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OK I give!! Wheel cylinders

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19_again

19_again

Jedi Warrior
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All right, I'm at my wit's end, sure it's a short trip but it's still a pain the unowhat. I am trying to put the retaining clip back on the wheel cylinders on the rear drums. I've tried needlenosed, vise grips, prayers and swears. What is the secret, aside from never taking them off. Please help.
it's the 66B Roadster
Mike
 
Pull the backing plate & lay it on the workbench to install the retaining clip...that's how I do it & it seems to give me just a little more space.
 
Thanks Tony, Never occurred to me. DUH.
You can believe I tried for hours before asking for help, but it just wasn't working. I gave the back plate nuts a shot of PB blaster and tomorrow I'll pull them.
Mike
 
There's a special tool for this. VB used to sell it, PN 17-886. Don't know if they still carry it or not.
Mine came in an original Lockheed box, and makes the job so easy you'll want to cry, thinking of all the skin you lost unnecessarily over the years.
Jeff
 
That is ONE thing I have seen so abused over the years it could be the subject of a (small) book! Bent, broken, installed reversed, one tab in the groove with the rest stretched over the O.D. of the cylinder and never snapped "home"... diabolical devices, apparently. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
And what worse than doing it the first time is a month later finding the new cylinder is leaking worse than the old one and having to do it all over again.
 
I actually just took a small block of wood and hammer. I positioned the clip placed the block of wood against it, smacked the block of wood with the hammer and it popped right into place.
 
Jeff, thanks I found it, but it looks as if I have to pull the back plate otherwise what would hold the cylinder in place while I bang this tool against the back of the cylinder. It appears that I would simply push the cylinder back out towards the outbound side of the wheel.
 
If you get the leading edges of the clip in the groove of the cylinder, it'll go without the cylinder "walking" anywhere.
 
Throw the e-clips away and use external ear snaprings?
I hate those clips too. I've chased my share around the garage floor: SproooinG..... clink. Now where's that blasted clip?!?
 
I kinda don't like the circlip's narrow width over 2/3 circumference when compared to the load spread of the original e-clips. I've seen it done but I'll opt for the originals due to load spread and tension when correctly installed.

Just me prejudice wot spake there. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Thanks Dave, I've still got the suspension in place and don't have the room that the you-tube clip shows. I'll be trying that BV tool, I also have the old clip which wasn't spring steel like the ones that came with the cylinders. I know the spring steel is better steel, but I'm not too worried about the cylinder falling out once it's clipped on there. I can always stop at the local Jag shop and see if they have the old yellow metal clips. I didn't quite understand Doc's comment about 2/3 of the circumference unless you meant the cyl diameter is like 3/4 of an inch and the dam clip's opening is only 1/2 inch, seems like overkill, eh?
 
Scotty suggested using regular circlips, those are too narrow around 2/3 of their diameter (IMO) to be as reliable as the OEM e-clips.

Hope that made sense?
 
"Down East"! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
It requires a big inhalation on the A, then you fade on the the yup. You can't get theah from heah, ya got to start from someplace else.
But we do love the primaries every four years, you actually get the ask these guys, and now girls, questions face to face.It does make a difference.
 
I'm coming into this late, but I've seen several installed with a regular circlip and belleville(sp?) washer.
 
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