Front brake actuator arm rebuild

7_Zero

7_Zero

Senior Member
I cannot seem to find much info on rebuilding the front brake actuator arm and hope that you all can answer some questions.

After cutting the head off of the pin, will a hammer and punch be sufficient to drive out the pin?

After removing the pin, will the lever come off with a little persuasion or is a press required?

Do the new bushings need to be reamed or honed?

Is any lateral play acceptable or should this be shimmed?

Lastly, is a mapp gas torch sufficient enough to heat the pin for peening?

Any tips would be appreciated, thanks!
 
It is a struggle trying to drive it out, I drilled them them down about 3/4 of the way and then heated what was left very hot and let them cool to cold and them drove them out. Kroil or PB blaster would not be a bad idea. The lever will come off with a hammer and punch but use some Kroil or PB blaster on it first. Bushing are reamed. Our club has a special reamer that the members can use. Lateral play didn't seem a problem for me. Not sure on the Mapp gas, I used a oxy/ propane torch (similar to acetylene) but cheaper to run.
 
Mine had such little play that I should have left them alone. It wasn't worth the work, and they paly is taken out by the adjustment when you lightly pull the lever back and the rod forward, then pin it.
 
I do not know how much play would be considered as not being worth the hassle. I just thought that any play meant it needed a rebuild.

I have three pair of arms to pick from to use on mine and my dad's car. The arms on my dads car now are tight with no play at all, however the lever is bent (photo below). Someone recommended it be replaced. The set I was going to put on my car has some lateral play but no vertical play but also has a bent lever. The last set has straight levers, but has vertical and lateral play.

I do not know if it is worth pulling them apart or not, just figured that since they are off the car I would look into addressing them.

mleder, do you know what size reamer is used?
 

Attachments

  • Brake Lever.jpg
    Brake Lever.jpg
    52.1 KB · Views: 49
  • Brake Lever 2.jpg
    Brake Lever 2.jpg
    50.6 KB · Views: 42
Last edited:
Hi 7,

FWIW on your question about reaming bushings:

1. REAMERS:

A. If one obtains or already has a well used, non-maintained Model A with all bronze bushings well worn, and one wants to properly restore it, in searching through a Model A parts catalog one can see where a Model A has several different diameter bronze bushings which require several different diameter fairly expensive reamers.

B. If one purchases all of these different diameter bushing reamers, the cost for the one or two times of using said reamers in a Model A restoration can easily mount up to more than $300.00 or so.

C. One alternative to try to reduce the cost for buying all new multiple reamers is to watch e-bay where sometimes a set of "used" adjustable reamers sell for less than $30.00.

2. HONING:

A. As for honing bushings after reaming, get a sharp pocket knife and make several 45 degree slices on the circumference of a 1/4" diameter by about a 8" long dowel. These slices should not remove wood, but slightly raise wood to create burrs to grip wrapped steel wool.

B. Make several outer slices on about a 4" length of one end of the wood dowel and wrap it with enough (0000) steel wool to fit snugly inside the each different diameter bushing.

C. Insert this wood dowel in an electric drill, insert the steel wool in the bushing, and in a few minutes the inside of this soft bronze bushing will be cut with (0000) steel and will be as smooth as the inside of a new glass tube.

Hope this helps someone reaming bushings in the future while looking under "Search".
 
I worked on a pair of fronts yesterday that were so stiff I thought they needed to be rebuilt . But after driving the grease fittings off I found the grease had hardened . After a good soak in solvent and a dose of PB Blaster and new grease their good to go .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top