We had a mixed day today.
I spent a couple hours finishing moving my woodworking tools to the front of the garage to clear space for the engine when it comes out. I still have a ways to go, I need to replace the garage door on that side so I can roll things in and out.
I started the day by trying to remove the exhaust manifold since we are going to pull the block in the not too distant future. Unfortunately, the first bolt on the passenger side sheared off, and I am not able to get the breaker bar on the second bolt so I am working on it with heat and a wrench, and soaking it in oil overnight.
Broken exhaust manifold stud
Once I decided it was time for the oil to have a chance to work, as a backup I moved on to the exhaust manifold bolts themselves. While turning the first one, I heard a small “crack”, I thought it was the bolt breaking free, but after a quick examination, it turns out there must have been an existing crack, or at least weak spot in the manifold…
Cracked Manifold
I broke a few more of the bolts free, then I decided I should brake, I mean switch to, something else… SO I decided it was time to pull the drums for the front brakes.
The drivers side wheel hub spun easily, the cotter pin and castle nut came off nice and easy, and the grease was still fluid and not dried/caked. The outer bearings pulled out easily and still had grease packed in them and look like they are moving freely, the drum slid right off the spindle, it could not have come off any smoother.
Bearing coming out
The inside of the drum looked pretty good, minimal corrosion and there wasn’t grease everywhere around the housing.
Inside the drivers side front brake
Then I moved to the passenger side. On this side the drum didn’t turn by hand, it spun when we got it on the trailer and off and into the garage, but it was pretty tight. I removed the cotter pin and the castle nut spun off easily and was still well greased, some of the grease had broken down and liquefied it looked like, but the outer bearings looked to be in good shape still.
The drum on the other hand, was held pretty tightly by the brake shoes I suspected. With some persuasion, the drum came off and things looked fairly good inside. The was some sign the cylinder may have leaked, there was some corrosion around the cylinder, but all in all things were in fairly good shape structurally.
Into the passenger front brake
The best part about getting into the brakes today was finding the shoes look to be in good shape. Each side has at least a quarter inch of pad and looks to be in good shape.
As for the rest, we’ll get it, it just may take some more persuasion…