[Healeys] Rear brake adjustment

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Tue Mar 30 22:09:04 MDT 2021


One more thing ...

I've never liked the little felt bushes that go on the end of the shoe 
standoffs; they deteriorate as soon as they're installed (and are 
usually a gooey mess when you replace them). But, I ordered a set from 
Tom's Import Toys, but instead Tom sent some fiber tubing cut into short 
pieces. These fit perfectly and firmly over the standoffs, and you can 
place a little grease on the end and expect it to stay there. I don't 
know a source, the tubing looks like it could be small fuel line, but 
it's only fiber with no rubber or other lining.

Bob

On 3/30/2021 8:40 PM, Roger Grace wrote:
> Bob,
> Thank you - really appreciated - you are a star !
> I have now removed one side and yes I had the hooks facing out and the 
> plates reversed as you did the first time.
> As you say this is not covered in the manual, and surprised that this 
> issue ( tricky) is not given much coverage here - compared to say what 
> oil to use in your OD !
> I tried to to get the cylinder out without removing the hyd. pipe to 
> avoid bleeding but not possible to get the brake lever dislodged.
> I too will save your notes for next time...
> Tkx
> rg
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 30, 2021 at 7:48 PM Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net 
> <mailto:bspidell at comcast.net>> wrote:
>
>     Here's a short video of the cylinder moving (complete with 80s
>     soundtrack and modern 'shaky cam'). Pic shows the bevel on the
>     dust cover that I think proves this is the correct order of
>     installation.
>
>     Here's the sequence of installation that caused me the least
>     frustration:
>
>     1) LIGHTLY grease all moving/sliding parts, including the adjuster
>     cam and spreaders and the shaft that the handbrake lever pivots on
>
>     2) Insert cylinder into its slot
>
>     3) Slide the spring plate, with hooks pointed toward the diff,
>     into the slot on the cylinder from above as manual shows
>
>     4) Insert the handbrake lever through its slot on the backplate
>     from the outside
>
>     5) Lift the cylinder a little with a screwdriver and slide the
>     handbrake pivot shaft into its notches on the cylinder (the spring
>     plate allows this)
>
>     6) Start working the flat retaining plate with the notches into
>     the slot on the cylinder on top of the spring plate. I tapped it
>     in; it would help if someone held the handbrake lever out in its
>     actuated state to prevent the spring plate from retreating from
>     the flat plate (it might be possible to squeeze them together with
>     a large set of channellocks). Make sure the little hooks on the
>     spring plate engage the notches on the flat plate.
>
>     7) Work the rubber boot/dust cover over the handbrake lever and
>     around and under the retaining plates, with the beveled edge
>     sliding under the plates (see vid).
>
>     8) Wipe off any excess grease (it doesn't go well with brake material)
>
>     Credit where due: I'm often (always) disappointed with the quality
>     of aftermarket rubber products, but the dust covers I got from
>     Moss are not only molded and cut perfectly, but seem to be made of
>     a tough rubber that should actually hold up (it's almost a soft
>     plastic).
>
>     Bob
>
>     ps. This is as much for my benefit, as I seem to have to do this
>     job every decade or so, and have to start from scratch
>     procedure-wise every time.
>
>
>     On 3/30/2021 9:52 AM, Roger Grace wrote:
>>     Yes thank you;  that sounds like a good explanation. As you say
>>     it is a bear of a job and just working up some stamina to tackle
>>     it again !
>>     rg
>>
>>     On Mon, Mar 29, 2021 at 10:38 PM Bob Spidell
>>     <bspidell at comcast.net <mailto:bspidell at comcast.net>> wrote:
>>
>>         re: "I note that the slave is tight on the back plate. How
>>         tight is
>>         normal floating ?"
>>
>>         I just spent several hours on my back on a greasy floor
>>         working on my
>>         BN2's rear drums. I didn't see any text in the shop manual
>>         explaining
>>         installation; most I found was a pic in the Moss catalog
>>         showing that
>>         the curved spring, with the 'hooks,' should be installed
>>         above the
>>         cylinder (between the cylinder and the handbrake lever).
>>         First, I
>>         installed the flat plate against the backing plate with the
>>         spring plate
>>         on top of it. Not only would the cylinder not move
>>         freely--which enables
>>         the self-energizing aspect of the brakes--but the rubber dust
>>         boot had
>>         nothing to hold it in place. I then reversed the
>>         installation; i.e. the
>>         spring plate was still above the cylinder, but under the flat
>>         plate
>>         (hooks up). This way the cylinder would slide smoothly and
>>         easily, which
>>         makes sense because there is less contact area, but the
>>         rubber boot,
>>         which is beveled on the inner part fit naturally under the
>>         flat plate
>>         and would stay in place when vigorously sliding the cylinder
>>         back-and-forth. Contact surfaces were lightly greased.
>>
>>         Short answer: the cylinder should slide smoothly and easily;
>>         otherwise
>>         the self-energizing feature could be defeated, and the
>>         cylinder could be
>>         stuck in the expanded position, which could explain your
>>         non-retracting
>>         problem.
>>
>>         Bob
>>
>>
>>         On 3/29/2021 3:07 PM, Roger Grace via Healeys wrote:
>>         > BJ8 ph2.
>>         > I am Struggling to get consistent results for rear brake
>>         shoe adjustment.
>>         > All part of a project to get handbrake working properly -
>>         currently it
>>         > is almost vertical.
>>         > Background:
>>         > New shoes, slaves and springs etc with less than 4k mi.
>>         Almost no sign
>>         > of any wear yet.
>>         > Handbrake lever clevis pins removed.
>>         > Steady post adjusted so the peg just touches when brakes
>>         are adjusted
>>         > tight.
>>         > Then the adjustment set so you can just hear/feel slight
>>         brake drag.
>>         > All OK so far.
>>         >
>>         > Here is the problem:
>>         > When the handbrake lever is pushed with screwdriver or my
>>         hand it
>>         > moves with initial free play then clamps the shoes as it
>>         should.
>>         > However  when released brakes do not fully retract, and
>>         shoes bind and
>>         > not at  the same setting that started off with.
>>         > Same story with using the hydraulics; seems to hang up, in
>>         not quite
>>         > the off position. Both wheels are the same.
>>         > Shoes can be "reset"  to original setting by rattling the
>>         adjuster
>>         > back and forth in  the freeplay zone.
>>         > All looks fine when drum is off and you can see the shoe
>>         operation.
>>         >
>>         > My thoughts :
>>         > I observe that the new springs actually touch the inside of
>>         the shoes ?
>>         > Maybe some grease there ? Is this interference normal ?
>>         > Is it possible to incorrectly assemble the shoes/springs ?
>>         > See photo of RR.
>>         > I note that the slave is tight on the back plate. How tight
>>         is normal
>>         > floating ?
>>         > Maybe I assembled the slave cylinder clips incorrectly ?
>>         >
>>         > All  suggestions appreciated
>>         > rg
>>         >
>>         >
>>         >
>>         >
>>         >
>>         >
>>         >
>>
>>         _______________________________________________
>>         Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
>>         <http://www.team.net/donate.html>
>>         Suggested annual donation  $12.75
>>
>>         Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys
>>         <http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys>
>>         http://autox.team.net/archive <http://autox.team.net/archive>
>>
>>         Healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:Healeys at autox.team.net>
>>         http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/healeys
>>         <http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/healeys>
>>
>>         Unsubscribe/Manage:
>>         http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/healeys/roggrace@telus.net
>>         <http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/healeys/roggrace@telus.net>
>>
>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/healeys/attachments/20210330/57eb7c7d/attachment.htm>


More information about the Healeys mailing list