brake bleeding tips

[DetroitDan]

While adding tailpipes to my glasspacks, I 'touched' a brakeline and it started seeping, so after a huge battle I got it off and replaced it. It was a short piece that went between the rear brake hose and the overload brake lever thingy. So now, obviously, I need to bleed them, and my past experience has been that 30 year old brake bleeder screws don't like to come out. Which means replacing the wheel cylinders. Never used to bother me, BUT, now we are talking about a full floating rear axle. I have to hoist this thing up in the air (outside in the dirt), pull 4 tires off, unbolt both axles, then hope and pray the drums will come off, which they probably won't without convincing from an 8 lb sledge. So that's what I'm hoping to avoid.

To make it more interesting, this is the narrow cab & chassis rear axle, so it's got about an inch and a half between the backing plate and the spring pack. Sprayed it down good today with PB blaster, but after trouble I had seperating the brake hose from the brake line, I'm not anticipating any luck. Also, I have no heat wrench.

Any pointers? I don't mind buying a tool when I need it, and I don't mind replacing parts that are old, but I don't want to blow $600 getting ripped off by a shop.