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Rear brakes on BN1 - HELP !!!

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bighealeysource

bighealeysource

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Hey all,
Despite my many years of owning Healey's I have come up with a
stupid problem I can't seem to figure out. I have just finished
replacing the rear brake cylinders on my 1954 BN1. That all
went pretty straight forward and did one side at a time so
I could reference the other side as a guide. Want to put
the brake drum back onto the left side- using the existing
rear brake shoes as they are okay for now - and I CAN'T
GET THE BRAKE DRUM BACK ON ! Double checked the adjuster
and it's adjusted down and still can't get it back on. I
was able to get it on about 2/3 of the way but no further.
Okay, so I move onto the right side, replace the brake
cylinder and refit the brake shoes exactly as they came off
and the exact same problem - can't get the drum on. HELP !!!
I know this sounds stupid as can be but I cannot for the life of me figure out what else to do. Any suggestions will sure
be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
 
Please don't be insulted by this, is your emergency brake on?
 
Hey Greg,
I'm not insulted but believe it is off as when you replace the rear brake
cylinder you have to take apart the emergency brake cable and the rather
unique parts and pieces that make it work. Plus there is a steel plate
that attaches to the side of the brake cylinder which holds those pieces
in place. BUT, I am going to check it again just to make sure.
Thanks,
Mike
 
Be sure the wheel cylinder is collapsed all the way (open the bleed screw and push). It may also be that the circle made by the shoes, even while in hard contact with the adjuster and the wheel cylinder can float a bit in the slots that they ride in. Perhaps the circle is simply off center a little. Try shoving the shoes back and forth in the slots on the adjuster and the wheel cylinder to find the per fect "center" and I'll bet your drum will seat. That is all I've got.
 
Mike,

I had the same problem with my 60 BT7. I purchased rear brake cylinders from that supplier in Goleta, CA.

The cylinders looked almost identical, but it always comes down to millimeters when working on cars.

Guess what? At my wit's end, I tried something simple--I re-installed the original cylinders and the drums fit fine.

So I "gutted" the replacement cylinders and used it's insides to overhaul the originals.

Voila, good as new.

Next time I'll just buy a kit.
 
Not sure I can describe this well but.
When I do the brakes on my 100-6 I have found is is important to have the shoes concentric with the backing plate. When you replaced the wheel cylinder you probably have the shoes a bit off center - the cylinder is 'floating' which is what the plate & spring plate holding into the backing plate are supposed to allow, and the adjuster end is stationary. With the shoes in place your fingers flat on the shoes so the tips of your fingers just touch the lip of the backing plate and run your hand around the circumfrence of the shoes. You should be able to feel if the shoes are concentric to the backing plate. If not concentric, a few 'thumps' with you hand can bump them into place so it feels concentric. If the are concentric the drum should slide on, if not then at the point that the lug studs enter the drum it can bind and not allow the drum to go the rest of the way on.

BTW, if you didn't, you need to apply a light coating of hi-temp grease to the back of the wheel cylinder and the plates holding it into the backing plate so it can easily slide around a bit. This helps allow both shoes to apply evenly to the drum as they wear.

You said you already have the ajusters backed off all the way, the other thing you can check is that the wheel cylinder pistons are fully compressed in the bores (they sometimes are not bottomed fully when you recieve them) so check that they are fully seated.

Hope some of this helps.
Dave Phillips
 
Mike -

If your BN1 has the spiral bevel axle, you have to be sure that you reinstalled the hand brake tappet roller assembly correctly, otherwise it could be pushing on the shoes.
 
Hi Mike, I have had this problem before, with the front brakes not sure if it would happen with the rear.

How to explain what I did.....It turned out that the shoes were not positioned quite right. All the springs were right the shoes were clipped in where they should be but when I looked at the shoes from a couple of feet back, I could see that they were not lined up with the circumference of the back plate. I was able to tap the shoes left or right to get the od to a reasonable circle lining up with the back plate.

Its a long shot, good luck.

Dougal
 
Hey all,
Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas on how to get my brake drums back on.
Finally got it done today and turned out to be a combination of the adjusting screw not backed down enough and the brake shoes not being centered just right.
So as Forest Gump would say, "Stupid is as stupid does" re the brake adjuster
screws - not backed off all the way !!!!!!
Thanks,
Mike
 
I really appreciate it when the person with the initial problem follows up with "the rest of the story" and explains how the problem was resolved. Thanks Mike.
 
Hello bighealeysource,

You're not stupid, please tell yourself that a 1000 times.

You may not have the experience to know all the answers but you're definately not stupid.

Hello red57,

Good description, couldn't have done it better myself.

Regards,

bundyrum.
 
I agree that Red57's description was good......except that it refers to the Hypoid axle with the "floating" cylinder. Mike's '54 BN1 might have the Spiral Bevel axle which has a fixed cylinder.
 
Hello pan

It doesn't really matter which axle is fitted 4 or 5 stud. If the shoes are not located somewhere near center the drum will not go on easily.

I have never had the problem to the extent that has been described but a little tap with a hammer one way or the other to get the brake shoes to sit in their correct position relative to the drum should solve the problem.

If when the drum is installed it will not go all the way on a piece of mirror can be positioned between the rear flange of the drum and the brake backing plate (near the ends of the shoes)and it will be seen which end has a gap. A tap at the opposite end of that shoe will move the shoe towards the gap. The step would be repeated for the other shoe and the drum should go on easier all the way.

Regards,

bundyrum.
 
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