll chisel the head off by hand, its gotta go.