My 41 Olds has not been driven in 30 years and brakes are not operational (pedal to the floor with no resistance). The Master cylinder was empty and all lines appeared very healthy. Therefore, I filled up the master with DOT 3 fluid and tested if the pedal worked while the car moved just a few feet while idling. When I pushed the pedal, suddenly the brakes got locked. I jacked the car up again and checked all wheels and one front wheel is totally stuck. It is not from rust but rather because the brake shoes are tightly seized on a braking position. I disconnected the brake line for that wheel and nothing happened. Then tried all the tricks I learned watching videos and reading commentaries on how to remove a stuck drum with no success (you know, brake cleaner, tapping with hammer, heating, more brake cleaner, on and on. I tried to loosen the adjuster screw but unable to reach it well through the tiny cover in the backing plate. All those procedures seem more helpful for drums that are seized because of rust but this one seems to be locked by the actual brake shoes. Something failed in the brakes, either the wheel cylinder or springs. Whatever it is, I need to remove the drum to fix it but have no other ideas. Can you provide some tips on what else I can do to get this drum out? Thank you, Manuel

 

I’m not familiar with the 41 so bear with me if I’m off base. Does it have a parking brake adjustment hole? Can you be sure the parking brake is dialed in all the way? Sometimes loosening the shoes up at the bottom by messing with the parking brake helps loosen them up top where the slave cylinder is binding them.

 

This might be good advise if it were a rear drum... If you can't get to the adjuster, cut off the anchor pins that hold the brake shoes in place and then remove the drum.

 

Doubt that would work since shoes are pushed out by wheel cylinder, might try removing wheel cylinder bolts and pushing cylinder into drum area. Hopefully cylinder pressure on shoes will release and aloow drum removal.

 

Doctor's Olds,
Here is some FANTASTIC news for you, Ultimately.....for your 1941 Oldsmobile....
I have Brand New --- Front HUB & DRUM Assemblies, Rear Brake Drums --- both N.O.S. and Very U.S.A. made !!!!!, the Master Cylinder, all four Wheel Cylinders, all three Brake Hoses, Front Inner & Outer Wheel Bearings & Seals, Front & Rear Quality Brake Shoes,
And a whooooooole lot more !!!!!

Always best to simply call me --- Craig --- 516 - 485 - 1935....

 

I assume you have the spindle nut and washer removed, Is the tire still mounted to the drum? I would spray some PB blaster or similiar in the brake adjusting hole and try a brake spoon or possible a large screw driver in the and try to adjust that adjuster again. If not, with the tire on, try to work the tire forward and backward to see if you can get movement. Some times it takes patience for these kind of problems.

 

Work on that star adjuster would be my advise before you cut anything off. Chances are the cylinder piston is full of rust and stuck it self when it got a little movement for the first time in 30 years...... Tedd

 

I agree w/ zzcruzzin and Tedd Thompson, work to see if you get star adjuster to move. If you have the spindle nut and washer removed, you may be able to manually ’wiggle’ the drum a bit, side-to-side, in horizontal and vertical planes to push bearing out toward outer end of axle giving you more movement on the axle. Leave tire mounted (or remount), it provides more leverage to wiggle the drum and rotate wheel left/right

You want to be careful of hitting drum too much with a hammer. There is, no doubt, rust within brake drum environment and you may wind up lossening particulate that would otherwise simply be ‘resting’ on the inside wall of the backplate. brake shoes, etc. This could fall on articular areas, whether it be pivot or flat gliding surfaces complicating things further.

Hoses, neoprene boots, wheel cylinder cups ‘soft goods’ all deteriorate w/time (not trustworthy). After 30 yrs of sitting, general rust on/in a vehicle is almost inevitable. A hydraulic brake systems is alcohol based which attracts moisture making it more susceptible to complication(s).

Keep us posted on progress.

 

Quick footnote:
If you look to remove axle spindle nut, it could be either Left-hand or Right-Hand thread, depending which side (Driver or Passenger) of vehicle stuck brake drum is on.

 

I have had good luck with dynamite. Okay am just kidding. Tedd gave some good advice and there is nothing I can add. These things can be a real PIA. Good luck.

 

If you have a rivet gun and large flush head rivet set (second from right in the pic) you might bump around on the perimeter of the drum for while. It might free things up enough to remove the drum. I would wear ear plugs as this will be loud.

 

Thank you all, I kind of suspect the adjuster screw will be answer but the star gear does not spin and I tried multiple ways. There is a spring sitting on top of the gear and it is putting a lot of pressure on it. I was able to use some leverage to separate the spring from the star gear but despite that it still did not spin. I will try again tomorrow.

To update you this is what I did so far:

1) I loosened up the big nut on the spindle and remove the large washer.
2) After many attempts and too much hammering and heating there is some play, about 1/16 L to R and 1/32 Up to Down

This is what I will do tomorrow based on your advise:

1) Will mount the wheel again and try to rotate it
2) Will try removing the wheel cylinder bolt (but I still don't know which one is that, see photos below)
3) If no luck, will use a home made puller

Please look at these pictures and help me understand these 3 questions:

1). Does this drum appear to be a correct or even original style for 41?
2). Is the hub and the studs part of the drum, is pressed into it? will they come out together with the drum or will the drum slide over them?
3). What is that large bolt on the top of the backing plate for? (in orange circle). I loosened it all the way but nothing changed
4) What are the 2 square nuts welded to the outside of the drum for?

Thank you all very much.





R front backing plate

What is this large bolt for?
.

 

This may not help a bit, but.........crack open the rubber brake hose at the wheel cylinder and remove it. Opening the brake bleeder wouldn't hurt either. The brake shoes might relax.

 

Remove the spindle nut, washer, and bearing and see if you can wiggle the drum off.

 

The big nut at the top of the backing plate is part of the brake shoe separator assembly. Here’s a pic of the inside on the rear of my 1949. Different inside I’m sure, but that nut is a part of a similar assembly. The square welded “nuts” on the front of the drum are weights used for balance. They are not removable

 

Those brake drums are either original, or aftermarket from back in the day -- that looked like originals...
I had answered you, earlier, up above, that I have some original N.O.S. Front Hub & Drums -- and while they can come apart, it is wisest NOT to do so.... You are asking for additional trouble..... Why complicate things, when I have Perfection for you.....???

Those square things on the outside of the drum are "weights" --- used for balancing theHub & Drum Assemblies....

Good luck removing everything --- the GREAT news is I have everything Brand New !!!!! For you.

Craig --- 516 - 485 - 1935.... New York.....

 

Success! After several more hours doing all that several of you recommended the drum came off. May be for many members there is nothing new here but I want to share and document with a few photos what I did and how I did it in case it may be helpful for others. First I was able to wiggle the drum back and forth after removing nut, washer and cup. But it needed more and as suggested by several of you, the trick was on the adjuster screw which I was finally able to rotate. To accomplish that I went back to some books with diagrams of the backing plate and the photo provided by meineolds above (thank you for that)!. I got the best possible light to peek into the adjuster through the tiny opening in the backplate. Then sprayed plenty of brake cleaner to the thread and opposite end of the adjuster screw. The critical step was to separate the spring that was choking the adjuster using some leverage as shown in the photo (I inserted a triangular shape file and leverage it upwards with a punch). This left me with two free hands to operate an additional tool to push the star gear while I could hold a penlight straight into the hole. The star gear itself was very tight and I had to hit several times on the gear teeth using a long tool (only one I could fit was the proximal end of a small flat file). I repeated the procedure many times until I heard some spring noise and a "clang". I did not know if the noise was from the tool just sliding over the tooth as it did several times and hit the rear of the drum or was some movement of the gear. I was exhausted and thought nothing worked, so I got from under the car (very uncomfortable angle to see into that small window) and went for a break for few minutes. When I returned I decided to touch the drum and see what else I can come up with when to my surprise this thing started spinning but with a drag !! I repeated same procedure with the adjuster and the drum got totally free and I removed it uneventfully. The brake components are all there and there is not much of rust, as expected. This was a malfunction of the old cylinder and the brakes remained tightly applied. I will start working on fixing and replacing what is defective. Thank you Craig at mobileparts for your offer.



View of plate from under the car with the 2 tools needed to push the spring upwards to release adjuster gear




View of the plate from outside showing tool in position holding the spring



Backing plate assembly looks fine.

Thank you all again, The only sure thing is that as I begin to learn how to do things, more questions will come!

 

If I can make a suggestion, when you clean everything up. Apply a little bit of Die Electric grease to the threads of the "Star Adjuster, it will keep moisture out and turning free. It will not dry out either like regular grease. Also someone here said to go through the entire brake system. That would be a wise move.

 

That nuance spring though a PITA is partly there to keep the adjuster from backing off while driving as you can tell the other function is to put tension and hold the shoes together....Tedd

 

Congrats!