drum brake crash course, or refresher
- Thread starter Billccm
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That's a tough one. Maybe able to loosen the 2 bolts holding the cylinder enough to get a tube on?
Can you do that? It had to be bleed sometime when the wheel cylinder was replaced?
Maybe it will shift over enough to work. I wouldn't crank on the brakes with it loose though. It the bleeder bent maybe?
Nope, it's not bent.
I guess somebody must have done something creative?
If you can get a wrench on it crack it open to see if fluid comes out. If you got good fluid flow the cylinder and hose should be good. If you cannot get a hose on it, it will get messy for a full bleed. I wonder if you can get an extended bleeder? I think the size is 5/16x24
It's possible.
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If that bleeder valve is metric, it's possible the cylinder was made in China and drilled off target. It sure looks to be a different size than the other side....
I've done my share of brake bleeding and have a really nice, old Craftsman one man bleeder.
My problem is, if you can look at the photo, there is no room to open the bleeder on the left front side. The bleeder fitting is kissing the knuckle. The wheel cylinder is incorrect; the fitting should be at a 45 degree angle, this is at 0 degrees and butts up against the knuckle.
How did they EVER bleed the brakes?
I wonder, could I put it all back together and loosen the wheel cylinder bolts to give 1/4 inch and try to bleed?
I may throw in the towel here and do a Brake Max visit, or just save money for my frost disc conversion?
My problem is, if you can look at the photo, there is no room to open the bleeder on the left front side. The bleeder fitting is kissing the knuckle. The wheel cylinder is incorrect; the fitting should be at a 45 degree angle, this is at 0 degrees and butts up against the knuckle.
How did they EVER bleed the brakes?
I wonder, could I put it all back together and loosen the wheel cylinder bolts to give 1/4 inch and try to bleed?
I may throw in the towel here and do a Brake Max visit, or just save money for my frost disc conversion?
No one likes a quitter lol. Those brake cylinders are very inexpensive, I would get a new one and R & R.
Maybe replace the wheel cylinder. It's $16 plus tax, but I'm a stickler about throwing good money after bad and saving for my $700 disc conversion kit. Buying this car tapped me out badly.
Motorheads I work with simply say make a drain funnel out of aluminum foil, get a LARGE drain pan, fill the reservoir, and gravity bleed overnight.
Motorheads I work with simply say make a drain funnel out of aluminum foil, get a LARGE drain pan, fill the reservoir, and gravity bleed overnight.
I went through some of this with my 67 GTX with 11 inch police brakes. Finally turned the drums, new shoes, new cylinders, new brake hoses and voila - it stops. I have found with manual adjusters that you have to be really careful to adjust both sides as equally as you possibly can. Considering the problems with the brake bleeder valves I would replace the cylinders with some of known quality replacements as they are inexpensive.
Adjusting them is a mental headache because to tighten is down on one side and up on the other. Drives me crazy - make yourself a cheat sheet of which direction is tighten and loosen at each wheel position before you dive under the car. Unless you just have a real organized memory you will thank yourself for doing it. If you have had the drums off and haven't driven the car before attempting to adjust - drive the car forward and backwards a couple times while firmly applying the brakes to center the shoes before attempting to adjust.
If you have a local brake shop you might inquire if they still can arch shoes to fit drums. That would help - otherwise you just have to wear them in. My impression is finding this equipment is about like finding a SUN distributor machine anymore.
Adjusting them is a mental headache because to tighten is down on one side and up on the other. Drives me crazy - make yourself a cheat sheet of which direction is tighten and loosen at each wheel position before you dive under the car. Unless you just have a real organized memory you will thank yourself for doing it. If you have had the drums off and haven't driven the car before attempting to adjust - drive the car forward and backwards a couple times while firmly applying the brakes to center the shoes before attempting to adjust.
If you have a local brake shop you might inquire if they still can arch shoes to fit drums. That would help - otherwise you just have to wear them in. My impression is finding this equipment is about like finding a SUN distributor machine anymore.
miller
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Don't know if this helps, but adjusting those type brakes, wheels off the ground. Tighten the adjuster, until shoes are seated, wheel locked. Then, simply backing off the adjusters the same amount, by feeling the adjuster tabs against the spring, until the wheel turns free. That's how it was taught to me.
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this tool has helped me get close and then use the adjuster from there...
https://www.amazon.com/AMPRO-T71558...1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1485528753&sr=1-11
https://www.amazon.com/AMPRO-T71558...1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1485528753&sr=1-11
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Same here but after adjusting, take it out on a test drive and heat them up. They will usually have more drag after that and I like to back them off a bit more so that doesn't happen.
khryslerkid
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You could mark the knuckle where the bleeder is. Remove the wheel cylinder. Take a die grinder and remove enough material from the knuckle in that area for access to the bleeder.
That has been recommended by some of the motorheads here at work, but I think I'll just try to crack the bleeder one turn and see if it will gravity bleed into a foil funnel.
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