Hi folks,
I normally make it a point to take my TD out for a spin at least monthly,
throughout the year. This can be a challenge in Massachusetts winters. Last
winter I had the car stuck in the 'storage' garage because I was rebuilding my
MGB in the 'access' garage. The result was that the TD wasn't driven from late
October thru mid-March.
Started sensing an overly firm brake pedal. BTDT, a sure sign of a front
wheel cylinder freezing up. Finally got around to pulling the drums today.
Sure enough, the winter inactivity was responsible for the rear cylinder on the
left wheel being frozen solid. Pulled it off and put it in the bench vise. No
way it was going to allow itself to be freed up.
Probably like most of you, I'd heard about using a grease gun to free up the
cylinder, but I'd never tried it. Took the wheel cylinder out to my local NAPA
store and asked if they had a zerk fitting that would fit. Tried all they had,
but no such luck. I ended up buying a pack of five 1/8" fittings because they
'almost' fit. Back at the garage I tried my darndest to thread one in and have
it hold against the grease. No way!
Inspiration (desperation) made me remember a few of the laws of physics and
I hunted for a bolt with the same thread as the wheel cylinder. Found one in
the goodie box. Squeezed grease into the 'intake port' of the cylinder, wrapped
the bolt threads with teflon tape and screwed it in, bottoming the bolt. Pulled
it out, added more grease, new teflon, screwed it in again. After the fourth
repeat I could see the piston coming out of the cylinder bore.
About that time it dawned on me to check the thread of the bolt and see if I
couldn't rethread one of the zerk fittings. Sure enough, the bolt was a 3/8-20
BSF thread and I do just happen to have such a die. After a little bit of
judicial grinding to reduce the fitting diameter slightly, the 1/8" zerk fitting
became a 3/8-20 BSF zerk fitting. Put it into the cylinder, popped on the
grease gun and watched the piston come on out of there.
A few moments with the hone and it looks as if it cleaned up fine. It
helps that I do just happen to have a rebuilding kit in my travel kit. I'll let
you know how it works out. Sorry about this being so long, I just thought some
of you might find it interesting.
--
Bud Krueger
http://home.ici.net/~bkrueger/
52TD
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