Brake Adjusting Star Stickage

[Duder]

Hello Sambanists,

I'm new to posting here but I've been lurking for years and I've had my '66 since I was 16. It was my first car and it has taught me a lot over the years and I still find myself coming back to it and getting schooled by the old beast every once in a while. All in good fun though.

It's still sporting drums on all 4 wheels, and sometimes I forget how much respect they demand of their mechanic/owner to ensure everything is working properly. After simply replacing my rear rubber hoses, I recently bled the brakes with the help of my lovely assistant and was forced to reassess my understanding of the system when the brakes wouldn't engage until the pedal was waaaay close to the front firewall.

Nothing had changed except the rear lines and the introduction of some air. The brakes were working though, sort of. After a lot of searching through this site and much headscratching, I decided to adjust the pedal free-play using the stop plate (which I had never done previously) and adjust the shoes all the way out until they locked the drums.

This strategy and a final round of bleeding did indeed solve my braking issues and they feel better than ever now, and I want to thank the old veteran VW mechanics & tinkerers that take the time to share their wisdom with the world through these forums.

My reason for writing this post however lies in a curious issue with the front brake adjuster stars. I had adjusted all brakes not more than 6 months earlier and had no problems. This time though, the front stars were almost impossible to turn with the screwdriver from outside the drum as usual. I was stubborn and persisted for a while but eventually gave in and removed both drums to investigate. I didn't find any excessive corrosion on the adjuster threads, but I did spray them with small amounts of PB Blaster, being very careful not to let it drip onto the shoes. Letting the penetrant do its magic for a few minutes and then carefully turning the stars with a pair of small Channellock pliers freed them up.

There are no problems now, but I'm posting here to ask: is this common? Do you guys (sage VW caretakers) regularly use some sort of anti-seize on the threads to prevent this? Or is there a special lubricant for the job?

Thanks in advance for replies. I do live fairly close to the ocean and have noticed that the salt air / fog accelerates surface rust a lot faster than it formed back when I lived inland in east Orange County where it's very dry.
_________________
-Chris / CFlo / Duder

1966 Beetle | 1973 BMW 2002 | 1975 Volvo 245 | 1981 Volvo 242 | 1993 Miata | 1964 Ford Viccup P71

[Helfen]

As part of the normal routine when working on brakes it is important to take apart and clean the star adjusters. After you blow dry the solvent from them after cleaning it is important to use white lithium grease on the threads of the adjusters before you screw them in. BTW it is also important to file smooth any marks or groves where the shoes ride on the little bumps on the backing plate, after they are smooth you need to put a small dab of that white grease on those bumps too. This prevents or slows down wear from the shoes on the backing plate and keeps the shoes from sometimes clicking and sticking.

Don

[KTPhil]

I clean the adjuster (taken out of the block) with fine steel wool, same for the bore. Then I use spark plug anti-sieze-- just a tiny bit to keep out mosture and to stop the aluminum from corroding and rusting into the steel bore. It's a short extra step that saves so much time and frustration during brake adjustments!

[glutamodo]

Me, I've aways used a wire wheel in a drill to clean up the threads on the adjsuter. I use a very light coat of moly-added grease (like I do for about everything) on both the threads and in the blxoke where it sits in the backing plate

[Duder]

Thank you guys for the replies. I will be sure to clean and lubricate the adjuster threads from now on whenever I remove the drums. Also I will investigate the backing plate bumps soon; I have noticed occasional, intermittent brake drag driving this car over the years. Usually I just adjust the shoes but perhaps it was due to the shoes getting hung up on the backing plates. I need new front shoes soon anyways, so I'll report back once I do that job.

Thanks again!
_________________
-Chris / CFlo / Duder

1966 Beetle | 1973 BMW 2002 | 1975 Volvo 245 | 1981 Volvo 242 | 1993 Miata | 1964 Ford Viccup P71