(8/11&13/01): I was trying to get some things done,
before I moved (college), so after changing the oil, I added a nifty billet
aluminum drain plate (and a magnetic tip drain plug). It definitely doesn't
leak!
The day after I moved, I had an interesting incident. It had rained the
day before (and I was out driving in it), so once I got home, I parked as usual
-- then the next day I went to go somewhere, and the car would NOT MOVE!
It acted like the parking brake was on, even though it wasn't. I figured
the brake shoes surely rusted/glued themselves to the drums! After a long
while of trying to figure out what to do, I finally revved it up, and dropped in
the clutch a bit (in reverse) and it finally came loose. I thought,
"ah no big deal" but later I noticed the brake pedal was going WAY
further down than what it used to. So I re-adjusted the rear brakes and
found that the right rear WOULD NOT adjust! So I took of the drum, and
found out that in the process of 'freeing' my 'seized' bug, I had bent the ear
of the brake shoe that goes in the adjuster, AND the 'retaining shaft' that the
spring goes over, AND the adjuster! (somewhere between figuring out what was the
matter I really STOMPED on the brake pedal, and heard brake fluid coming out
somewhere. Good thing I had extra parts to fix it!
There's where the brake fluid was coming from. Since the lower end of
the brake shoe isn't in the adjuster, and its all bent up, I was able to shoot
the piston out of the brake cylinder!
This is my 'aerodynamic' adjuster :-) NO, its not threaded crooked, ITS
BENT!
This would be the lower portion of my brake shoe...
I installed an almost new set of hardware, shoes, etc. And it fixed the
problem. NOW, after it rains I DON'T SET THE PARKING BRAKE - I just make
sure its in 1st or reverse!
