Drum brake job - 1993 Ford E-350

[Gary68]

I'm lost -- what am I heating?

Tom

nothing,i believe the wheel cylinder will come out once unbolted,no need to remove that center bolt,on the brake line,the compression nut is made of soft metal so if you use a normal open end wrench they like to strip,but thats the 3/8 if you have the 1/2 a normal open end wrench should be ok

 

[Vagabound]

Okay, my last status post was too long and complicated, so I'll try to sum up so I can move forward.

I think this is a time that I'm forced to admit that I got in over my head on this brake job. No way to know that in advance really because I had done a few brake jobs years ago and they all were fine. This is horse of a different color due to age of the vehicle, type of brake design, etc.

In any case, for reasons I've explained and others I haven't, what I need now is to find a reputable shop that can jump in and finish this job. I imagine that will require changing the wheel/brake cylinders, maybe repairing the brake lines, adjusting the emergency brake and regular brakes, and bleeding the system.

I'm looking for any recommendations or information about places that might be able to do this competently and fairly.

I'm in Glenwood Springs, Colorado now and I'm not very familiar with this place or the wider area. The only places that come up locally seems to be Midas or the Ford dealership. Avoiding dealerships is usually a great idea unless you're a masochist. As for Midas, the reviews online include a lot of really bad ones. I seem to recall that although Midas once had a good reputation, even some years ago they had already slid downhill.

The next largest city is Grand Junction, Colorado. They probably have more choices. I noticed a place there called Brakes Plus. They are a privately owned chain in a few western states.

If anybody has information about those places or others, or any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[jonsun]

ohh come on you got this far. It's two bolts and the line bolt. you got this. bottle of propane is about a couple bucks plus the torch head unit them crusty old bolts will come right out.

 

[SoulRaven]

Tom, I think MasterPlumber is from that area, you might PM him.

 

[Vagabound]

ohh come on you got this far. It's two bolts and the line bolt. you got this. bottle of propane is about a couple bucks plus the torch head unit them crusty old bolts will come right out.

Yeah, that's the kind of help I was looking for.

Tom

 

[jonsun]

inspiration?

you're good enough, you're smart enough, and dog gone it people like you

 

[Gary68]

had a look and i would take my rig here
https://www.google.com/search?q=Gle...518138!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i293!2i381!4f13.1

http://prodieselandauto.com/

 

[closeanuf]

In the old days I was known to get a coke bottle fill it about 3/4 with brake fluid, put piece of hose on bleeder and other end in bottle of brake fluid.  Have someone press the brake pedal and hold it.  Open the bleeder and watch bubbles escape close bleeder, release brake pedal, push brake again, release bubbles again and again until no bubbles appear.  Probably won't work with anti lock brakes but works on the old stuff.

 

[Vagabound]

inspiration?

you're good enough, you're smart enough, and dog gone it people like you

I already feel like crap because I'm not finishing this job myself. Even a casual familiarity with my build-out thread would provide a lot of evidence of what I can and have done alone. However, they say it takes a strong man to admit his limitations. I'm practicing being strong at the moment. ;-)

And just for those people who thought I was being cynical about the Ford dealership, they quoted me a $400 price today to do this work, and when I double checked, they said it was for parts only. That could only have been wheel cylinders and maybe two short brake lines from each side to the block. Basically the same wheel cylinders that I bought as a pair for under $25 today at NAPA.

Dealerships: Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Tom

 

[bullfrog]

No guts, no glory. Bet a junk yard dog could get it off with a lug wrench and weld it back on with torch but then we get wiser as we get older but $400? I would bet a whole used axle housing and backing plates wouldn't be much more have you checked? What have you got to loose if you really really mess up?

 

[Gary68]

no worries,when time came for 04 camry timing belt i looked at v6 4 cams 1/2 inch working space and took it to the dealer who do camrys all day every day,took them 3 hour to do what would of took me 2 days and full warranty


get a hold of the shop in the link i posted let them determine what needs to be done,tell them the truth and dont hide that you are living in it all the guys there are outdoorsmen and will find it cool

 

[Vagabound]

No guts, no glory. Bet a junk yard dog could get it off with a lug wrench and weld it back on with torch but then we get wiser as we get older but $400?  I would bet a whole used axle housing and backing plates wouldn't be much more have you checked?  What have you got to loose if you really really mess up?

I never intended to use Ford to get the work done. I wanted to see what the extreme end of the range would be for such a job, so I asked them for an estimate. Even at that, I was surprised.

No guts, no glory: This isn't a high school dare.

What have I got to lose? My house stuck somewhere unable to be moved, my primary vehicle, a means of getting to work, income from that work, money spent on the repair, money spent to fix it after I break it anyway, time, energy, etc. Plus, the short version of the rest of the story is that I had to cobble together a borrowed work location, borrowed equipment, and borrowed assistance during a day off to make my first attempt. Don't want to do that again, especially with doubtful chances of success.

I now have a plan. It'll take a week to see if it works.

Tom

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm a lousy mechanic, all I can do is wish you the best of luck getting the repairs done for a fair price. If there is anything I can do you have my email address.

Rob

 

[Vagabound]

I'm a lousy mechanic, all I can do is wish you the best of luck getting the repairs done for a fair price. If there is anything I can do you have my email address.

Rob

I appreciate that, Rob. Still hope to bump into you out on the road somewhere.

Tom

 

[Gary68]

plans are good but my problem is that it's at best the 2nd if not more plan that ends up working

 

[Vagabound]

So, a shop got involved and finished the job. I have questions about the results. I'm going to ask them, but I'd like to ask you first:

1. If you saw the following phrase on an estimate for brake work, what would you think it means?

"Includes B&F brakes."

Guessing is fine, but just let me know if that's the case.

-----

2.  For lack of a better term, I'm going to use the phrase "brake tightness". To me that means how much resistance there is to pushing down on the pedal. If properly adjusted, for both the normal brake pedal and the emergency brake, how much tightness should there be? I know it's a difficult thing to measure, but please describe it as best you can.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[highdesertranger]

I can't think what B&F means. in California shops are not allowed to use abbreviations. don't ask me how I know.

as far as adjustment the E-brake should be fully engage before half of the throw. on drum brake when new they need to be broken in and readjusted. this is because the shoe doesn't perfectly match the drum at first and needs to be broken in. highdesertanger

 

[jonsun]

well with new shoes the adjuster needs to be screwed in some too. without doing that the e-brake will be very tight and maybe even drag. Pedal tightness can come from a booster going bad, a master cylinder going bad, a vacuum leak, or a clogged line. Or maybe it feels tighter because the new shoes are much thicker and it's grabbing in the back sooner.

B&F - bleed and ..... fix? free? form (as in break in the shoes)?

 

[dr_nelson]

B&F back and front?

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Guess = bleed and fill ???