Rear Drum Brake Service

Too late!

And I found that the anti-seize stuff I had used years back was the regular, silver-colored stuff, not the copper-based high temp stuff.  My bad, I guess.

I cleaned everything up and used a thread-cleaner on everything (10mm X 1.5, if you're interested) to make it all happy again.  BTW, if you're messing with drum brakes, the slotted-head bolt that is the adjuster has an angled slot in it - it only properly fits one way.  You'll see when you look closely that it has a top and bottom.   And there may or may not be a "Brass Thingie" in there  - If there is one, don't mess with it.

I came in for lunch and found no replies (it's Memorial Day, after all) so went ahead and applied a very light film of "Magna-Lube" teflon-based grease.  It's a very pretty Emerald green - Very Irish, I thought.  The tube says it's good to 2000F and turns to liquid at 375F so that's what I'm using.  I doubt these drums are ever gonna see that kind of temperature.

As long as it comes apart in another eight years, I'm all set!

Now to get my 6' hunk of pipe out to crank up the hub nuts!

I often thought of open gear grease it stays on, it seems forever, but your idea seems like it will do for sure.

I find myself these days if I am not using a car, and I work on it, removing stuff and soaking the parts in rust converters, and then giving them fresh protection with clear or other antirust substance like paint, etc  

I have even soaked a disc brake in it... works wonders. 

@Gordon Nichols posted:

 

...Ideas?

The song Wildwood Flower... comes to mind when I see those. 

Must have been the salt air down in SC that messed you up Gordon. 

I adjusted and replaced all 4 drum shoes about 8 years ago. I put plain old silver never-seize on the adjusters then and they're still free. I'll still keep using it.

Dan, the metal parts were not rusted or corroded.  They looked like the Anti-Seize just got solid over time with whatever heat there was in there.  Grab the star wheel with small waterpump pliers and rock it a bit and they freed up but were still stiff.

But What'cha-gonna-do?  Every 8 years just pull the drums off (they look great, btw), clean stuff up and put it all back.  What could have been an hour job turned into an afternoon, but what the heck else have I got to do, right?   

You got that right. No need to complain, you just got blessed with something to DO! 

Something to do is GREAT right now!

I hear yah.   K. has a doctor's appointment in Providence later this morning and I mentioned that we could bring a lunch and go over to see the old Rhode Island house.  Maybe sit on Fogland Beach for lunch. The reply was:  "I don't think so......    Where we gonna go to the bathroom?"

One of the  top thread drifts from "Rear Brakes" to.... "Where are we going to go to the bathroom" ? Bwwwhaahaaa!

Only in 'Murica........