16" brake refurb thread **with a question**

[lloydy]

I've decided I'm going to attempt to redo my brakes myself, will hopefully start to strip down near the end of the week. Going to give it a few days of plusgas soaking the unions.
Parts I've got
Front discs and pads
Brickwerks brake flexi's
2 X bleed nipples
8 X union spring clips
Rear brake pads
Rear drum spring kit
2 X handbrake cables (drums to compensator)

So, any top tips welcome. Think I'll get some mole grips for the bleed nipples.
I'll fill this thread full of photo's, as I find it hard to find any 16" specific info

[jed the spread]

Use the right sized spanner for the nipples as they will snap off for sure then you will need new calipers. Get (or borrow mine) the bleed pipe with the one way valve on to make it a one man easy job and also the sequence of bleeding them

jed

[lloydy]

Cheers, I have one of the one man bleed things. Brake pipe unions are 11mm, bleed nipples I don't know the size of.
Might borrow your scaffold pole though, so I can get the hub nut off the rear.
Don't suppose there is any harm in leaving the brake system empty for a while is there?
Not to sure how long the drum spring kit will take to arrive.

[jes*b]

Any chance of pictures to go with? Good luck

[lloydy]

There will be lots of pictures i like pictures. Will be a few days before i start though

[futbus]

Lloyd, you dont need to take the 46mm nut off unless you plan on taking the back plate off. As jed says always use the correct size spanners and if you have some brake spanners which grip most of the corners and not the flats. You can always use an old ring spanner and cut a slot into it to make one. The bleed nipples are always worth trying to undo first as your be pissed off doing all the work then find you cant bleed the system due to siezed nipples.

Dave

[lloydy]

Cheers Dave, so even if I want to change the springs ect in the drums, the hub nut can stay on? That's good news, as from memory I though some of the springs were behind the hub. I'm hoping a week soaking in plus gas will free the bleed nipples off. Just in case, do you know a place to get rear wheel cylinders for a 16"

[syncropaddy]

I would get new rear wheel cylinders as a matter of course. I would also bleed out all the old fluid. Because you are changing out the flexi hoses you may have difficulty with the old ones so be careful. I have a brake pipe tool, fittings and pipe ( not the copper rubbish but proper pipe) as a standby.

[lloydy]

I would get new rear wheel cylinders as a matter of course.

i will do that, seems a good idea.
Changing the fluid is a certainty. Looks like some of the flexi connector unions have been touched in recent history as they are pretty clean, a couple are quite rusty, and one is chewed up, passenger side front. It looks to me as though this pipe has been cut a bit shorter as the metal L bracket seems to be bent into the chassis a bit more than the other side. Been out following the pipe runs, found a couple broken clips which i'll need to source inc on the pipe on the chassis rail between the two front brakes (above front diff) Wont be able to get to that, quite a short run though.
Just wondering as well, the fitting/pipe end on the brake pipe that screws into the flexi it is flared isn't it?

[KINGPRAWN]

Get or blag the shoe adjusting tool before you adjust the handbrake!!....I didn't....a***!!!!

[lloydy]

Round 1, victory of man over machine!
Old Disc and caliper


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Disc and caliper just about fell off, not rusted on stone shield seen better days


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side by side, and new one fitted


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Removed old pads from caliper, quite a difference old to new


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Fitted new disc


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All went very well, both calipers have gone to my neighbour who is going to open the calipers right up, fit the pads in and replace the bleed nipples, as i would probably end up snapping them off. (thanks to jed for answering the phone, and doing a flying visit)
Supprised how easy the brake unions undone, undid with no effort at all
Round two will be to fit the calipers and undo the flexi unions at the chassis end, where it looks as though someone has already mullered one of them. So this could be a stumbling block, the wetness is penatrating fluid


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[Yozza]

If you need any caliper service parts, I found these fellas very useful...BrakeParts

[lloydy]

Ok, thanks for that

[lloydy]

Get or blag the shoe adjusting tool before you adjust the handbrake!!....I didn't....a***!!!!

What went wrong?

[syncrosimon]

You can just tell that your syncro is gonna love you for that refurb.

Good work.