Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:16:47 -0400
Reply-To: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject: Re: another brake saga...aha!
In-Reply-To: <20090328140832.9ADB21E8167@tc2.main.nc.us>
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I got out my the old wheel cylinder that was not leaking. I had
thrown away the one that was leaking. The old one appears to be OEM,
may be original. The difference between this one and the FLAPS one I
bought is that the OEM one has little clips in the slot that engages
the shoe. This holds the piston out against the shoe. Re-bled that
wheel cylinder, adjusted the brake shoes, now I've got a nice firm
pedal that doesn't become soft after a few minutes as that piston
drifts back into the cylinder. I still have to take a test drive so
success is tentative.
Tips I learned in this process so far: You can change the cylinder
without taking the shoes off. Adjust the brake shoe adjuster all the
way out. Remove the bleeder from the cylinder, disconnect brake
line, unbolt the cylinder and it comes out. When adjusting the rear
brakes, I raise both rear wheels and take off the wheels. Adjust,
pump brakes, adjust, pump brakes, etc. Then I start the engine and
put it in gear so the rear hubs spin. Step on brakes a few
times. Put in reverse, repeat. I think this helps center the shoes
better because in regular use the shoes are pressing against rotating
drums, not ones that are still. I then turn off the engine and can
usually adjust the shoes out a little further.
Edward
At 10:07 AM 3/28/2009, Edward Maglott wrote:
>David,
>I'm gong to look at that. These are FLAPS wheel cylinders, so I am
>suspicious of their quality. I talked to the automotive instructors
>at the community college I work at. They've seen a lot but were
>puzzled by these symptoms, except for the possibility that the
>cylinder was defective. They mentioned the spring(s) inside. I'm
>going to pull out the old leaking one and take it apart and see
>what's inside.
>
>Edward
>
>At 09:17 AM 3/28/2009, David Milo wrote:
>>Now that I'm thinking about this, I'm fairly certain that the last
>>pair of rear wheel cylinders I installed had coil springs inside to
>>keep the pistons out; the rubber boots kept the pistons from falling
>>out completely.
>>
>>Does you old cylinder have the springs inside?
>>
>>Dave
>>
>>On Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Edward Maglott
>><<mailto:emaglott@buncombe.main.nc.us>emaglott@buncombe.main.nc.us> wrote:
>>I can add some additional info to my saga now. (I have the
>>previously mentioned videos posted
>>at:
>><http://www.youtube.com/user/emaglott>http://www.youtube.com/user/emaglott
>>watch the piston on the
>>right side.)
>>I hooked up my pressure bleeder and put about 10psi on the
>>system. The piston stayed out against the shoe. when I open the
>>bleeder valve, the piston moves back into the cylinder away from the
>>shoe. Close the bleeder, it moves back out. I was still suspicious
>>of the boot so I pulled it back, sort of inside out on the
>>piston. Then the piston stayed out when I opened the bleeder valve
>>on the cylinder. Then I took off the pressure bleeder and it still
>>stayed out, even when I opened the bleeder valve. When I put the
>>boot back in place, it went back to its old habit of pulling back
>>into the cylinder. So I'm pretty sure it has something to do with
>>the dust boot (ha ha). I'm gong to take off the cylinder and put my
>>old one back on (the one that wasn't leaking yet) and see if I get my
>>nice firm pedal back.
>>
>>Edward
>>
>>
>>
>>
>><Snip>
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