Feel like the McKenzie Brothers here; "Hello, today is Day?? of the 12 Days of my Brake Job", with appropriate background music and plenty of bacon and maple syrup washed down with a stein of beer.
So today, I got into the shop early; had visitors wanting to see a furnace that I have been wanting to sell as surplus. Took the opportunity to add some more paint to the first new brake drum and went back into the house for breakfast (Toast and Bacon, no syrup, no beer. Bother)
Returned to the shop and went to install the new drum and, uh-uh, no joy. Wanted to index in but.... Off came the drum and out came the work light. Bright light exposed the culprit, my old enemies crap and crud had built up a layer of sediment on the flange shoulder of the axle that had grown thick enough that the new tighter drum could not ease past it. Now where's my trusty Dremel tool?? Used a wire brush to scrub away the light and loose material and then went at it with a micro-flap wheel mounted to the Dremel. That took all the concretation off and got me back to bare metal. Quick test fit and badda-boom, in business. Slather a minimal coat of Never-seize on the shoulder as a rust deterrent and back on goes the drum. it will have to come off once more when I get to the part about adjusting the shoes but that comes later. On to the passenger side again.
Started by applying paint to the drum's perimeter flange as it get pelted by all the crap coming off the road. Left that to dry and moved on to the backing plate. Stuffed the new e-brake cable into its mounting hole. Back to the parts layout and decided to clean off the shoe frame mounting pins, you, know, those two skinny pins that come in from behind and have those two miserable springs hung on them that take so much sturm und drang to get to rotate into position? Yeah, those two.. Anyway, one cleaned up okay with a little sandpaper and a flash coat of black but pin two, the one for the trailing shoe, well that was another story. BENT. Could straighten it maybe but decided to give lads a call and see if the pins are offered as a solo part number. Come to find out that, Yes, they are actually offered as complete set of four. Boom, three bags full coming in for Tuesday. Distributor is not open for orders on Saturday, order goes in on Monday and mine on Tuesday.
And with that, the lights went out, the hands got washed, and I called it done for the day. The pace is slow but about what my bones and body is capable of tolerating right now so it works for me.
Nick
