Need expert advice on finishing 94 Celica brake job Options

[Langing]

JULY 22 UPDATE: "BRAKE JOB" FINISHED. (See comment of today's date.)

JUNE 2 UPDATE: REAR BRAKES FINE NOW; FRONT RIGHT STEERING KNUCKLE DEFINITELY BENT (AT THE EARS); SEEKING ANOTHER KNUCKLE.

MAY 28 UPDATE: NOW WHAT? THE REAR WHEELS ARE LOCKED BUT THE PB IS DOWN! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?

MAY 27 UPDATE: SATISFIED THAT THE REAR DRUM BRAKES ARE NOW FUNCTIONING PROPERLY; PROBLEM DEFINED DOES NOT AFFECT THE BRAKE AT ITS PROPER ADJUSTMENT OPERATING POINT; MOVING ON TO NEXT TASK

MAY 23 UPDATE: REAR DRUM BRAKE PROBLEM DEFINITION IS NARROWING SUCH THAT AN EXPERT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP ME (SEE LAST POSTS)


This is my first experience doing such an extensive job on my Celica, and I have the Green Books (FSM). Everything looks beautiful (to me), have photos.

I have finished replacing/rebuilding all parts of the brake system -- meaning at all four wheels (including new hardware, hoses, wheel bearings, etc) and am ready to put her back on the road, but . . . with all new shoes, pads, drums and rotors, how can I know they are working properly? I’ve already discovered a couple of assembly mistakes I had to correct, which tells me there may be something else I am missing?

First known issue: because I don’t have a vernier caliper longer than 6”, an AMPRO T71558 Brake Drum Resetting Gauge will arrive on Friday so I can set the ‘clearance’ between the shoes and drums at the rear. Beyond that I have some confusion on how the parking brake works to maintain the proper clearance, given the initial setting of the rear brakes. I want to be totally clear about what I am doing so I am not making a stupid but costly mistake.

For example: the manual says to verify that the parking brake levers (on the rear shoes) turns the adjusters (they do) and then to minimize the length of the adjusters (I did), then install the drums and pull the parking brake lever (in the cabin) all the way up until a clicking sound can no longer be heard (did that as well). The very next procedure is to check shoe clearance, but the last step left the parking brake on? And I was thinking that engaging the parking brake and then releasing it was the cause of the adjuster turning, and that it turns only by just one gear tooth distance. All that said, the manual has me just setting the initial clearance, popping on the drums and tires I'm good to go. Is that really all I need to do to make sure the rear breaks are functioning properly?

Second issue: with new rotors and pads on the front disc brakes, there isn’t a lot of free space in the caliper bracket and there is a scraping sound when I turn the rotors by hand, so there is obvious interference. I don’t know whether the slide pins are not working well, since the calipers aren’t sliding in and out when hand manipulated, or are they just supposed to rub together until enough friction material wears off that they can begin to have enough space to work once the car is on the road? How do I check them BEFORE I put her on the road, so I can be certain they are working properly?

My inexperience has me ready to go, but dead in the water.

This post has been edited by Langing: Jul 22, 2014 - 11:06 AM

[Langing]

KING'S X


Looks like I was fooling myself when I thought I saw that moving the parking brake lever back and forth caused the star wheel to advance.

THE RIGHT SIDE ADJUSTER DOES NOT TURN!

That puts me back at the first sub-step of STEP 9, which says that

"If the adjuster does not turn, check for incorrect installation of the rear brake."


I took that side apart for the umpteenth time, looked over everything I could imagine might be incorrect. Re-measured the clearance between the shoe and the parking lever, found it possibly slightly too large, so installed a 0.013" shim and put the brake back together again. NADA!!

Spent another hour examining the operation of the levers and the star wheel and comparing the two sides. Finally resorted to pulling up the parking brake again to see if I could detect any difference between the two sides with the PB engaged. . .

AND FOUND SOMETHING

Here is where I need expert advice.

On the left side, the side I presume to be working properly because manipulating the PB lever causes the star wheel to advance, pulling the PB full up causes the PB lever (attached to the rear shoe) to pull forward to the extent that the automatic adjusting lever actually touches the shaft of the hub (or comes damn close). Also, the lowest part of the PB lever touches a finger-like tab that is part of the lower center bracket (the bracket that carries the PB cable on one side and the anchor spring on the other; just above the PB cable running in that bracket there are two finger-like tabs sticking out). The travel of the PB lever is stopped by that tab, and when it is stopped the lever arm of the automatic adjusting lever (the metal arm that does the turning of the star wheel) is standing raised somewhat off the star wheel teeth, in the air.

On the right side, pulling the PB full up causes the PB lever to move out a fair amount, but it doesn't come close to touching the hub or lower bracket finger tab. Instead, it seems to be stopped by another, lower down, part of the bracket, and that holds the PB lever back about a quarter inch, maybe a little more. As a result of traveling so little, the lever arm of the automatic adjusting lever is still resting on the star wheel's teeth. It doesn't get pulled into the air. It's no wonder the star wheel isn't turning!

Next, on both sides I looked very closely at the parking brake cable as it comes into the rear brake area and goes over the lower bracket (beneath the two finger-like tabs) and onto the PB lever, where it attaches at the bottom.

The PB cable on the left side seems taught and centered in its channel in the lower bracket, whereas on the right side, it doesn't seem as taught, and doesn't squarely ride in the center of its channel in the lower bracket. It seems to me that the lack of PB lever travel on the right side is due to the PB lever hitting the wrong spot on the lower bracket, but also it seems that the PB cable might be too long and thus might be fighting with the PB lever. [I am not at all certain of this, so take it with a grain of salt; today I intend on removing all parts from both wheels and carefully examine all parts and the assemblies of them. At that time I will carefully measure the exact length of the cable that is inside the wheel (it bolts on at the back of the backer plate).]

HAS ANYONE EVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM? IF THE PB CABLE WAS TOO LONG, HOW DO i SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF PB CABLE THAT EXTENDS INTO THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE?

OR

WHAT ELSE COULD BE WRONG?


It might help if you take a look at these photos:

Adjuster photos:

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/GuiermoV...rake%20Adjuster

Closeups of right rear

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/GuiermoV...g%20differences

Closeups of left rear

http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/GuiermoV...owing%20problem


This post has been edited by Langing: May 23, 2014 - 8:59 AM