jvandyke

Since there isn't a FSM for '82, just '80 and '83 (doubt it matters much) I need to double check:
'82 rear drum, remove rubber plug from back of brake plate, spin some little star wheel thing in there.
Only plug I find is about 1/2" diameter and if there's a star thingy behind it, I can't see it.
This is the right procedure for this year right?

Anyway, pulled drums to see what's up, left side was dripping wet.

jvandyke

With drum off, can see star wheel. How the heck you're supposed to turn that from the back side when up against brake lines and mounting hardware, I have no idea, can't even turn it from the front side. Hmmm Massive amounts of brake cleaner yesterday. Put big clamp over shoes and pumped brakes, could not make cylinder leak. Gunna try to adjust again.

rwatson5651

iTrader: (5)

If you clamp the shoes down it may not leak. The leak may not happen until the shoes move out like they would under normal braking.

Afterthought:
Was the wetness brake fluid?

jvandyke

I think it was brake fluid, could have been from the axle too I guess, I just assumed it was brake fluid. Good point. Hmmmmmm

sneezix

I have an '82 FSM.

jvandyke

I mean the digital freebie version.

sneezix

Ah. I was wondering. I don't have one of those. :-D

jvandyke

For the record, the plug for the adjuster is at 12 o'clock and virtually useless as it is buried. I couldn't finagle a tool in there, let alone tell what I was doing with it, nor even come close to seeing what I was doing. The other plug at about 2 o'clock is the one you're supposed to be able to use to push on a lever to release the adjuster to allow it spin the other way to loosen the shoes after you went too far tightening them. I think. I didn't get very far adjusting. I played with them from the front with the drums off and they don't want to turn either way. They likely haven't been messed with in a long long time. FSM says "move the star wheel forward", looks like star wheel is female and thus moving it 'forward" is unscrewing it from male threaded section of the rod, lengthening it thus pushing shoes outward, tightening. Working from outside with drum off, you'd try to spin the wheel "down", if trying through the inaccessible hole in the backing plate, you'd turn it "up". Still not sure if it's brake fluid or differential oil that was in there. I put it all back together to drive a bit then see what fluid is back there. High tech this isn't, is it?

coldy13

The diff oil will be really slimy and hard to clean off, brake fluid will feel more like water and clean off easy with some brake clean. Also if the axle seals are leaking the fluid will come from the bottom of the axle. If it's just a very small brake leak the easiest way to tell is to peel back the rubber boots on the wheel cylinder and if it's wet at all in there, you need new wheel cylinders.

The adjuster wheels like to seize up after a while, take it apart and break it loose then cover the threads in anti-seize. If there's not a big rust lip on the drums you can adjust it tight enough before you slide the drum back on. If there's a big rust lip or fluid has soaked them you should get them turned or new drums and shoes.

jvandyke

Pulled rears apart, replaced leaky cylinder and free-d up adjusters. Left side is reverse threaded so cancels out some theories above, both sides lengthen the adjuster (tighten up) as you spin the wheel "up" (as viewed from the back side of the backing plate, which you can't use to adjust them, IMHO). We adjusted from the front (outboard) with the drum off, spun the wheel "down" with a screwdriver reaching in past the hub and spring, put drum on, if it wouldn't go on then loosened adjuster (spinning it the other way) until drum would just go on and rubbed slightly when spun. All seems well. E brake tighter, pedal travel much nicer, overall improvement. Not too bad especially with a helper (to get springs back together). At one point me and two sons were fighting to get the top spring back on. Found a good method and went smoothly. (used a screwdriver to leverage the spring end close to hole in shoe, leveraged against the rim of the hub, other son then pushed the end of the spring (with tip of big screw driver) into the hole in the shoe while son #2 held the shoes still). No idea how you'd do that with one guy and two hands.

coldy13

They make a few special tools just for the springs on drum brakes, but I've always done them with needle nose vice grips, pliers, and a flathead screwdriver, strong hands and fingers help a lot. The special hook tool is nice for pulling the springs off, but a good pair of needle nose vice grips is the easiest way for me to get them back on. I've also found pliers work better than the real tool for the hold down springs. The only drum brakes that the real tools help much on is the ones with the springs that hook onto a pin above the wheel cylinder, but even those aren't much harder with just vice grips and a screwdriver.