Checking brakes and... squirt

[jdbubb at verizon.net (Dan Bubb)]

You really shouldn't be pressing on the brake pedal without the drum in place. 
The pistons in cylinder will never move the same amount so it's easy to have one actually come out of the bore, fill the boot with fluid and squirt it once it's full.
Basically, just push the tops of the shoes back and forth to make sure the pistons are free, pull the edge of the boot back with a small screwdriver and make sure there's no fluid in the boot that would indicate a leak. Alternatively, just buy new cylinders. They're cheap.
Again, you shouldn't press the brake pedal without the drum in place, either to check for piston movement or to bleed the brakes. Having to take everything apart to get a piston back in the bore and risk damaging its seal is a real PITA.
Dan

From: "Jacob Hawes" <gr8hunter1@comcast.net>
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 11:37 PM
Subject: Checking brakes and... squirt


>I know that I at least started this e-mail about a week ago but I just 
> upgraded my computer and with that I reinstalled windows, so if I 
> already said this just flame me. This is actually the third time I have 
> tried sending this in the past couple of days, perhaps it will go 
> through this time.
> 
> I finally took the time to look at my rear brakes and once I got in 
> there I realized that I have no idea what I'm doing. Well thats how you 
> learn, right? So I followed the book's directions and got my brother to 
> press the brake pedal while I look at the brake to see if everything is 
> moving correctly. It isn't. One of the pistons sticks at first and one 
> or the other won't go out all the way. Then I notice that the rubber 
> around the piston began to swell. I pushed on it a little (this is with 
> the pedal mostly depressed) and brake fluid squirts a few feet away. 
> What is going on? Is it time to take it to a pro?
> 
> -- 
>   --Jacob Hawes
> Cars:
>   '80 Scirocco mk1 searching for a name
> Sharp pointy things:
>   18" HI Kobra "pillow knife"
>   17.5" HI Ang Khola Villager "camp axe"
>   ~48" Custom XVII longsword. unnamed
> My Photobucket:
> http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v310/yoippari/
> 
> 
> 
> 
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