So, having had the parts for a drum brake replacement and having a squeak when releasing the brake pedal, I decided to do a full replacement instead of just dabbing anti-sieze on the backing plate contact points....

notes:

1) Drum brakes are a serious PITA, and make sure you get the tools for this....spings are a bitch and especially that u-washer holding the rear facing pad.

2) None of the videos I watched mentioned it and this was the first "f-up" odf the day: watch the pistons on the wheel cylinder closely, even while juggling the various springs-levers and other BS that comprises the drum system. I take my eye off it for a second while "Hulking-Up" to stretch the spring, a piston popped out (along with the spring and some fluid). Nothing was torn so I put it back together addind a full system bleed to the day's agenda.

3) Finished up and asked a neighbor to help with the brake bleed...while facing the wheel hub and attempting to loosen the bleeder valve, I forgot that "righty-tighty, left-loosey" doesnt apply to the bleeder valve unless you are facing the hub from under the car. I ended up tearing the top of the valve I really needed to bleed. No leaks from that point though. I tried bleeding from the drivers side rear but no air bubbles.


So I've ordered a new wheel cylinder (cheap) since none of the shops would tackle an extraction here on Staten Island. Have to wait till Thursday for it to arrive and here is the questions I have and advice I need:

1) can I bleed the whole system from the other wheel? Not sure If the air would travel immediately from one side to the other, or if I would have to cycle all the fluid to push it out.

2) so I can stop the car, better in reverse than forward, but the pedal is spongy, and I'm sure it has to do with the pistons letting air in. Since I tore the top off the bleeder in the closed position, and no fluid is leaking (I continue to check the reservior), can I drive it like this for about 150 miles?

That is my normal commute during the week.

4) FINALLY, I have the repair manual and the description for replacing the wheel cylinder seems easy, but it lacks detail (do this, do that without mentioning WATCH OUT FOR) so I need to rely of your experience for that.

When replacing the wheel cylinder I have to loosen the brake line from the back of the cylinder...how hard will that be? will it pour all the fluid from the line or is there some way to stop that from happening?

Also after replacing this cylinder will I have to bleed the fronts as well or is all the air trapped in the area of the wheel cylinder being replaced?


Seriously, thank you to those that read the whole thing. I've been researching on youtube and googling this since it happened yesterday and was out at my local shops this morning before they even opened. Just worried since I this is my DD and I have a family function to attend this afternoon.


Regards,

 

Bumping this to get more views and hopefully more input...

 

Does the emergency brake still work? If yes, I'd drive it, but be careful. Allow more stopping distance. (and in the event you rear-end someone, I wasn't here).

There's air in one circuit of the brake system. Bleeding the other side won't help (even if they were on the same circuit, air can't travel from one side to the other).

Sorry, never had the joy of doing a drum-brake shoes and/or cylinder replacement. But I'll bookmark this for when the urge strikes me.

 

Since you made the Rookie mistake of righty tighty lefty loosey, I would suggest that you just take the car in and have a professional service the brake. The brake system is something you don't want to mess with if you don't know what you are doing. Just remember you are just a panic stop from living or dying.

 

The the uclamp thing is a retaining ring, harbor freight, or home depot shouldhave the tool.

I agree with above post, seek help in person. Or provide pictures. Alternately try finding a free chiltons login for the diagram and instructions. I didnt disconnect the hose/brakeline when i did the drums on a 2001 odyssee, but that drum may differ slightly- or not. Idk

 

What's with the necro-ing of the thread?

 

This forum is full of copy and paste experts as well as wanna be mechanics too bad noone paid attention to the special tool I made for brake springs removal

 

Count me in!

Slipped into 1st gen threads...

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1st-...ard-visit.html

 

The post for the homemade tool was made two weeks ago, while the thread was created some four years ago. Being necro'd twice since then.

While I'm still trying to figure out how useful the tool is... having done the rear brakes myself a few weeks ago, I can say this. I didn't have any difficulty removing the springs. In fact, I spent more time trying to put the new ones in, which the tool doesn't appear to help with.

The other aspect the tool is shown to work with, the wheel cylinder, I did mess up with. Just like Santiad, the pistons popped out (one side, then the other of the same cylinder) while putting the shoes on... but that issue was solved by a pliers wrench (and a rubber band if you need it to stay clamped on).

Seems like, if a person knew well enough where to use this tool, they could just as easily do that bit without the tool.