Non Mustang... I need help... I have injured myself about 4 times now

C

Camman

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Jan 5, 2000

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Dec 31, 2004

#1

• Dec 31, 2004

• #1

Man I feel like a n00b. I had to replace a leaky wheel cylinder on my gf's 88 pontiac 6000 on the passenger side rear. Anyway, After a day trying to get that thing in and working I have to put the brakes back together. I run into a snag immedietaly as I cant get the freaking parking brake cable back into the actuator arm. It has a spring the whole length of the cable from where it enters the drum backing plate. The way the actuator arm is designed the cable slides through it and locks into place, but it wont fit with the spring on... I am lost... I have about 6 cuts on my hand from screwdriver blades, and I just sprained my wrist... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

BlackFox5.0

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Aug 7, 2000

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Massachusetts

Dec 31, 2004

#2

• Dec 31, 2004

• #2

Needle nose pliers, you gotta pull the spring back and hold it there.

 

9

92notch50

New Member

Nov 8, 2004

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Chico, Ca

Dec 31, 2004

#3

• Dec 31, 2004

• #3

how about vice grips ? those seem to be helpful in tough situations..good luck

 

M

manpowermustang

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Sep 25, 2004

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Milwaukee, Wi

Dec 31, 2004

#4

• Dec 31, 2004

• #4

N ot tring to be a smart ass, but its not a ford. lol.

 

hllon4whls

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Jan 17, 2002

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Covington

Dec 31, 2004

#5

• Dec 31, 2004

• #5

Brake drum springs can be a PITA. I removed that piece last time I did a brake job on the 00 taurus. Almost never got the damn thing back together. You might want to get some help, but try not to stab your helper. They tend not to like that.

 

R

ratrapp

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Apr 24, 2004

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buena vista,va

Jan 1, 2005

#6

• Jan 1, 2005

• #6

what i do is grab the end with vise grips and take a set of side cutters and slide the spring back and use the side cutters to hold the spring back until you can put it back on the brake lever.

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

15 Year Member

Nov 29, 1999

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Jan 1, 2005

#7

• Jan 1, 2005

• #7

ratrapp said:

what i do is grab the end with vise grips and take a set of side cutters and slide the spring back and use the side cutters to hold the spring back until you can put it back on the brake lever.

Click to expand...

i do the same thing as Ratrapp, but i use lineman's pliers rather than side cutters. works pretty well for me.

i would also recommend the use of mechanics gloves - if you slip, it helps a little with saving the skin on your hands.

good luck.

 

bluevenom867

I will have images of molesting stuffed animals in

Dec 15, 2003

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St.Petersburg,FL

Jan 1, 2005

#8

• Jan 1, 2005

• #8

Be careful!
A mechanic I know was working on the drum brakes on a 5.0 (I don't know if it was the p brake cable spring or the shoe springs),but one shot up and knocked his eyeball out!

 

bluevenom867

I will have images of molesting stuffed animals in

Dec 15, 2003

1,704

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St.Petersburg,FL

Jan 1, 2005

#9

• Jan 1, 2005

• #9

This was a freak tihng but certainly not funny, still don't know how he did it exactly, he really didn't what to describe it, he just said he was working on 5.0 drum brakes.

 

jrichker

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#10

• Jan 1, 2005

• #10

HISSIN50 said:

i do the same thing as Ratrapp, but i use lineman's pliers rather than side cutters. works pretty well for me.

i would also recommend the use of mechanics gloves - if you slip, it helps a little with saving the skin on your hands.

good luck.

Click to expand...

Another vote for the side cutter/lineman's pliers method.

 

C

Camman

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Jan 1, 2005

#11

• Jan 1, 2005

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Thanks for the help everyone, I found that having 3 hands would have made the job alot easier I used the linemans pliers and vice grips, worked well, but I still needed superman strength and speed to get that arm on. Thanks alot!!

 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

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Jan 2, 2005

#12

• Jan 2, 2005

• #12

Camman said:

Thanks for the help everyone, I found that having 3 hands would have made the job alot easier I used the linemans pliers and vice grips, worked well, but I still needed superman strength and speed to get that arm on. Thanks alot!!

Click to expand...

hey bud, glad to hear you got it. i wont tell you the shadetree devices i use on shoes (i need to get one of those sets of drum tools).
now go ice the wrist.

 

M

manpowermustang

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Sep 25, 2004

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Milwaukee, Wi

Jan 2, 2005

#13

• Jan 2, 2005

• #13

Just another example of a non Ford.

 

Michael Yount

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Apr 10, 2002

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Charlotte, NC

Jan 2, 2005

#14

• Jan 2, 2005

• #14

"but try not to stab your helper. They tend not to like that. "

"but one shot up and knocked his eyeball out!"

Now this is what I play on Stangnet for - these ARE ENTERTAINING posts!!!!

Glad you got it back together. As a much younger mechanic, I once had a pair of needle nose pliers slip off while trying to pull some piece of drum-brake equipment into place. The business end of the pliers hit me right in the face - about halfway between my chin and my lower lip. Nice clean (well, not bacterially!) puncture wound ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE INSIDE OF MY MOUTH! After I got back from the clinic, I bought the correct tools for working on the brakes. Thank God for 4-wheel disc brakes....

 

UMDSmith

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Feb 10, 2004

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Salisbury, Maryland

Jan 3, 2005

#15

• Jan 3, 2005

• #15

They may look dorky, but safety glasses are a good thing.

 

S

SHAGGY87

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Jul 30, 1999

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CORONA, CA, USA

Jan 3, 2005

#16

• Jan 3, 2005

• #16

OK, now I'm in suspense, did your g/f lend the helping hand?