It is a click to me with every snap over the spring.
drum brake crash course, or refresher
- Thread starter Billccm
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Ranger16
Well-Known Member
Yup, the click is the spring over the star wheel.
Courtesy of Billccm (post #27)
Courtesy of Billccm (post #27)
When playing around with the adjustment, immediately after your test drive, walk around and feel the center hub on all 4 wheels. They should stay relatively cool. If you find one or all that are getting pretty warm (or hot) then brakes are definitely too tight or dragging for other reasons (bad brake hose, etc).
miller
Well-Known Member
For what it's worth...off the photo above. See anything wrong?
The shoe return springs, up top, one for each shoe, should have a 'hook' bent in the ends that fit over the center pin. The one spring looks like it's just sitting there.
The shoe return springs, up top, one for each shoe, should have a 'hook' bent in the ends that fit over the center pin. The one spring looks like it's just sitting there.
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
Yup, good catch. I never noticed it.
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My local parts store just got me a couple National brand wheel cylinders & even they are now made in China.
Took my longest voyage yet in the Road Runner today. A whopping 20 mile trip.
Brakes were much, much better. In a panic like stomp on the pedal it still pulls maybe 2 degrees to the left. In normal braking it is good, or at least as good as I 'think' manual drums should be.
Pedal is very good.
On another note. I adjusted the carb with a vacuum gauge. Best I could squeak out was 16 inches; car may have a bigger cam than I was told. Idle is very stable and she runs great! Still an issue with hot soak starting; maybe a float adjustment next?
Oil PSI was great, car ran 190 degrees, and the ammeter always showed a slight charge.
Life is pretty good this weekend with my MOPAR. It's great to be back in the MOPAR realm.
Take care all.
Bill
Brakes were much, much better. In a panic like stomp on the pedal it still pulls maybe 2 degrees to the left. In normal braking it is good, or at least as good as I 'think' manual drums should be.
Pedal is very good.
On another note. I adjusted the carb with a vacuum gauge. Best I could squeak out was 16 inches; car may have a bigger cam than I was told. Idle is very stable and she runs great! Still an issue with hot soak starting; maybe a float adjustment next?
Oil PSI was great, car ran 190 degrees, and the ammeter always showed a slight charge.
Life is pretty good this weekend with my MOPAR. It's great to be back in the MOPAR realm.
Take care all.
Bill
Last edited:
Glad you got em straightened out. For the hot start issue, what carb is on it? Could be float but with corn gas, cars are going to run hotter so run the best gas you can. Also, if you have the space get a phenolic carb spacer. Keeps direct engine heat from soaking to the carb. It still gets hot from being under the hood but it will help.
It has a Edlebrock 650 (forgot model number) and a Edlebrock performer intake. Cold start is surprisingly great, and a immediate restart hot is just a bump of the key (like a gas fill up shut off and restart). Hot soak (for example soaking 15 to 30 minutes) is lots of cranking and a bellow of black smoke when it starts. Sounds like float boiling to me, so your spacer advice may be spot on.
The seller recommended StaBil 360 often (it is 'ethanol protection'). I put a whole bottle in yesterday when I filled up with Shell 91 octane.
Thanks for the advice!
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Glad to hear she's good to go, Bill. 
btw, have you checked your tire pressure lately? the 2* pull could be from the tire being a titty bit low on air....
btw, have you checked your tire pressure lately? the 2* pull could be from the tire being a titty bit low on air....
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a rich condition to me. Is the carb manual or auto choke?
You should not need that. I have no starting problems and don't use that stuff. Just check all your carb adjustments.
It's been awhile since I've had a vacuum gage on my GTX but 16 inches is probably close - I think I would be looking for about 17 on a very well tuned 383 HP or 440. If the timing is set back a little or the points are off a little, advancing it might bring it up a little more.
miller
Well-Known Member
On the brake pulling to one side...simply loosen that brake adjuster one more notch.
Probably have one slightly tighter, than the other side.
Probably have one slightly tighter, than the other side.
Well I've had my Road Runner almost 4 weeks, and so far, I have not broken anything!
Pulling the rear drums Saturday morning. Any advice before I dive in? Wish me luck.
Pulling the rear drums Saturday morning. Any advice before I dive in? Wish me luck.
Same as the front only you have to keep track of the e brake parts. Much easier to bleed as there isn't a knuckle in the way of the bleeder. While you are in there might as well check end play on the axles and for fluid leaks around the outer axle seals.
Hi Experts!
I finally pulled the rear drums. Wheel cylinders are dry, don't really see any leaks and the shoes look fairly new (like the front). The drums don't look as nice as the front. What do the experts think? Link to photos below:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AsCEaRUOIFqInn0gAToKoJ6a3Ao4
No self adjusters here either. To adjust the rear brakes I shift to neutral and spin the wheel while adjusting, just like the front, correct?
On the third member the block that connects the brake lines looks like it leaked at one time long ago. I need to double check this before I drop the car off the jack stands.
Thanks for any advice! Take care, Bill
I finally pulled the rear drums. Wheel cylinders are dry, don't really see any leaks and the shoes look fairly new (like the front). The drums don't look as nice as the front. What do the experts think? Link to photos below:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AsCEaRUOIFqInn0gAToKoJ6a3Ao4
No self adjusters here either. To adjust the rear brakes I shift to neutral and spin the wheel while adjusting, just like the front, correct?
On the third member the block that connects the brake lines looks like it leaked at one time long ago. I need to double check this before I drop the car off the jack stands.
Thanks for any advice! Take care, Bill
oldbee
Well-Known Member
No vibration when braking? Run 'em. One little tidbit I noticed; I would squeeze the upper return springs a little bit to close up the loop over pivot pin(?) don't go crazy just tweak them a little.
Has the rubber line that runs to the distribution block been replaced?
Adjust those like the front. Get em tight and back off until they dont rub. I can't see the pic
Optical illusion. Zoom in and you can see they are both hooked over the pivot.
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