Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Binding Rear Brake Shoes on 2013 Plus 4

After a 70 mile, 60mph drive back from the coast I pulled into a petrol station to find my rear right brake drum was seriously hot, smelling and radiating heat (I've even got a burn blister on a finger as proof. The brake is still binding hard this morning. It's never happened before and I have only 6K on the clock. I can't see any adjuster on the rear of the brake plate so I'm guessing I'll have to remove the drum to fix the auto adjuster mechanism. The good news is the 4x11mm recessed bolts come out easily, I don't think I need to remove the large setscrews but the drum is so tight it'll never come off. I've given it the John Cleese thrashing with a copper hammer but it made no difference. Help.

I removed mine (2013 Plus 4) using a three legged puller. It was very tight but did come off using this approach. The reason for the removal was to check the "meat" on the brake shoes so I guess yours may be even tighter owing to the over heating you describe.
Bob.

Cheers Bob. Brake drum is now off but I think I'm loosing the plot, I can't find any adjuster either manual or auto. Did you find anything?

Are you sure it isn't the handbrake cable?

The drums have auto adjusters.

These may help
http://www.gomog.com/brakes.html#post

http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/brakeindex.htm

Richard, as John says the drums are auto adjustable but the handbrake cable could be too tight. There is no adjustment screw as would be found on a classic. If the cable is okay the auto adjust mechanism inside the drum near the slave cylinder could be ceased and in need of a strip down and clean.
Bob.

DOH. It looks like one of the pistons in the slave cylinder is seized. Anybody know of a way to free it without removing those mean looking springs?

I rebuilt mine last year and needed to replace the shoes and cylinder - the springs are a bit brutal but I managed single handed so anyone can do it.

Looking forward make sure the handbrake is slack enough, if it's adjusted too tightly as things warm up the brake will be slightly on. I just adjust mine right up for MOT and then slacken it off.
Make sure you back the handbrake adjustment right off when you bleed the brakes otherwise the auto adjust will not be right - I think gomog covers this.
Changing the brake fluid every 2 years prevents the rear cylinders rusting.

Good luck.