I'm refurbishing the rear drum brakes on my '70 Cutlass S and have a couple of simple (I hope) questions. I'm replacing just about every piece except for the ones not found in a rebuild kit, the wheel cylinder link pins in particular. I've cleaned up the originals and am ready to install them into new wheel cylinders.

Question 1: should I use a lubricant on the ends of the link pins where they slide into the cylinder boots? If so, what lubricant to use - brake fluid? grease?

Question 2: the CSM says to lubricate the adjusting screw and backing plate ledges with "brake lubricant, Part No. 1050110 or equivalent". What's an acceptable lubricant to use here?

Obviously I'm a first timer at this, so any guidance would be appreciated.

 

I just did this same job on my '71 Cutlass, and went completely through them too. I just cleaned up the pins on the wheel cylinders and made sure the emergency brake cable was moving freely.

 

I have never lubed the pins. The self adjuster I put either some bearing grease in the hole, screw it all the way in and then remove the excess or use anti-seize on it in the same fashion. Either will work just fine.

 

Permatex silicone disc brake grease works on drum brakes for the hardware and to lube the wheel cylinder pistons during assembly, probably any popular brand.
It's just a non-organic high temperature grease so it doesn't eat the rubber dust boot rubber or melt.
Mechanics that I worked with back in these car's day used brake fluid for the wheel cylinder pistons and white lithium wheel bearing grease for the backing plate contact points and hardware.
I use the brake grease because I have a million of those little free ketchup packets of the stuff from car events.
I hate when I mistake one for blue ketchup at lunch.

 

White lithium grease or pretty much any similar substance is good for those rub points. It really doesn't have to be anything special, since there is neither great force nor great movement there. I'm kinda partial to a clear, red grease-gun grease used for bulldozer pivots, myself. In the long run, whatever you use will attract abrasive grit and wash away, though, so it's kind of not super important.

- Eric

 

Thanks for the quick responses guys! None of my brake repair kits came with any packets of grease, but the local parts store had them for a buck and a half. I'm good to go now.

Bluevista, I stopped for Chinese food on the way home from the store, and the brake lube packet looked alot like the soy sauce packets that came with my fried rice!