rear drum off, accidentally pressed brakes, drum won't go back on

[paradigm]

You're basically doing all the right things, you're just doing it the hard way.

Once the Pistons come out on the wheel cylinder the first thing you have to do is push those back in and the only proper way to do that is to crack the bleeder screw. Once you have those pushed in close the screw. Until those reset, nothing else will reset. Noticed the one lever that is red holding the lever for the ratchet? If that falls off, then your star adjuster will not work.

Once everything is reset, adjust the star adjuster until the drum just drags over the shoes. Put the rim and tire back on and button it up. Go find a large empty parking lot and driving in reverse, with a little bit of speed, stab the brakes. Do that repeatedly probably about 10 times.

That will automatically adjust your shoes to where they need to be. It is impossible to over adjust, because that is the purpose of the ratchet lever that will not allow the star adjuster to over adjust.

After you do that and if you have a spongy pedal that means you have air in the line. The obvious solution to that is to jack it back up, pull the rim and tire, and bleed the brakes. After that you should be fine.

I will try this too.

I somehow feel however the proportion valve is the culprit and somehow needs to be reset?

 

[paradigm]

I think he thinks it HAS to sit on the gear edge all the time. as we know it does not. as the shoes wear and it extends further out the actuating lever will ride up on the gear and eventually catch a gear spoke and cause it to move

Okay so it doesn't always sit on a gear edge and could slide off of it?

 

[78Delta88]

For just the pistons coming out, shouldn't affect the valve.

Maybe if massive leak like burst hose or broken line, yet for your minor issue, valve should be fine.

If concerned you could check valve and use the tool. Yet, master cylinder, front calipers, proportioning valve should not be affected per your description.

 

[78Delta88]

Tool...

 

[SS_Malibu]

I will try this too.

I somehow feel however the proportion valve is the culprit and somehow needs to be reset?

In all the years I've had drum brakes I've never had to mess with the proportioning valve, Ever. Simply adjusting and proper bleeding have always fixed the issue. Most all of us on this forum have hit the brakes with the drum off at least once and the fix is adjustment and maybe bleeding the brake system. It is as simple as that. Do not overthink the issue.

 

[spongbob]

I had to hit the front shoe and rear shoe downwards to get them back onto the anchor pin at the top center.

The rod that you are speaking of with the spring on one end fell out, and I had to put it back in, making sure the end with the smaller gap had the spring and fixed back onto the front shoe, and the wider end gap was sitting on both the parking brake and the rear shoe.

I removed the self adjusting mechanism and tightened it, making it smaller and put it back in. I got the drum back on, but now the car has very little braking pressure. I will need to try and bleed the system - how to bleed from the rear drums? Or should I find a bleeder screw in the front disc and bleed the entire system through that?

See below for the self adjusting ratcheting system I reinstalled:
You can't bleed rear from any front bleeder on the adjust ment point see that with new brakes

the initial adjust meat should be about 1/8 too 3/16"(several threads) apart from being all the way in ( shortened) yeah the strut often has to be checked ...as far as bleeding it's recomeded to start at the right side then move to the left ....but I found that either side works...if you do it right of course be aware not to depresses the brake pedal to hard ( stomp) while bleeding . With 2 people get 1 to push the peddle down till it stops while he's pushing have the bleeder open when he get it down he/ she says down "...you then put your finger over the end of the open bleeder zirk and say up "..but wait 2 seconds for bubbles to rise and then" call out down"... .This cycle continues adding fluid at some middle point say 10 pumps ect.so reservoir dosnt such air when you got a steady squirt of fluid on down cycle no bubbles then close the bleeder with a wrench not to tight and do the other side of axle remember proubly don't bleed them with drum off car. If you only worked on 1 wheel sometimes you just bleed that side and check them. The adjustment sprocket should be adjusted untill if your turning the wheel ( by hand axle side jacked off ground in neutral other tires scotched) untill the new brakes are rubbing some as it will wear in fast and be loose after a few miles...it's takes a few miles to weather the new brakes in untill they do just be carful thanks 😊 there are other methods ( of bleeding) I am describing this one way as a general suggestion..that is likely to work( providing the proportioner is not switch to block the flow)..and there are multiple threads lol..
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