Volvo RWD 120-130 Forum

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Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

I've got a 1966 122s with a leaking rear brake cylinder. I want to replace it myself. I've not worked much on cars (more on old BMW motorcycles). I have the Haynes and Clymer manuals. I have a hub puller. Do I need any other specialty tools? Difficulty level? Tips? Internet helps? I tried doing a search on this forum without much luck. Alternative is to find a mechanic in the Philadelphia area that works on these machines. Referral? Thanks.








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    Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

    This job is pretty straightforward, except for stuck hubs and rusty components. A couple of things the manual might not cover. First, block up the brake pedal with a piece of wood so it doesn't descend to the floor and gush out a bunch of brake fluid. Second, you should take this opportunity to flush out all the old brake fluid and put new in. Unless that has been done in the last couple of years the fluid is likely full of water and discolored. Finally, only do one side at a time so you can look at the other side for reference. The procedure is dead simple: adjust in the shoes to provide clearance for the drums, pull the hub (taken the precautions mentioned earlier), remove old parts, replace with new, re-install the hub, re-adjust the shoes. With rust and lots of unknowns, this can take anywhere from a couple of hours to days of work!

    Tim
    '72 1800 ES
    '90 240








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    Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

    The main thing is that your hub puller needs to be a serious one, and it must attach to the lugs, not pull from the edges of the rim.

    Put the castle nut back on the axle loosely before pulling, so you have less chance of mushrooming the tip of the axle.

    You'll want some stout needle-nosed pliers to get the springs back on the brake shoes.

    Not much to the rest of it... I recommend that you replace the cylinder on the opposite brake as well, because usually when one goes, the other is not far behind it. That's a suggestion, not a requirement.








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      Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

      OK. Thanks. Any tips on what to use to clamp the cylinder so that the plungers are kept recessed?








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        Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

        Eric:

        I just did the rear cylinders on my '66 a few weeks ago. I really appreciated having a brake spring tool. I also bought a junky six dollar one-man hydraulic bleeding kit -- it worked for me.

        If you assemble the shoes from bottom to top, you wont need a special tool to keep the cylinder compressed. Once you get the locating pins installed, everything will pretty much stay put. I also installed a new spring kit from IPD since everything was apart anyway.

        Be sure to clean your brake adjusters so they turn nice and easy. It may take a whole lot of PB Blaster to free them up. You can use a 1/4" drive socket turned around backwards to fit on the adjuster stem. The socket can be turned with a suitable hex key. The adjuster stem can easily be ruined with vice grips or pliers.

        Philly was my birthplace. Eat a hot pretzle for me.

        Joe M








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        Rear Brake Cylinder Leaking 120-130

        If there's no pressure there, you can hold 'em with your fingers. If the plungers want to come out though, let them do so and feel lucky. usually they are stuck and hard to get out for a rebuild.

        Best bet is to replace them cylinders with new ones though. They last longer.
        --
        -Matt I ♥ my ♂







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