12 replies to this topic

[oli8925]

City
1992

I cannot for the life of me get the drums off! I didn't have a problem with my Mini that's a little older and has done 3x the miles, nor with my Viva that's nearly twice as old and has done twice the miles, but this Mini just seems to be stubborn!

Are there any tips for getting a drum off that just doesn't want to come off? I've slackened the shoes off (not that they needed it) and I've tapped 'persuasively' around the drum, I can't tug it any more else it will fall off the axle stands.

I've got pretty much all day tomorrow to try, but I need to check the cylinders in case they need renewing as I'm about to put new calipers on and re-bleed it all. Plus as said they desperately need adjusting so might as well check the shoes.

Any tips and hints would be great, as I'm all out of ideas and mojo at the moment. It's also given me a headache and I'm soaking went. Grrr!

[mk1leg]

Have you undone the Shoe ajusters fully as if the drums have never been off the drums them selves will have a ridge worn into them by the shoes and once you've undone the ajusters use a lump hammer and hit the drums a few times to centrilise the shoes and then they should be easy to remove...................good luck..................

Edited by mk1leg, 26 February 2011 - 05:37 PM.

[bmcecosse]

Assuming you have the screw out - and the handbrake off - just hammer harder...........

[oli8925]

Screw out and handbrake off, I did remember to do that much haven't taken the adjuster back fully as they were pretty seized themselves to begin with. Will give it another go tomorrow and pray for better weather and Thor's hammer! thanks

[oli8925]

Right got the drums off with a bit more force and persistence. N/S is all back together and adjusted up nicely, but O/S is constantly binding a lot, even with the adjuster taken right back. Master cylinder isn't leaking but is quite rusty, would this be my problem?

[tommy13]

Right got the drums off with a bit more force and persistence. N/S is all back together and adjusted up nicely, but O/S is constantly binding a lot, even with the adjuster taken right back. Master cylinder isn't leaking but is quite rusty, would this be my problem?

It will not be the master cylinder ( did you mean slave cylinder?). You have one or more of 4 problems,
Adjuster wedges siezed holding the adjustment on, (not common)
Slave cylinder piston(s) siezed,
Pivot on the handbrake mechanism siezed ( inside the drum)
Handbrake cable overadjusted.

[oli8925]

Yes sorry, the wheel cylinder not master cylinder. Long day.

1. Adjuster wedges aren't seized, they move freely.
2. Could be.
3. Handbrake mechanism seems to be ok, I've just replaced the shoes and it's not given me any problems.
4. How do I check if it is over adjusted? Is there a referencing position the shoes should sit at with the handbrake off?

[tommy13]

Yes sorry, the wheel cylinder not master cylinder. Long day.

1. Adjuster wedges aren't seized, they move freely.
2. Could be.
3. Handbrake mechanism seems to be ok, I've just replaced the shoes and it's not given me any problems.
4. How do I check if it is over adjusted? Is there a referencing position the shoes should sit at with the handbrake off?

This is the tricky bit, The handbrake adjustment should be off enough to allow the shoes to sit in the bottoms of the slots in the end of the slave cylinder pistons, when both pistons are pushed into the cylinder as far as they will go. Since the pistons are back to back inside , when you push one in the other comes out making it difficult to judge.
Best thing to do is make sure both pistons are free in the cylinder. Slacken off the handbrake cable adjuster. Fit the drum and adjust the shoes, then readjust the handbrake. Also make sure the handbrake quadrant is not sticking.

Edited by tommy13, 27 February 2011 - 05:12 PM.

[bmcecosse]

Good advice there ^^^^^ - you MUST slacken off the cable (and free off the lever mech inside and outside the drum) - fit shoes and drum - adjust up the shoes - and only then tighten up the cable(s) until the handbrake is as you like it.

[oli8925]

Thanks for the info, never knew. Been a horrible day, thawing out my feet as I type. The front piston of the cylinders had seized, so got a couple new ones and spent the last couple of hours arguing with the circlip and then the brake hose. Now got the other side to do serves me right for starting late. Hoping to have both rears done by the end of today and I'll do the calipers when I get a chance next

Motivation is hard to come by considering I don't even get to drive it. Bah.

[Abbot]

Just had this problem and i can confirm the answer is a lot of WD40 and a bigger hammer

[mbolt998]

To get my old and rusted ones off I made a "special tool" out of some 3/4" steel square bar I happened to have lying around (a friend bought it by mistake wanting tube :) I cut it at an angle so I had a sort of wedge and then thumped it in under the drum around the edge of the drive flange. This is much better than trying to hammer something in at the back because the backplate is very flimsy and will just bend. The end of the wedge became fairly bent but that was really a good thing because it helped get it in.

[gazza82]

Just had this problem and i can confirm the answer is a lot of WD40 and a bigger hammer

A proper penetrating fluid would have been better.