1973 Westy - Brake Adjusters

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dingo
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1973 Westy - Brake Adjusters

Post by dingo » Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:04 pm

Still cant get my left rear drum off. It waggles a tiny bit so it cant be rusted on.

My 1973 manual says to release the shoes from drums, up in front and down in back......is this correct for 75 model too?


by the way trying to get drum off so i can get to the rusted adjusters. I have PB blasted them to hell...and pounding with hammer and screwdriver has budged them slightly, although now heavily mangled
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

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

vdubyah73
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Post by vdubyah73 » Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:20 pm

You can crack open the bleeder valve and see if you can collapse the wheel cylinder enough to let the shoes clear the ridge that is worn on the edge of the drum.
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DjEep
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Post by DjEep » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:26 pm

When I took Franklin's drums off, it took about an hour straight of wiggling and tapping. No brakes? No breaks!
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dingo
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Post by dingo » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:28 pm

vdubyah73 wrote:You can crack open the bleeder valve and see if you can collapse the wheel cylinder enough to let the shoes clear the ridge that is worn on the edge of the drum.
ah the bleeder..good idea. thx.
'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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Post by Amskeptic » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:41 pm

dingo wrote:
vdubyah73 wrote:You can crack open the bleeder valve and see if you can collapse the wheel cylinder enough to let the shoes clear the ridge that is worn on the edge of the drum.
ah the bleeder..good idea. thx.
Back off the ebrake cables too. I have had good luck with a flat end round drift and a hammer to give the stars a good dead-on hit in the correct direction as stated below:

To Loosen: move adjuster wheels counter-clockwise as they face the anchor, i.e. screwdriver handle DOWN on left hole, UP on right.

To Tighten:
left is UP with the screwdriver handle (i.e. adjuster wheel teeth will go down past the hole) and the right is DOWN.
Colin
(edited 01/12 thank-you dingo)
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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Post by dingo » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:57 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
dingo wrote:
vdubyah73 wrote:You can crack open the bleeder valve and see if you can collapse the wheel cylinder enough to let the shoes clear the ridge that is worn on the edge of the drum.
ah the bleeder..good idea. thx.
Back off the ebrake cables too. As you look at the adjuster holes, doesn't matter which wheel, the hole to your left is up with the screwdriver handle (i.e. adjuster wheel teeth will go down past the hole) and the right hole is the opposite. I have had good luck with a flat end round drift and a hammer to give the stars a good dead-on hit in the correct direction as stated above, to help them move.
Colin
it seems to be the reverse of stated above: left side, to release: teeth go UP past the hole i.e. gizmo tightens on thread and thus compress inward
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

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

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chitwnvw
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Post by chitwnvw » Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:40 pm

Both of my buses have a 'flattened' end of the oval that you access the star adjusters. Where some gorrilla pried them with a screwdriver. Makes it easy for me to tell which way to go, though.

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dingo
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Post by dingo » Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:41 pm

chitwnvw wrote:Both of my buses have a 'flattened' end of the oval that you access the star adjusters. Where some gorrilla pried them with a screwdriver. Makes it easy for me to tell which way to go, though.
mine are mangled beyond recognition..tired of dicking with it..time has come to break out the Dremel wheels and start cutting...then put a nice stainless access plate for future adjusting
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

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

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chitwnvw
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Post by chitwnvw » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:12 pm

dingo wrote:... put a nice stainless access plate for future adjusting
LOL.

I know how you feel.

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dingo
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Post by dingo » Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:17 pm

haha...stainless is awesome stuff...ill post pic. when im 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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dingo
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Post by dingo » Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:07 am

well i dremel as big a hole as i could but still cant get vicegrips on the bastard. Starnut is moving in its socket,since the nut moives exactly 1.5 stars in either direction but thats all. Unglaublich !!!

I would dremel thru the bolt itself..but only have two spares...and still the other wheel to deal with
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

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

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chitwnvw
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Post by chitwnvw » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:52 pm

Can you get it heated?

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Ritter
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Post by Ritter » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:15 pm

dingo wrote:I would dremel thru the bolt itself..but only have two spares...and still the other wheel to deal with
I bet that if you totally release one shoe (dremel one bolt per side), it would allow you to get the drum off. Then you'd have one bolt to replace on each wheel.
1978 Westfalia 2.0 FI

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dingo
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Post by dingo » Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:57 pm

yeah, i was thinking about some heat...Mapp or propane torch..

Pass. side has same situation...one star barely moves, the other frozen solid. This time i DID get the drum off.....tried a vice-grip and hammer on the frozen nut, but succeeded only in shearing the stars off. This one has movement on the thread, but Nut is frozen in the socket.
'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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Post by dingo » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:56 pm

thought i might remove the whole adjuster unit..but the two bolts are hidden behind the wheel hub flange..so much for that idea

tried to dremel thru frozen adjuster bolt....the cutting wheels kept shattering..resorted to hacksaw blade held by vice-grip....finally freed that sucker !! Now i have all four adjusters turning smoothly, although pass. side will have to be a 'drum-off' adjustment due to stars being 'nubs'
'71 Kombi, 1600 dp

';78 Tranzporter 2L

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

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