Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing removal of rear brake drum

Martyn, on the steel wheeled cars the drums are located by the spigotting diameters of the wheel studs. Theses are the same PCD/size (nominally 7/8" outside diameter)as the slotted screws on the wire wheel cars.

The rear drums are identical whether on the 4 stud cars or wire wheel and Lockheed (>93) or Girling (<93) and have been since the change to 1 3/4" width. The 5 stud drums locate on the studs, and have a single countersunk retaining screw

I've bolted brand new drums (1 3/4" width) along with matching girling backplates directly onto early +4's with steel wheels without a problem, although for historic racing I prefer to fit a used set that's been through a few heat cycles first.

Simon @ SiFab.co.uk

True the location in use is given by the studs and the two screws are merely to hold the drum in place while wheel changing. As the screws are countersunk you cannot remove the drum with them in place. Undoing those is the OP's problem unless I'm reading what he has said all wrongly.

I was using one !That's the problem

The procedure in my post worked for me. I'm not too sure an impact driver is as good with countersunk screws.

To elaborate, your assistant holds a plank of wood with the bottom end being restrained by their boot. Further up, the plank presses on the screwdriver and makes sure it doesn't slip, while leaning on the upper end. So the screwdriver is held in the slot by considerable force. You then turn the screwdriver with a pipe wrench, or if you have one that fits, a large adjustable spanner. Mine is over 18" long, cost a small fortune - it's a Bahco, but is a dead handy thing and the only thing I have that fits the hubnuts on the three-wheeler.

Think there is a bit of topic drift going on here which is getting a bit confusing for all concerned

With the car on axle stands

Give the brake drum a couple of clouts around its circumference with a copper hammer (not steel!, try to avoid the rim cast into the brake drum.

Slacken the brake adjuster right off and I mean right off! Remove the 1/4" set screws, there may be up to four of them.

No need to remove the slotted screw as earlier posters have said, they are there to locate the drum.

The drum should then just pull off, it will be full of brake dust, not sure what linings you have fitted so assume it contains asbestos.

Hope this helps

Arwyn

Going back to my old mechanic days we just used a centre punch to tap the screw round .That always worked it a new screw if you damage it .

No, no and no. The slotted screws are countersunk into the drums - if you leave them there, you need to take the axle apart. No one does it that way.

This diagram is from a Rimmer Bros catalogue is of a Triumph Spitfires back brakes, but it is a quite an accurate drawing of a Morgan disk wheel set up too. The only difference is part number V5435 is slotted, not posidrive as in the drawing.
Triumph Spitfire rear drum brakes

Please, please Stevemag, post a picture of your car jacked up with a back wheel removed.

A 1986 car is set up exactly as Simon describes and Geir shows in his picture. You cannot move the slotted screws, you just remove the 4 hex head bolts and pull the drum, assisted by plenty of clouting with a hide mallet.

Now I'm confused!
And it's my car
it's back in the lock up at the moment
it will have to wait until tomorrow
the slotted countersunk screws are soaking in plus gas penetrative oil.
I didn't touch the 4 countersunk bolts, but they are likewise soaking,
job for tomorrow

Here's a previous topic on this subject along with a picture clearly showing the 4 small (1/4 umf or bsf depending on year of manufacture) that need removing to get the drum off

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/167328/Removing_brake_drums_spline_dr

Simon @ SiFab.co.uk