(help)

Hi

I was hoping to bleed the system on my recent purchase of a previously unloved felicia. The rear brake nipple came off pretty easily and I expected brake fluid to start leaking out but it didn't (?). In hind sight some loosening agent would be appropriate. I'll certainly look to getting some for the other brakes.

Any help on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. Do I need a whole new drum? go to a scrappie? anyway to get the nipple out? weld it back on?

Thanks!

New cylinder will do it, maybe £10 if not less. Easier than "fixing" it.

Same happened to me, and when I got the drum off and peeled back the rubber boot, I found the cylinder was leaking anyway. I think they mostly snap off when they're tightened more than they need to be. The wheel cylinder is held on by two bolts to the back plate, and the brake pipe (and the shoes themselves). IIRC the bolts holding the cylinders on can be a bit of a b*****r to get out and you'll probably need new ones of those too.

New cylinder will do it, maybe £10 if not less. Easier than "fixing" it.

Yep. New cylinder- easy fix. Get a proper brake union spanner to undo the pipe though.

Thank you for the helpful replies!!

Hopefully the other one won't break off

Get 'em both done at the same time, easy enough. They're usually weeping anyway, and if they go they'll wreck the shoes as well, and be a messy PITA to clean up.

You don't have to use the bleed nipple to purge air out of the brake lines a such, if you are desperate or penniless or both you can just slacken off the fluid union where the brake pipe meets the rear cylinder and bleed the air from there instead, i must admit it's messy doing it but it can help getting you out of a hole...