more 98 civic brake fun! Drums

[dosmastr]

I cant find what failed!!

Last night, noticed my right rear brake was not disengaging after parking brake released — this was upon the first start after sitting overnight.

my old car did this on cold cold days, usually once it warmed up (dragged for maybe a half mile if even that long) it would unlock and work properly.

Not so this time. it dragged for a whole 15mile trip, and the pedal became a sponge at mile #13- I had to pump the pedal to stop.
Once stopped, I checked and the aluminum wheel was warm to the touch. it was below freezing outside. (boiled fluid?)

I used the two bolts through the holes in the drum to get it off… but the pads were very tight against the drum so the 8x 1.25 bolts bottomed out and the drum was still firmly on. (eventually got one bolt that was like 2 inches long and a claw hammer to pry the drum off.)

Snapped both pads out of the cylinder (not deliberately, it just happened as the drum was almost to the end of the wheel studs)
and the pads still wouldn’t let go. Parking brake was off.
Eventually one end of the cylinder popped off. (pads were already not seated on it though)
Looks immaculate inside, there were no obvious leaks. Pads still stuck.

The wheel cylinder doesn’t look that old, def aftermarket. The auto adjuster on the top was a little stiff, undoing it with a screwdriver wasn’t possible, moved a little and then wouldn’t….. its off and in my hand now, and spins very freely. Its pretty colors like metal that has been heated up really really high.

The only additional background was that it seems earlier that the auto adjuster wasn’t functioning properly, Had to click the parking brake 5 clicks to get a good feel from the pedal. (also, it was obvious when I stomped on the brakes with the park brake OFF that the rear brakes were not engaging, 7 clicks was a slight drag, so i backed off 2)
This had been the case for years.

1. Any guess what took this thing from not adjusting and needing the park brake —- to way over adjusted? (Assuming it was adjuster because the pads were off of the cylinder and still not letting go.)

2. Where I’m at now, I can’t get the clip off of the pad that attaches the parking brake. Usually I just take a screwdriver and hammer and tap it loose, they pry from the other side. No joy on this one.. is there some trick I’m missing? I need to save this clip, there doesn’t appear to be one just like it in the replacement hardware kit.

I got the cylinder replaced with a wagner. He went on without incident.
I have all the parts I need to do a full rear brake job…in the snow….
Drums have 2.5mm before the hit max life… replacing them is a good plan yes?
Pads thin in the middle and thick on one end. Replacing them.
All the springs felt very tight (a B$#@$ to get off tight!!) but I’m replacing them too.

Ill also be pretty liberal with bleeding the brakes to clear out alot of the old fluid.
I just did the left front caliper so there is some new fluid in there already. Just get the old fluid thats sitting in the lines out, the fluid in the res is already new.

3. Back plate and the auto adjuster– never seize OR caliper grease?

Topic

[college man]

a small brush stroke of never seize.

[dosmastr]

The old drums look just as thick as the new ones I bought.

The only concern with reusing them is A did the heat warp the locked one.
B they both seem to hang up after 360 degrees of rotation, then spin free until hitting that spot again…. how could only one spot on each have a high spot?

The cylinder popped apart while I was installing the new pads though it hadn’t been leaking before… not sure if I need to buy new or not…

[Author]

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