Fix It Again Tony.

[F Body]

Well after posting last week that I seem to be fixing something every month on our Fiat Panda, as the mileage heads towards 100k, it's broken again

Monday night Management said " Oh I meant to tell you that there is a red warning light on the dashboard "

It was the brake warning light, which conveniently is separate to the ABS warning light on this car

Checked the handbrake and that was fine, opened the brake reservoir to find it half empty

Filled it up and the light went out, it was raining, so I went for a test drive and the brakes seemed fine

Told Management to keep an eye on the level and planned to have a good look over the brake system at the weekend.
However she phoned me this afternoon and said that light is back on again. I told her to stop driving it because it could run out of fluid

A check underneath the car tonight quickly revealed that the rear nearside drum was in a technical term "pissing out" brake fluid



The piston front seal is gushing out brake fluid, in all the cars I've owned I've never had one leak so badly, so quickly



The piston is toast and so are the brake shoes, it ain't gonna cost a lot to fix, may be £30 - £40 but the shoe springs are a pain in the arse to get back on and it means a full system bleed in the dark

[F Body]

Quoting: F Body

but the shoe springs are a pain in the arse to get back on

Top tip, take photos of the springs so that you know exactly which hole they mount into and which way round the springs go

[FUBAR]

Quoting: F Body

Top tip, take photos of the springs so that you know exactly which hole they mount into and which way round the springs go

Indeed, last time I/we did this (On dean's Camaro) thats exactly what we did, proved to be essential.

[philoldsmobile]

drum brakes can be a nightmare, the real surprise is the amount of cars they are still fitted on....

[F Body]

I checked the F Body parts store ( aka the old Kids Play House ) at 5am this morning and I have :

1.5 litres of new Brake fluid

A set of worn rear brake shoes ( if I can't get replacements today )

Just need to see if anyone has a rear brake cylinder in stock today

[art b]

its funny how rear wheel cylinders go... the rear brakes on most cars do diddley compared to the fronts,
we just changed some on a ''fiends'' car they were cheap as chips but a pain to feck about pulling huge springs back on..

[F Body]

Quoting: F Body

Just need to see if anyone has a rear brake cylinder in stock today

Unipart Luton , picking it up at lunchtime £13.92p

No one has the shoes in stock, so I'll use the old spare ones for a while

[Jamieg285]

Quoting: F Body

but the shoe springs are a pain in the arse to get back on

Top tip two:  Get a drum brake spring tool (or find a local friend who has one )

After hours (OK, slight exaggeration) of struggling with screw drivers and pliers, it took 2 goes and just 10 seconds to put the new springs on with the right tool.

[Motorama]

You are gonna check the other side?

[F Body]

Quoting: F Body

Unipart Luton , picking it up at lunchtime £13.92p

Or may be not, they rang me at 12:00pm to say the cylinder had been delivered......................

to the Watford branch

Should be there tonight

Quoting: Jamieg285

After hours (OK, slight exaggeration) of struggling with screw drivers and pliers, it took 2 goes and just 10 seconds to put the new springs on with the right tool.

Indeed I had one of those special little screw drivers for resecuring the spring loaded locking pins, but lent it to someone and never got it back ( Not Jamie )

Quoting: Motorama

You are gonna check the other side?

Yes if I get time tonight, if not at the weekend

[Roadkill]

I actually find drums quite easy to deal with these days . . . . . Still not a fan, but don't avoid them like I used to.

For the cost I'd opt for all new springs and hardware - makes the job much more pleasant.

[philoldsmobile]

rear discs aren't always much fun either, as the calliper pistons don't just push in, they have to be rewound. This can be bloody hard work.

[Andy]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

rear discs aren't always much fun either, as the calliper pistons don't just push in, they have to be rewound. This can be bloody hard work.

Found this on my car when I changed mine, the best tip anyone gave me, was flat screwdriver in the piston groove and wind, just don't catch the gaiter.

[philoldsmobile]

if anyone ever needs it, i have a 22 piece piston rewind kit.