frozen stars

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dingo
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frozen stars

Post by dingo » Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:28 pm

71: rear Drums do not come off, and stars are frozen solid. I have blasted PB for a week. One star on each side moves one click...thats it.
Any suggestions ? (Bus had been sitting for 15+ years)
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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wcfvw69
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Re: frozen stars

Post by wcfvw69 » Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:42 pm

drum puller might be your last resort. Sometimes the brake pads rust to the drums. The puller will break them loose.
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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asiab3
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Re: frozen stars

Post by asiab3 » Sun Mar 20, 2016 2:37 pm

Can you rock the car back and forth on its wheels to confirm the drums aren't frozen? If the drums are confirmed frozen, can you rock the car back and forth to unfreeze the drums? This will expedite removal, and greatly reduce the risk of a broken drum if you do end up using a puller.

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

cegammel
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Re: frozen stars

Post by cegammel » Sun Mar 20, 2016 3:47 pm

I learned a fun trick: remove the axle nuts. Jack up the opposite side of the car, leaving 3 wheels on the ground. Put axle nut back on, but only even with the end of the axle. Whack the frozen wheel on the point of the axle, thereby driving the weight of the car toward the uplifted opposite side of the vehicle, freeing the stuck hub. This worked on my beetle, when even a puller failed...I also demolished the bearing...so there's a caveat..

cegammel
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Re: frozen stars

Post by cegammel » Sun Mar 20, 2016 3:49 pm

Oh, and my stars were also locked up. I finally managed to turn them with vice grips after the hubs were off, ruining the ends of the stars. Everything cleaned up pretty well...considering.

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Amskeptic
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Re: frozen stars

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Mar 22, 2016 7:32 pm

dingo wrote:71: rear Drums do not come off, and stars are frozen solid. I have blasted PB for a week. One star on each side moves one click...thats it.
Any suggestions ? (Bus had been sitting for 15+ years)
I would not want to damage bearings or stub axles.

Assume that the brake shoes may have to be sacrificed here. Hit the adjusters with PB Blaster again. If the ebrake handle tightens up between 8 and 20 clicks, back off the ebrake cables until they are sloppy loose. Go to the cables under the spring plates and try to straighten the curves, this will help milk the ebrake levers backwards.
Get your largest drift punch and insert in the adjuster hole to squarely engage a BOTTOM tooth on the left or a TOP tooth on the right hole. This is important not to go in the wrong direction. Tap the drift punch many times with a wet application of PB Blaster then leave it for a day. The vibration of your hits will help the PB Blaster get up into the threads.

Next day, go for it. Do not let the drift slip. Whichever star lets go first, wins. Use it to back off the shoes enough to get the drum free.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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dingo
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Re: frozen stars

Post by dingo » Sat Mar 26, 2016 8:59 pm

Thanks !!...those tips worked well in combination on right rear..which has now been revived and refreshed.
Left rear: i didnbt get far because one of two small bolts holding drum on has head stripped..PB and vicegrip did not free it yet. Any suggestions to free it without decapitation (the bolt that is) ??
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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Amskeptic
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Re: frozen stars

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Mar 27, 2016 8:16 am

dingo wrote:Thanks !!...those tips worked well in combination on right rear..which has now been revived and refreshed.
Left rear: i didnbt get far because one of two small bolts holding drum on has head stripped..PB and vicegrip did not free it yet. Any suggestions to free it without decapitation (the bolt that is) ??
Decapitate it.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

cegammel
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Re: frozen stars

Post by cegammel » Sun Mar 27, 2016 1:05 pm

Once decapitated and the drum off, you may have enough nub to grab...

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Amskeptic
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Re: frozen stars

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:02 am

cegammel wrote:Once decapitated and the drum off, you may have enough nub to grab...

Leave it alone, It will be a headless locating dowel henceforth.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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asiab3
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Re: frozen stars

Post by asiab3 » Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:02 am

Amskeptic wrote:
cegammel wrote:Once decapitated and the drum off, you may have enough nub to grab...

Leave it alone, It will be a headless locating dowel henceforth.
Colin

I have just over 7,000 miles on my Jetta with an identical headless locating dowel. The lugs do all the work anyway. :pirate:

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

ainokea
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Re: frozen stars

Post by ainokea » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:10 am

Apply anti seize compound to the adjusting stars and threaded inserts on installation. Makes future brake adjustment much easier. Ainokea

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dingo
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Re: frozen stars

Post by dingo » Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:12 pm

headless locating dowel : aha ! that answers my question about functionality. Thanks !
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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dingo
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Re: frozen stars

Post by dingo » Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:10 pm

Managed to remove dowel with merciless beating and the jaws of a 1950s set of vicegrips. 'made in detroit' yeah.
Then much fookin aroond with screwdrivers until i decided to find an actual 'drift' and pound the adjuster stars into submission. Drift was key, especially since i never figured how the puller i ordered is supposed to work. It looks identical to one in Bentleys: 3 footed kind....but this seems to have nothing to do with pulling a drum..is this for early bay only ?

Anyways, adjusted e-brake. DONE
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

" Fill what's empty, empty what's full, and scratch where it itches."

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Amskeptic
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Re: frozen stars

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:21 pm

dingo wrote:
never figured how the puller i ordered is supposed to work. It looks identical to one in Bentleys: 3 footed kind....but this seems to have nothing to do with pulling a drum..is this for early bay only ?
Ayep. These composite drums, if they need a pull, you remove the hub/drum combination and press the drum off the studs.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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