BUILD THREAD '78 Cutlass Supreme Lichen Edition

[doood]

Rotors are pretty crusty, would be a good idea to turn them.

Your previous caliper wasn't resetting properly and you can see that in the rear facing is thinner than the front. With the new calipers, the issue should resolve.

There's contention on grease or no grease... I always used a little bit (sparingly) of 500°F wheel bearing grease on the pins and any place the caliper slides on the mounting bracket. Also always repack wheel bearing at every brake change.

Ok. Will do - I want to do a good job, so that wheel coming back off.

 

[doood]

So add new booster to the list of sh*t that should take an hour, but takes me four hours to figure out that I need to clearance the hole in the plunger to fit the pin on the brake pedal. Maybe that tight slip fit was easy to install in the factory, but it had me questioning my faith on my back upside down in the foot well with seat bracket studs in my kidneys.

I have no idea what this vacuum line was attached to. Can someone help me identify where this black rubber hose that comes through the firewall In the pedal box is for?

 

[pagrunt]

I'd say that's a vaccuum line for the cruise contol vacuum switch that would of been mounted abouve the brake light switch.

 

[Sweet_Johnny]

I'd say that's a vaccuum line for the cruise contol vacuum switch that would of been mounted abouve the brake light switch.

Can confirm, just changed mine.

 

[doood]

The brake drum won't come off with all the pounding with a 4lb hammer.

Can I use a wheel puller on this? What to do? The axel spins with trans in neutral; it isn't the shoes holding it up.

 

[Sweet_Johnny]

If they're not simply stuck due to rust then I bet there's a nice little ridge on the very rear lip of those drums that's catching on the shoes. If memory serves correctly there's a slot that allows access to the adjusting "spur" inside the drums that can be tightened or loosened by using a flat-head screwdriver to turn the spur wheel one click at a time.

I remember a mechanic once telling me that they automatically tighten every time the car reversed X amount of feet. So the shoes are adjusted correctly and not dragging but since they don't contact the entire "face" of the drums it allows that ridge to form- just like ridge ring in an engine cylinder.

If it makes you feel any better, mine are stuck too but are aluminum so a hammer may not even get tried. I also haven't messed with drum brakes in quite a while, and they were never my forte to begin with so I hope I'm not giving bad information.

 

[78Delta88]

Do you have a torch? Even a inexpensive plan or MAPP will work.

Don't worry about the ridge. Heat the drum in between the studs. Hammer there to break it loose. Put the lug nuts back on the studs before hammering to protect the threads.

 

[78Delta88]

Do you have air hammer?

Attached are some examples of pullers sold today.

But as you will note they are not cheap.

The OTC is probably the best one, but note the price. Not something you really want unless you want to start a brake shop.

 

[78Delta88]

You've been driving the car, so I guess the drum rotates and is not locked??

 

[doood]

If they're not simply stuck due to rust then I bet there's a nice little ridge on the very rear lip of those drums that's catching on the shoes. If memory serves correctly there's a slot that allows access to the adjusting "spur" inside the drums that can be tightened or loosened by using a flat-head screwdriver to turn the spur wheel one click at a time.

I remember a mechanic once telling me that they automatically tighten every time the car reversed X amount of feet. So the shoes are adjusted correctly and not dragging but since they don't contact the entire "face" of the drums it allows that ridge to form- just like ridge ring in an engine cylinder.

If it makes you feel any better, mine are stuck too but are aluminum so a hammer may not even get tried. I also haven't messed with drum brakes in quite a while, and they were never my forte to begin with so I hope I'm not giving bad information.

Very good info. My friend just told me to try to back off the adjuster. I didn't know I could access the internals at all.