You'll all be pleased to note the annual "pre-Le Mans Commer problem" reared it's ugly head at the weekend and involves a Modern Commer Brake Replacement.
I've tried to avoid applying my mind to replacing the rear brake shoes for the past five years. This is because I knew the O/S outer oil seal in the hub was perished and weeping and I'd have to withdraw the half shaft to put a new rubber on to stop it dribbling over my feet. As the years went by the weep had turned into the worst flood since 607 Squadron flew over the Ruhr Valley a while back. This job was going to involve a degree of something known as time and effort and what with me and me bad back etc I really wasn't keen to get involved. Last year the MOT man gave me an advisory note about the low Kg's registering on the rolling road; what he actually said was- "Did you know one of your rear brakes doesn't work. Nor does the handbrake and your master cylinder is leaking too". So I promised faithfully I'd get it all attended to, and trotted off merrily down the road with my pass certificate sniggering to myself that all was well for another twelve months. Unfortunately, time has flown by and in readiness for the forthcoming MOT I started thinking about getting stuck in. Actually I did nothing except put it off, until the weather turned really sh1t...
So last weekend I set to with a rather damp sense of optimism; of course this quickly turned to woe. On removing the drum I found something resembling the product of Sapton Treacle Mine. The whole thing was compacted with a congealed and noxious mix of 38-year-old Hypoid SAE90 and asbestos powder. I never thought this was going to be a piece of cake and that a bit of humping and grunting would be required. Nevertheless, what I hadn't banked on was the contrast between what the manual said I needed to do and what was actually involved. Phrases like- "using a suitable extractor slide the bearing down the shaft" actually mean "go and get a lump hammer and cold chisel and smash the f**k*ng SKF-6307 bastard thing to a thousand pieces and then get in the car and drive to Shoreham to pay £37.98 to replace the perfectly good one you've just destroyed in order to fit a 75p rubber seal”.
Another phrase open to an alternative interpretation is "replace the worn brake shoes with the new ones". Simple you might think, but no, it really means "get back in the car and drive yet again to Shoreham, (taking care to note you were there less than three hours ago) to exchange the 10 inch diameter shoes they sold you because your drums are 9 inch dia..."
Anyway, this is what it looks like now; I'd better get on to it sometime before 13th June. Well I will if I can ever get my breath back, that asbestos dust is a right bugger on the lungs isn't it?
