Leaking cylinder!...Rear brake rejuvenation

[PICTUP]

I finally got around to investigating the leak in my rear brake cylinder in my 70 Single Cab. When I got the hub off using the 46mm nut tool and the small sledge off came the drum and this is what I was met with. A bit of a rusty mess and you can see where the cylinder at the top has been leaking. The rustiness of all the parts led me into a bigger job than I anticipated:





Once pulled apart with all the bolts out and the cylinder etc off, I decided to go the next step and take the backing plate off. There is a dowel fixed in the bearing carrier and it pins the lower star adjuster thru the backing plate. It isn't the easiest to get these pieces apart, but after looking on the samba it seemed the best way was to soak the mess in Moove It and try to start wriggling them free. I found a clamp to be just the ticket to getting everything moving and provide a way of pulling. Prying just didn't seem to be the way to go, but the clamp did indeed do the trick.









Before everything could totally come apart I had to get the keeper off the hand brake cable. I found no mention of this keeper anywhere in any of my manuals. I ended up breaking one and having to make a replacement





In fact I made 2 just in case

[PICTUP]

Next step was to bead blast the backing plate. Having friends with such equipment opens a whole new realm of time I can spend fussing with parts But it is all good and the results are great!



Then paint. Just rattle can engine enamel, but hopefully one day I can get some sort of small painting area set up so I can spray catalyzed paint( Yes it is a pic of the other side's brakes, just use your imagination, or hold your screen up to a mirror )



Bearing holder/carrier painted and sealant applied to everything but the pin, which needs never-seize



When the backing plate goes on do NOT attempt to pull it home with the bolts! I tried and it does NOT WORK. In fact it created a real mess and I had to start over, goop and all. Yuck!! Instead use some sort of block hammer combo(or just a hammer if you aren't trying to avoid knocking all the new paint off ) to drive it home. I put the stars in for support on the cast piece, but it probably wasn't that necessary. I used a wooden handled wire brush because it was handily in front of me.



Then reassemble everything without scratching all the new paint off. When the cylinders eventually leak again(which is hopefully a long time from now) it will melt the paint off, but it looks good now




Upon closer inspection my brakes were bad both sides. One side had a leaky cylinder, the other had a frozen(rusty) piston in one cylinder. A good example of why you always do both sides, unless you are on a budget from hell. Even then, is it worth it on something as important as brakes?




Now that I have bled all the old dirty brake fluid out and the rears are operating good I have found the fronts need attention as soon as I can find my way clear.

[Brenticon]

WOW, looks new. Now just remember .... 
"Don't use the brakes! They'll get dirty!"
sorry, couldn't resist, they look great and nice post.

[busaddict]

Most shops don't repair brakes with such detail, although one garage did repaint my valve covers black once Paint isn't just for looks, it'll protect from that nasty crusty surface rust that can get into your brake linings. Fine work Don, maybe you should add brakes to your resto repertoire if you haven't already.