So I spent the greater part of the day repairing a rear wheel cylinder on my 64 Cutlass. Being that I've never dealt with drums before, I tried to educate myself on the drum assembly as much as possible. I purchased a service manual and read through that but it really wasn't much help. I ended up using the other rear drum as reference which helped but I would have felt more comfortable with some sort or detailed instruction. Would a Haynes book be helpful? Any other suggestions? Youtube videos are great, just not always applicable.

 

When you say you purchased a service manual, you mean you purchased the set of five, which is what Olds put out for 1964? If you don't have these, or at least the one for the brakes, you can see it online for free at the wildaboutcars.com website.

But I doubt there is any manual that will give you the kind of detail you think you're looking for. I've experienced the same thing you have with drum brakes. All those springs and levers and everything seemingly held together by bailing wire and glue is intimidating.

I found the best thing to do is to take a good, detailed, up-close photo of the brake assembly before taking it apart, and then printing that out and keeping it right next to you as you go to reassemble everything. Also, as you say, it helps to have the brake drum off on the other side to run around and look at if necessary, just keeping in mind that everything is a mirror image.

In the end, though, I've found that the best way to learn to do these is to just do them. There's nothing like experience to get the hang of it, and you really can't break anything by assembling something wrong.

 

A Haynes manual is beyond useless in my experience. Get the 5-volume 1964 factory service manual set. They're on ebay all the time.

I have said it many times. You cannot beat the service manual that was published by the manufacturer. They are written for dealer service techs and have all kinds of photographs, diagrams and drawings of how things are laid out and put together.

You did good by not taking both sides apart at the same time. I've known more than one novice mechanic who did that and then had no idea how the brakes were supposed to go back together, and nothing to reference.

 

The 5-volume factory Service Manual set is on Wild About Cars. All in clear downloadable .pdf format. Free

Wild About Cars. http://wildaboutcars.com. An information supersource, especially Oldsmobile. More Olds content than anywhere else on the internet and continuing to grow.
You'll find Chassis Service Manuals, Product Information Manuals (AKA Assembly Manuals), Inspector's Manuals, and other documents that will contain this and much much more.
Dealer Brochures, magazine ads and articles, and a home page for you online. You can even have your very own club there and a personal forum.
Free to join, free to learn.

 

I do have the 5 volume factory manual PDF, which I purchased off ebay, had I known about wildaboutcars I could have saved myself $30. But anyway, good information from everyone above thanks!