MORRIS MARINA BRAKE REPLACEMENT
Q
I have a 1970 Morris Marina 1.8 HL and wish to check and possibly replace the rear brake shoes and cylinders. Covering very few miles I have in the past had the brakes checked by a garage, but now I am retired and with more time on my hands I have decided to carry out the work myself. I have tackled such jobs in the past, but would like some assurance as to if I am carrying out the correct procedure.
I have jacked up and supported the car, then removed the rear wheel. There are two screws which appear to be there to hold the brake drum in place and I have removed these, but the drum will not come away. Is there anything else that should be released?
AI am presuming that you have a workshop manual that details the steps to be followed, and that this problem is not adequately covered in there. I also assume that the brake drums are spinning freely and that when you mention that they are not coming away, this indicates that there is no movement at all away from the hub.
It can be the case that the brake shoes will need de-adjusting to allow the brake drum to come past the small ridge that will often occur in the unswept edge of the inside face. Then, if it is the case that the brake drum still does not appear to be coming free from the hub, this is most likely due to the corrosion that occurs between the hub and the drum. The answer is normally to give the outside face of the drum a sharp tap with a hammer. This should be hit on the flat face from which you have removed the retaining screws. This normally has the effect of bouncing the drum away from the hub. You should avoid hitting the edge of the drum as this can not only distort it, but can also cause it to shatter.
Once the drum has been removed, to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem it is advisable to put a smear of copper grease around the flange of the drum where it contacts that hub. This will help prevent the build-up of rust which promotes the problem.