Evening everyone, hoping someone can help me out a bit here. 

I've recently bought a MK1 Octavia 1.9 sdi, and it isn't without it's problems.

The first problem I've encountered is a sinking brake pedal, brakes worked well but pedal started to sink, was waiting for some clearer weather to have a look at bleeding the brakes up.
before i had a chance to do that i lost my pedal completely, traced this to a piston popping off drivers rear wheel cylinder, so i ordered a new wheel cylinder and set about fitting it, fitted it with no issues bled the system up with an eazibleed all was well until I went to check the pedal and it was firm them sunk to floor rapidly with a pool of brake fluid under the rear brake drum.


stripped it down to take a look and found the shoe has slipped off the piston and the piston popped out AGAIN making me wonder if there was even an issue with the wheel cylinder to start with but, cleaned everything up and inspected all the parts and reassembled. upon reassembling I noticed that it seems as if the right hand brake shoe was sitting too close to the backing plate.

i could pull the shoe forwards into a better position but it would not stay there, it seems almost as there should be something on the backing plate to stop the shoe hitting it but i'm unsure.

has anyone experienced anything similar and may be able to give some advice please?

Possibly/probably need some replacements for some little plastic bits that the shoe is meant to sit against. Item 2A here: back plate; wheel brake cylinder; brake shoe with ... - Octavia(OCT) [EUROPA 2003 year] (7zap.com) (would be better if they were named 'anti-friction washer' I think). three per shoe/ 6 per side, I think.

Probably cheaper from a dealership/TPS than from ebay.  Try Mike at Coverdale Carparts for genuine bits by post.

 

View that first link on a computer rather than a phone if it seems to be missing vital columns of information.

Edited 11 March, 20215 yr by Wino

i had a sticky drum brake issue on my mk1, i just replaced everything back there to be honest.. shoes, spring sets, cylinders and drums.. 

it was all original at the time so about 10yrs old...

 

id say wino may have it though with the washers above..

Edited 11 March, 20215 yr by mac11irl

5 minutes ago, Wino said:

Possibly/probably need some replacements for some little plastic bits the the shoe is meant to sit against. Item 2A here: back plate; wheel brake cylinder; brake shoe with ... - Octavia(OCT) [EUROPA 2003 year] (7zap.com) (would be better if they were named 'anti-friction washer' I think). three per shoe/ 6 per side, I think.

Probably cheaper from a dealership/TPS than from ebay.  Try Mike at Coverdale Carparts for genuine bits by post.

 

View that first link on a computer rather than a phone if it seems to be missing vital columns of information.

Hi Wino, Thank you for the reply, looking at that info it appears to be exactly what I need to remedy my problem! Thank you!

1 minute ago, mac11irl said:

i had a sticky drum brake issue on my mk1, i just replaced everything back there to be honest.. shoes, spring sets, cylinders and drums.. 

it was all original at the time so about 10yrs old...

 

id say wino may have it though with the washers above..

I was thinking about just replacing it all as well, as had seen Euros do a fully assembled kits, I'm gonna try ordering the washers and see if that gets me by for now!

I'm not sure if the Octavia workshop manual features the same instruction, but in the Mk1 Fabia manual there's the following line that I can't helping thinking the odd apprentice must have read and  misunderstood catastrophically. 

The plastic bits referred to here as 'sliding blocks':

 

Sliding block
❑ Cover the whole contact surface of the brake shoe with solid lubricant paste - G 000 650-

 

 

 

 

Edited 11 March, 20215 yr by Wino

1 minute ago, Wino said:

I'm not sure if the Octavia workshop manual features the same instruction, but in the Mk1 Fabia manual there's the following iline that I can't helping thinking the odd apprentice must have read and  misunderstood catastrophically. 

The plastic bits referred to here as 'sliding blocks':

 

Sliding block
❑ Cover the whole contact surface of the brake shoe with solid lubricant paste - G 000 650-

 

 

 

 

haha aye I can imagine that being an issue once or twice like! oh dear!!!

Managed to source some of the little plasticy nylon slide block thingys! ebay was very expensive looking at £20-£30 for a pack, tried coverdale but TPS came out on top 71p each and can collect on my way home from work so can get them fitted today! fingers crossed it solves the problem! 

Nice work.  Please let us know how you get on. 

10 minutes ago, Wino said:

Nice work.  Please let us know how you get on. 

I certainly will, you'll know if its no good because I'll be on wingeing haha

Didn't sort it.. decided to not even mess around and I'm picking up a whole rear axle off a mk1 that has the disc brake set up 🤣🤣

i got as far as "whole rear axle" and thought.... thats an extreme way to fix your brakes!

Perhaps is a bit on the extreme side, but I've never ever got on with drum brakes lol, I know they work and aren't as bad as most people think but I  hate working on them, with a passion. Disc conversion it is haha 

Thank you to everyone that has contributed advice and info 👍

Sorry for the bum steer, I can only speculate that the backplate is distorted or something.

I quite like your proposed fix. 

 

No need to apologise my friend, it was worth a punt for 71 pence each haha, I thought there may be an issue with the backing plate but I managed to source a whole rear disced set up for 60 quid so can't moan haha