How do I know which parts to order?

[ski2liv]

So I'm starting the restoration of my 78 Westy... I want to start by rebuilding the back brakes.... I'm going to order the cylinders, drums, shoes, lines.... whole 9 yards (i was told by the mechanic that the wheel cylinders and hoses should be replaced to pass inspection) so I want to do it all at once... but how do I know if I've gotten all the parts? Or I guess a better question is where do I find detailed diagrams showing everything? I have the 2 service manuals and have looked in them.. but I'm not sure if they show everything or not? Are there gaskets, seals, etc they don't show? Nuts or bolts worth replacing?

is there soemthing that shows better diagrms than those guides? I also need to do dash wiring and exhaust system.. how do I make sure I have all the parts?


ALSO.. since I'm starting with the back brakes.... is there anythitng else anyone would recommend I fix/check/replace while I have the rear end disassembled?

AND... (last question)... I'm going to need to replace the battery tray and the panel under the engine compartment lid as well.... Anyone in the Philadelphia area know a good welder?? Someone who would be willing to help me, or show me how to do t if I pay them?

thanks!
joshua

[vwsrus]

Josh, Get a Rocky Mtn. Motor Works catalog. They have great illustrations. Also, the Bentley manual has pictures and directions of what you need too. If you don't have a Rocky Mtn Cat, call them at 1800-258-1996 and order one. They're free. They will have the Bentley book for you too.

[keifernet]

[NeverHadaBeetle]

"If it it ain't broke, don't fix it." Good words to live by in this situation. If I were you I would simply remove the rear brake drums and inspect them to see how everything looks. If everything looks good then clean everything inside the drum, put it all back together, adjust the brakes, and move on to another project. The rear brakes of busses last forever because the vast majority of stopping power if performed by the front brakes.

Simple procedure: remove rear wheels, remove the two 11mm bolts on the outside of the drum, back off the adjuster wheels through the small hole in the bottom backside of the backing plate, then work the drum off the shoes. You don't have to touch the large axle nut to do this. If the drum is hard to remove, then use some type of lubricant and spray liberally into the drum and turn it back and forth a lot. Once you have the drum off you should check the cylinders for leaks which may be a litte difficult if you just soaked everything in lubricant. If they are leaking then replace them. If the shoes are worn replace them. If the drums are scored then take them to a machine shop, brake shop, or many auto parts store to have them turned. If everthing looks good then spray it all down with a degreaser or brake cleaner and hose it off with water. Don't use compressed air since old brake shoes may contain asbestos. Even if everything looks good, you could still remove the shoes and put grease in the adjuster wheels. You could also install a new hardware kit which is available at a parts store for around $10 or less. The hardware kit will contain new springs which you could replace as a preventive measure. I would simply clean everthing else unless it looks worn, frozen, or leaking. Only do one side at a time so you always have a point of reference if you forget how everything goes back together. Adjust the wheels out evenly until you have a slighlty snug contact between shoe and drum. Slightly snug means you can turn the drum by hand, but the shoes and drum are making a good contact. Good luck.
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"Well, we shot the line and we went for broke
With a thousand screamin' trucks
An' eleven long-haired friends a' Jesus
In a chartreuse micra-bus."

[nodtobob]

If you said you are restoring it then go ahead and get everything put in there brand new that way there will no question later, since you did say restoring it would suspect you want to make sure if everything is new and done right the first time not like the thread above where it would be as just to get by and move on to the next. I wouldn't recommend that, and spraying everything down with lubricant to get the drum on is not a good idea as some of those lubricants will eat away at the wheel cylinders dust seals and then you will have to replace them if you are doing it to get by. If the drum is stuck get a rubber mallet and knock on the drum a few times while you are pulling it off and that will do it. Definitely replace the springs and lube the adjusting stars if they are frozen up and make sure the clip holding them in is not broken. anthony
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slow down!

[josh]

As for other things you might want to check while you are back there you might want to check the rear axle bearings and cv joints. The rear wheel bearings are a pain and a-lot of people run forever without checking them, but its not a bad idea to take them out inspect them and reinstall or replace them with a good grease and new seals.(I prefer synthetic grease for a job like this that you don't want to do twice. The cv's are also a pain but they commonly fail. At the very least look under the bus and see if any of the boots are torn. If any are you should pull it out, clean it, inspect it grease it and install with a new boot. If you keep driving with a torn boot the joint will fail. Servicing the cv's once in awhile should make them last much longer.