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How to remove stuck rear brake drums Felicia 1.3


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Hi, I would appreciate any help on how to remove the brake drums of a Felicia 1.3 GLX. I have seen some videos on youtube where you must hammer the drums but I am afraid to brake something. How about using 12 x 70 mm bolts to release the drums? Thanks.

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This is usually fairly standard irrespective of exact model:-

  1. Jack up car and support on axle stands
  2. Back off rear brake adjusters as far as possible
  3. Give the backplate a sharp tap near the wheel cylinder to get the shoes to retract.
  4. The drums should now pull off (using a puller if necessary).

On some models, it is necessary to remove the outer wheel bearing in order to remove the drum.

In a few extremely extreme cases I've heard of drums being so worn that you can't retract the shoes far enough to pull the drum off.

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The adjusters aren't accessible from the outside, it's a little serrated wedge that forces one of the struts open. On one of the many Fel's I broke I needed to get the drums off, and the only way was to lever them off against the back plate as the drum had worn enough for the shoes to be inside a recess (about 1mm). Not that easy, but not that hard. In my experience, hammering them will be a waste of time, you need to progressively wedge them from each side of the drum in turn to get it off. I had one that was so worn that the only way I could get them off was to destroy the spring hold-down hardware (from the back of the brake plate) to allow the shoes to 'hinge' a bit to get it off. I think Tom would refer to this as "pikeying" it, and so would I! Did the job though, the hold-down hardware was only a couple of quid.

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Felicia drum brakes never get seized from rust only (as you saw on youtube), so you don't need to bash them a lot with a hammer.

When too much or uneven worn out, drums form an inner ridge (lip) that might prevent shoes to slide past it.

In any case you have to use a proper screwdriver to pry UP a small springed wedge that keeps shoes close to drum.

See photos below for rear LEFT wheel. Front of the car is to the left.

db1rl_zps4bcc044a.jpg

PRY UP

db2rl_zps0bbfb427.jpg

WEDGE DETAIL INSIDE

Edited by adurer
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Thank you very much for your support. I would try to "paraphrase you" so I can understand the procedure in my own words:

You suggest to use a screwdriver (like in the first photo) to attempt to release one of the ends of the springs that support the shoes, by doing so, the pressure of the shoes against the drum will be loosened and I will be able to remove it. Is it correct?

I am sorry but since I am not a English native speaker, it takes some time for me to understand. Thanks anyway.

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Ok I think I got it. I have to use the screwdriver as a lever and try to move it up (not the spring) but the tip of a mechanism that will release the pressure of the shoes. OK I am not an expert mechanic but I love to learn.

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I am glad you guys have the same car as mine. I've got many many questions. Breakes are just the tip of the iceberg. The next issue we must talk about is why my car is so weak. I have performed a engine rebuild 3 months ago with the hope it will get better, but it is still the same, I have cleaned the carburetor, I have checked the electric system. The spark-plugs are always covered with carbon, I have to clean them regularly. Additionally, this little monster is sucking too much fuel and for being a 1.3 liters engine, it so so dissapointed, it is sucking my wallet out and I don't like that! But I still don't want to give up, I still think is a good car, my wife is really mad at me, blaming me all the time for such a bad purchase, she wants to sell it ASAP.

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Create a new topic and I will tell you how to fix your carburetor to get normal consumption. If you can, upload on youtube a video showing your engine running at idle.

Inicia un nuevo tema y yo le dirá cómo arreglar el carburador para conseguir un consumo normal.. Si puede, sube a youtube un video que muestra el motor en marcha al ralentí.

Edited by adurer
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Adurer thank you very much for your support. Creating a video and uploading on youtube is not possible at the time. Thanks anyway.

We can solve it even without that video, if you give us as many details as possible.

I repaired many carburetor cars in Warsaw. They used to 'drink' 16-17 liters/100 km (16 MPG !!) exactly like yours.

But I feel your wife won the match... :)

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Thanks for those pictures of the rear drums adurer. these will help somebody out for sure...

No problem. Like I said, I have in my jewish lair :) tons of photos and illustrations about Felicia.

I prefer posting annotated images, rather than writing. Guess I'm kind of lazy :think:

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I will iniciate a new post. I am thinking to provide more information about my carburetor with photos.

Pall, given where you live, could you indicate whether or not your car's previous owner lived at a significantly different altitude when you do?

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Yes, In fact I live at 2,850 meters over sea level, that's very high! And the former owner of this car surely lived at the same altitude, by judging at the car's number plate that belongs to where I reside.</p>

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Yes, In fact I live at 2,850 meters over sea level, that's very high! And the former owner of this car surely lived at the same altitude, by judging at the car's number plate that belongs to where I reside.</p>

That's ok then; I was thinking in terms of, if the car had come in from the coast, or down from even higher, you needed to retune the mixture and timing but if it's been kept local to you that doesn't apply, so it's just fault diagnosis and finding.

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Hey, I've been trying to remove those stupid brake drums without any result, in fact I use a screwdriver as lever to push up the mechanism with that spring and what I caused is a new problem: the spring fell off inside the drum and now the shoes don't work (which worries me a lot!) and you can hear a sound of the spring rolling with the drum when you drive the car. The brakes are weaker, I have to be very careful!

I hammered the bloody drum for half an hour and nothing! I even use a couple of 12x60mm bolts to get sufficient pressure to release the drum and I think I've worsen the situation! Now I'm really preocupied, what if I broke something inside! I think I am missing something regarding a big nut "remove the large nut and split pin holding the drum on" (I don't understand this part), which nut? the one that is on the wheel axis?

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It is not a good idea to drive your car with that spring moving inside....

Here is how to get brake drum out.

1) Remove cap 9. Use a rubber hammer to loosen it, then a screwdriver to pry it off

2) Remove split pin 8

3) Remove castellated element 10

4) Unscrew nut 7

5) Pull out drum 5. Bearing 6 and washer 11 will come out when doing that.

rearbrakejob_zpsa4b3205f.jpg

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Hey, guess what folks, I FINALLY DID IT! Thanks to the last illustration provided by Adurer, I am very happy! But I had the brilliant (or stupid perhaps) idea of removing the old black dirty grease with a brush and gasoline. I cleaned the drum very carefully, and I greased it again using a darkblue-color grease: ABRO HIGHEST GRADE, #3 Synthetic lithium grease, NLGI 3, penetrating range 220-250, dropping point 288ºC, viscosity index 145. I hope I didn't use the wrong grease!

I couldn't remove the shoes, it was very difficult, the horizontal tension springs were very hard to move away but the shoes seem to be in a still good condition (????), you need to see them by yourselves through a photo. Perhpas if Mr. Adurer can explain us how to release the shoes I will do it next time.

The tension spring that I have previously broken was there, but without one of its ends, I just had to use the same one streching it (sorry it was Sunday!) so it reached a hole on the lower part of the left shoe. A big horizontal tension spring that joints the shoes below, was affected by the 12x60mm bolt that I clumsily used to release the drum!

I think some grease leaked into the drum because at the beginning I couldn't notice any improvement, but after driving a while, the brakes worked wonderfully!

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