Adjustment, Fluid Change and Other Questions

[Clyde9]

From: bagorider  (Original Message)    
Sent: 5/20/2004 10:07 AM

Hello All.

I am trying to get my 74 Indian 26 ready for Memorial day.  I have learned that the rear brakes need adjustment.  Can anyone give me some procedure advice on this who has done it before?  ALSO I want to exchange all of the old brake fluid.  Is there an easy way for me to do this at home?  Or should I go to a specialty shop and let them deal with it...  I have calipers on the front.  I have checked out the master cylinder and boosters and lines everything looks clean and dry... The brakes work great.. The pedal goes all the way to the floor before the brakes start working... Do all these models have the dual brake boosters under the rig?  Mine does.  I know I have a lot of questions, but I do not have a manual.  I do have mechanical experience.

Thanks
BAGORIDER



From: JeepNut77    
Sent: 5/20/2004 10:26 AM

I can tell you how I just adjusted me brakes before bringing the 73 home.
On the rear backing plates there are 2 small oblong rubber plugs at the 1:00 and 6:00 positions that you remove.  Jack up the side you are working on and when you remove the plug there is a star wheel just inside the hole.  I took a small well edged screwdriver to pry and move the wheel in a direction until the wheel would no longer turn easily...then backed it off a couple of notches.  There is a special tool made for this that looks like a spoon with a half circle cut out but you may not need it.  There is also a specific pattern in which to turn the star wheels but i always forget how it goes.  I think if you end up turning drivers side up or clockwise facing vehicle the passengers side goes in the opposite direction or down(counter clockwise).  It was a busy day but i think that is what i ended up doing.



From: Liv42dayOK    
Sent: 5/20/2004 8:33 PM



From: Im-still-Lefty  (Original Message)    
Sent: 5/20/2004 7:59 PM

I have a service manual. I am going to scan the brake section in and e-mail
it to you. It may take me a few messages to keep under the 2mb attachment
limit, so look for an e-mail from me with an attachment. Lefty



From: denison    
Sent: 5/20/2004 8:50 PM

I would think the reason your pedal goes so far toward the floor is because there is air still in the brake system. If you have the M400 or M500 chassis there should be 2 hydrovac boosters mounted to the drivers side frame rail, toward the back. They have bleed screws on their upper sides. You need to bleed them along with everything else. I would spray penetrating oil on all of those fittings and give them a while to think. You can get a box end wrench over them, or a flare nut wrench, but it must be a 6 point wrench, not a 12 point. I think the size is 7/16ths. When you retighten them, bear in mind the small size of the screw. People commonly over-tighten the bleed screws. When you are bleeding it is essential to keep the master cylinder reservoirs from running empty, because if that happens you get to do the bleeding again.
You should bleed the boosters with the engine turned off I believe. If the master cylinder is just recently installed, it should have been bled on the bench before it was mounted in the wheel well, or there may still be tiny bubbles in it, and you will have spongy pedal. If the master cylinder is not new, I like to syphon the old fluid from the reservoir, and start with fresh fluid. I just use DOT3, and it can take almost a quart for me to do a complete bleeding. I accept that I am going to get the stuff all over me. After you have bled the boosters, it can be useful to open up the fitting where the metal lines connect to the brake hoses running to the rear axle, and bleed the air from here, then to do the wheel cylinders. Mine has drum brakes on the front axle, but if I had discs up front, I would compress the pistons into the calipers bore with a big C clamp, and run them back out with the brake pedal. I would do this at least twice on each side, to help lube the bores of the calipers, and work out the amount of muck that is in there. If you havent had those calipers apart in a few years, it would be even better to dismantle them and get them really clean - putting in a new piston seal and dust boot at the same time.

I bleed my brakes each year. Even so, I am now replacing the wheel cylinders again, due to rust inside.



From: bagodriver26    
Sent: 5/22/2004 1:03 PM

Thanks.

I have decided to have a local specialty shop bressure bleed the system for me.  This is going to save me a big headache and also address any safety issues.
Thanks.
Bagorider