Brake wheel cylinder problem...and question

[B-Doon]

so, I'm finishing up my 4speed transplant, and i get to the part where I need to bleed the new slave cylinder. THe fluid is brown so Idecided to flush the entire system....now, I've got a bavauto brake bleeder, so I start with the rt rear wheel, and what do you know, I break off the bleeder nipple.....so now I suppose I need new wheel cylinders for the rear end?

Can someone tell be what to buy? Parts, and tools necessary, should I also replace the rear brake pads??? I'm not going to screw with dismantling everything to see what I need. I want to buy it all and return the unused stuff....I want to buy this stuff and have it expidited here so I can get this thing on the road!!!

Thanks,

Brian

72 inka

[Napes]

If it were me, I'd at least pull the brake drum and check the condition of the shoes and drum itself. If your shoes have more than 150K miles they could probably stand to be replaced. Only way I know of to check the drums is to caliper the inside diameter to see if it exceeds 231 mm. I've had trouble finding someone w/ a caliper that big, but if you can get to a brake replacement shop (Midas, etc.) they should be able to check it for you. I'd check AutoHausAZ for parts -it's where I got my last pair of drums, and, I think, purchases over $50 are shipped free, a good deal if you need drums, 'cause they're heavy, Man.

Bob Napier

Before attempting to pull off the drum loosen (way up) the e-brake adjustment nuts in the cockpit. Also, back-off. the shoe adjusters. Without doing these 2 simple things getting the drum off can be a PITA.

[winstontj]

so, I'm finishing up my 4speed transplant, and i get to the part where I need to bleed the new slave cylinder. THe fluid is brown so Idecided to flush the entire system....now, I've got a bavauto brake bleeder, so I start with the rt rear wheel, and what do you know, I break off the bleeder nipple.....so now I suppose I need new wheel cylinders for the rear end?

Can someone tell be what to buy? Parts, and tools necessary, should I also replace the rear brake pads??? I'm not going to screw with dismantling everything to see what I need. I want to buy it all and return the unused stuff....I want to buy this stuff and have it expidited here so I can get this thing on the road!!!

Thanks,

Brian

72 inka

Brain,

Rear brakes are like that... It's important to use the boxed end of a 7 or 8mm wrench to bleed. Now that you've busted things up take off the complete rear shoes (the pads) and all the springs, hardware, etc for a full rear brake rebuild. Make sure your adjusters are loose, or else use a torch and PB Blast/pipe wrench/vice grips and loosten them. Wheel cylinders are held in with two 10mm bolts. When you order new cylinders make sure to get the bolts too as old ones may be crappy. Just unbolt and replace. It can be easier to just brake off the hard steel line and the bleeder and replace those parts all together. Order new steel lines just incase they brake. Do you have a set of metric flare wrenches? If not time to invest in them... you'll never strip a brake line again!

This is very straight forward. Just replace everything that breaks up to and including flex lines. Again sometimes it's easier to just cut. You can torch the wheel cylinders if need be to loosen up the 10mm bolts

[scottt]

You may find the flare nut on the steel line is siezed to the line itself, if you try to turn the nut, you'll twist the line and ruin it. It may be easier to unbolt the cylinder from the backing plate, pull it away from the backing plate. This will pull the end of the steel line through the hole in the back plate, hold on to the flare nut and turn the wheel cylinder to unscrew it from the line. The nut will usually free up once the cyl is off.

Good luck.

[B-Doon]

I decided to call bavauto to get new rear wheel cylinders this afternoon....guess who answered the phone?.... Scott, from the post above. I did not know who it was or that he worked for bavauto.., but he asked if I was B-Doon, and I was caught off guard at first that he knew my faq screen name....anyway the parts are ordered, and this 2 month 4 speed swap turned clutch/flywheel/rear main seal/rear brakes/god knows what else fix is almost over....assuming it runs when I put the key in it....

thanks scott! and tom! and everyone else!!!

Brian

72inka

[Mike Self]

1. You may be able to salvage the old wheel cylinder now that it's off the car--remove innards, heat bleeder nipple area with a propane torch and use a screw extractor to try and remove...or just throw away

2. Use stainless steel 6mm bolts (hdwre store has 'em) when you mount the new wheel cylinders. They'll always come loose.

3. If your brake shoe adjusters are stuck, heat and lube as previously posted, but use the vice grips/pipe wrench on the adjuster peg inside the backing plate; that way you won't round off the adjuster bolt

well, one more: check your e-brake cable carefully right at the end where it hooks onto the brake shoe--if it's frayed, now is the time to replace it.

have fun...I sure did!

mike