A slow start to the week again, with just time to remove the brake pedal spring on Monday – this took 45 minutes of wrestling before I could see a way to unhook it, by twisting it through 90 degrees with mole grips. The next day I was able to remove the pin from the fork on the rod from the pedal to the rear brakes servo, but this took several rounds of heating and cooling to achieve. The next job was to remove the vacuum pipes from the servo, but access is tricky and involves removing the handbrake rod lever bracket from the firewall bulkhead. This hit a stumbling block when I found the final nut eas turning but not undoing. Acces to the bolt itself was obscured by the upper pipe feeding the O/S front brakes and the vacuum gauge. Removing this included removing the pipe to the vacuum pump that also joins the pipe to the reservoir tank. The two pipes were fairly easily removed, although I didn’t realise this soon enough so this incurred considerable delay. The problem with the third fixing for the handbrake bracket was then revealed, it is a countersunk screw, half-hidden by the servo itself, and it is rotating. So I will attempt to stake or drill and pin it in place; if these options fail, a dab of weld may be the only option. To enable access for this, I unscrewed the brake pedal rod from the servo. This also gives access to the nut on the bolt that supports the front of the servo.
All posts by Nigel
21/9/2025
Work continues on the braking system with the refitting of the offside rear brake drum. I next removed the grease nipples from the brake cam shafts and pumped strong pentrating fluid into the holes, in the hope that this will release the adjusters. I intend to repeat this several times before final greasing. After that, all the studs on both rear wheel hubs had a die nut run down them and nuts matched to the thread and lubricated with copper grease. I have enough (hopefully) new wheel nuts to replace all the rounded-off and missing old ones. Since my only means of adjustment of the rear brakes is now the operating rods from the crosshaft, I removed the O/S one fairly easily and cleaned up the threads, noting that one end had a left-hand thread. The nearside is proving more stubborn, as the pin through the cross shaft lever is well stuck. The nut was removed easily enough, using an angle grinder and hammer and chisel. Some powerful BDX penetrating oil was then applied and left to soak over night. A long application of heat loosened it and then I was able to move on to the large rear wheel servo just behind the cab. BDX was applied to all obvious fastenings that need to be undone, then a short break while I painted a cab window component red. Then back underneath the bus to remove the nut from the fork end of the rod from the servo to the first joint. Surprisingly, it came off easily, although of course the pin is reluctant to move. I gave it a good heat with the blowtorch, it was left to cool then more BDX applied and left overnight. I then tirned my attention to restoring the threads on the two rods removed earlier. The pin I left soaking in BDX came out after another heat session, so I turned my attention to the brake pedal rod. Removal of the enormous retrun spring is proving difficult at the moment, but will no oubt be accomplished next week, then I can move on to removing the rear brake servo for overhaul.
14/9/2025
Started the week by trial fitting the cab door window after epoxying the bottom glass channel after the welds broke last week. The glue used is a particularly strong variety and should hold, especially as the window is a tight fit in the door. It needs to come out, though as various minor issues raised their heads. Returned then to the rear brakes, and it is clear that there is something wrong in the assembly of the N/S rear brake as it is unable to return to rest as it should. I was unable to free up the scissors adjuster, nor could I remove the nut on the end of the brake cam shaft, without resorting to cutting it off, with resultant risk of damage to the shaft, so decided to try and fit the drum then adjust the brake by shortening the operating rod. In the end the drum slipped on easily over the new linings, so freeing up the djuster can wait for another day when the bus is over a or on a lift. I noted that the inside face of the drum was in excellent condition, suggesting it had recently (relatively speaking) been skimmed. I next reasembled the adjuster, leaving some free play in the nut in case the repeated operation of the brakes actually freed it up, then moved on to the other side, preparing for refitting the drum, which included removing the loose rust and degreasing it. So refitting it will be Monday’s first job. Not a lot of progress this week!