Joys of the Hobbiest--Long Read

[jcmartin@xxxxxxxxx]

      Some of you may remember, my finishing a valve job on my 1939
Custom Imperial C24, 2hrs before heading to the Calif, State Imperial
Meet last year. 

   This year, more excitment !   I repaired a leaking front wheel cyl.
Rather than my usual Shade tree method of filling my oil drain pan with
water, setting it on my camp stove & boiling the fluid from the shoes, I
had new lining bonded to the shoes,  the drum turned .005 & shoes arced
to the drum.  The drum refused to slip over the shoes on re-assembly
until adjusting the heel & toe by trial & error. On backing out of the
garage, the rear wheel squealed in pain.  I remarked "Oh Shucks"  

     This years surprise was a simple leaking oil seal on a rear wheel,
lubricating the brake shoes.  I replaced
the lining, had the drum turned .005 & the shoes arced to the drum. (The
14 inch drums were standard)  The drum refused
to slip over the shoes.  de-ja vu all over again.

     I honed the cyl. but wasn't satisfied so
I sent a spare set of cylinders to Karps to have re-sleeved with
stainless.  On  connecting the brake line to the cyl. I noticed the line
wasn't "shiney" like steel, but more of a copper color.  I there upon
upgraded my previous "Oh Shucks"  remark to something more befitting &
purchased a seven piece set of steel brake lines. I reasoned, 27,000
miles on that copper line and how many miles previous, it was time for a
change.
 
     Now, if I'd known this job would NOT be simple, I would have
"backed" the car over my pit. However, knowing how simple the job was to
be, I just jacked up the wheel. Gadzooks, I remarked in amazement.  The
drum won't fit over the shoes.  

     We have now reached the point where 
the line must be replaced. I did finally access my pit & discovered the
fitting for the line to be replaced was on top of the axle housing,
covered with 63yrs. of oil, grease & dirt. Working  from the garage
floor AND the pit, naturally, the tool I needed at the time was in the
wrong place & inaccessible, without climbing in or out of the pit.  I'm
beginning to feel like Hugh & his Hemi oil filter.  :)

     The plot thickens !  The fun begins !
It's time to bend the new line with out kinking it & get it installed.
Then it's back to the heel & toe exercise. 

That's All Folks  (For now)
Jim