Itinerant Air-Cooled

I am suspecting the drums at this point. This has been going on for a while actually. Last month I replaced the shoes and the adjusting stars. Also replaced the pads up front for what that's worth.

Method: jack up vehicle, put in neutral, take off E-brake tighten front adjusters until wheel does not move. Back off on adjusters a couple of clicks so the wheel moves but I can feel and hear resistance.
1 to 2 weeks later repeat

Any suggestions?

Make sure those little metal tabs are holding down the stars. Also, I have to readjust the brakes after driving the car around the block the 1st time. Things settle in right away.

So if they aren't I would need a new backing plate, no? Has anyone been able to bend them back into place?

James Dwan wrote:So if they aren't I would need a new backing plate, no? Has anyone been able to bend them back into place?

Go adjust your brakes AGAIN. Get a small flat chisel and tap the edge of the anchor in between the star teeth valleys so as to raise a little divet that helps to stop the star wheel from turning. Dab the valley at the divet with some of your wife's fingernail polish (the red stuff I know you have it, I put some on the timing scale), and see if the mark is gone the next time your brakes seem to be down again.

The Road Warrior used to require frequent brake adjustments after new shoes, because they would have to wear into the major groove in the drum (half a million miles will do that).
Colin

Amskeptic wrote:Get a small flat chisel and tap the edge of the anchor in between the star teeth valleys so as to raise a little divet that helps to stop the star wheel from turning. Dab the valley at the divet with some of your wife's fingernail polish (the red stuff I know you have it, I put some on the timing scale), and see if the mark is gone the next time your brakes seem to be down again.

You got some splaining to do... anchor? Not sure if you are talking about the slotted screw that lives inside the adjusting star well or the tab beneath it.
Can you draw me a picture?

James Dwan wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:Get a small flat chisel and tap the edge of the anchor in between the star teeth valleys so as to raise a little divet that helps to stop the star wheel from turning. Dab the valley at the divet with some of your wife's fingernail polish (the red stuff I know you have it, I put some on the timing scale), and see if the mark is gone the next time your brakes seem to be down again.

You got some splaining to do... anchor? Not sure if you are talking about the slotted screw that lives inside the adjusting star well or the tab beneath it.
Can you draw me a picture?

The anchor is that big hunk of iron that both adjusters fit into. The starwheels rotate inside of them. So, if you want to stop them from rotating because the little spring holder deals are long gone, you just look in the adjusting hole and you can see that hunk o' iron that the starwheels butt up against. Clang it with a chisel to dimple the surface that the starwheels thrust against to help hold them.
Or you can replace the backing plates.
Colin

Groovy man, I guess that it will make a bit more difficult for the star to rotate backwards but not too difficult to adjust. =D>

James Dwan wrote:Groovy man, I guess that it will make a bit more difficult for the star to rotate backwards but not too difficult to adjust. =D>

Let me know if it works for you.
Colin

I ended up bending the little tabs back into position with needle nose pliers. I actually hear a click every time I rotate the stars now. Hopefully that will fix it.

So I bent the tabs and thought I was done but the brakes just didn't feel right. There was no air to speak of but I bled them again anyway. This was a weekly thing, adjusting, bleeding but they never felt "right."

So after watching the fireworks 3 weeks ago I move my Bus into the garage. There is brake fluid underneath the master cylinder. I looked and couldn't find out where it was coming from. We bled again the next evening and I watched the MC when the wife hit the brakes. A large amount of fluid dripped out. It was coming out of the center of the switch!

Evidently the fluid punched a hole in the plastic between the spade connectors. I replaced it with one that I had on the bench, checked the brake lights and went to bed.

a week later I notice my brake lights aren't working so I replace both switches. Brake lights work and the brakes feel "right" for the first time in a long time.

Question: could air get into my system through the switches but not allow fluid to escape?

also you can replace the rear brake assembly with the self adjusting unit off a Vanagon. I think the year is 86..I plan on doing that as I get sick of adjusting em too in my gravel driveway.. Ouch!

Oh that would be heaven, I'm sure my neighbors think I have no idea what I'm doing. Working on my Bus all the time
I'll look into that!

I drive 60 miles a day and those $#%!s in their sports cars make me hit my brakes a bit more than necessary...

James Dwan wrote:Oh that would be heaven, I'm sure my neighbors think I have no idea what I'm doing. Working on my Bus all the time
I'll look into that!

I drive 60 miles a day and those $#%!s in their sports cars make me hit my brakes a bit more than necessary...

The switch plastic/shell interface could act like a one-way valve, under vacuum, it lets in air, under pressure it seals the plastic to the shell.

HotCol

Bleyseng wrote:also you can replace the rear brake assembly with the self adjusting unit off a Vanagon. I think the year is 86..I plan on doing that as I get sick of adjusting em too in my gravel driveway.. Ouch!

I believe Karl (RIP) had an excellent article about this over on the other VW forum. Might want to take a look for it.

I'll look for it. Thanks!