69 Notch Barracuda - Rebirth

[JAndrea]

Kinda mad I bought all new brake hardware for both sides. Had no idea there was a full set on the driver’s rear ;)

Looks like I’m a little late to finding live critters.

Took me a full afternoon to get the drum off. So much fun. Thank god for ice cold beer in 100 degree heat!

 

[moparmat2000]

Your better off replacing that 50 year old rusty crap with brand new parts anyway. RockAuto makes it cheap enough to replace

 

[moparmat2000]

Do you know how to initially set the brake self adjustors w a brake spoon? Theres a trick i learned from an old timer back in the 80s works well.

 

[JAndrea]

Your better off replacing that 50 year old rusty crap with brand new parts anyway. RockAuto makes it cheap enough to replace

Oh I know... I was totally kidding.

 

[moparmat2000]

Got me scared there for a minute

 

[JAndrea]

Air-powered cutting wheel (and about an hours worth of hard wire wheeling) makes for quick, surgical cleanup of old brake hardware. To save time, and since I already figured out how to remove the axles, Decided to just block and wedge a screwdriver handle behind the axle flange this time for stud removal. So quick. Just pull out on the flange and wedge it. Old nuts and a 4 lb hammer takes about 3 seconds to drive them out.

 

[JAndrea]

Got me scared there for a minute

 

[JAndrea]

Do you know how to initially set the brake self adjustors w a brake spoon? Theres a trick i learned from an old timer back in the 80s works well.

No, Do tell!

 

[moparmat2000]

Use brake spoon to run the brake adjustor wheels out and turn the drums until you feel and hear the shoes just about drag on the drums. Then pump the brakes. That centers up the shoes to the drums, then use the spoon to run the adjustors out again until you barely feel the shoes start to drag on the drums while turning them. At that point your pretty much set. The self adjustors will take it from there.

 

[moparmat2000]

Use brake spoon to run the brake adjustor wheels out and turn the drums until you feel and hear the shoes just about drag on the drums. Then pump the brakes. That centers up the shoes to the drums, then use the spoon to run the adjustors out again until you barely feel the shoes start to drag on the drums while turning them. At that point your pretty much set. The self adjustors will take it from there.

 

[moparmat2000]

If set right they will stop good. 4 wheel power drums can work decent. Its all in how they are adjusted from the get go.

 

[moparmat2000]

But a disc drum combo works better, 4 wheel discs are really overrated anyways. Its only eyecandy. Rears only do maybe 20% of the stopping.

 

[JAndrea]

But a disc drum combo works better, 4 wheel discs are really overrated anyways. Its only eyecandy. Rears only do maybe 20% of the stopping.

Sounds good to me... I have all new disc hardware up front. Just hoping the old calipers don’t leak, but not a big problem if they do. Live and learn.

 

[JAndrea]

Rear brake lines done. Parking brake cable out.

 

[JAndrea]

...

 

[Mike69barracuda]

How hard is it to remove the e brake assembly under the dash. Mine is frozen. I think my cables are shot.

 

[JAndrea]

How hard is it to remove the e brake assembly under the dash. Mine is frozen. I think my cables are shot.

I didn’t remove the entire assembly, only disconnected and removed the cable where it comes into the assembly. Everything looks pretty easy to remove. My seats are out, so I just laid a long, thick pad on the floor and put my feet toward the trunk. Super comfortable. Maybe the best thing you could do would be to take your driver’s seat out if tackling the removal. Take lots of pictures if you do. Also, use a headlamp and another source of light.

 

[JAndrea]

For the first time I have solid, working brakes!

I first bench-bled the master, which took about 100 strokes, or so, before all the air in the master had dissipated.

The rebuilt calipers, so far, haven’t leaked a drop. I did have to go back and forth from the bleed screws (traditional bleed method) I was working on to a few locations, such as the caliper flex hose connections to the hard lines, to tighten down a few leaks.

New E-brake Lines apply nicely.

Moving to the transmission...

 

[JAndrea]

...

 

[JAndrea]

Trans rebuild starting...

 

[JAndrea]

The trans has been, for most of the front half anyway, disassembled for a while.

I’m disassembling the rest of the way and will be moving toward cleaning and painting first, then disassembling the rear half and rebuilding everything with a Brewers kit.

 

[JAndrea]

Chasing out the threads brings up piles of gunk...

A couple of things to pay attention to here... there are two longer bolts, noted by the blue highlights. And one countersunk hole (yellow highlight) that takes the long shouldered bolt.

 

[JAndrea]

Tailshaft disassembly...

A snap ring on the front side removes the front half of the mechanicals. Then a large snap ring hidden in a slot toward the back side. Once that one is free and slid forward, just tap on the output side of the Main shaft with a beefy socket to free the bearing from its seat.

 

[Cuda68Scott]

You are on a roll this week, making me feel guilty with all that work! Glad to see your brake rebuilds all held, got my rebuilt calipers sitting on the shelf with my fingers crossed as they haven’t been tested yet.

 

[JAndrea]

You are on a roll this week, making me feel guilty with all that work! Glad to see your brake rebuilds all held, got my rebuilt calipers sitting on the shelf with my fingers crossed as they haven’t been tested yet.

I basically sit around for six months during the MN winter, so I have to make tracks when I can.

Excellent. I bought my pistons and seals through Rockauto, so hopefully they will hold on the road as well. Good luck!