Brake Drum Removal

[63spyderroadster]

I need to rebuild every part on my 63 monza BRAKE System. I was trying to remove the right front brake drum, knocked out the metal plug that allows me to spin the shoe adjuster star. Spun it the wrong way first and the shoes expanded out locking the drum from spinning. Ok, I spun the adjuster the other direction and the drum spins freely. But the drum must be stuck onto the assembly because I cannot budge it off the shoes even a little bit. The GM Service Manual just says to remove the parking brake check nuts and remove the drum. There's no park brake cable on the front brake. What step am I missing? Also, surely the 4 wheel studs will not come with the drum, they must be part of the axle spindle, correct?

I have a torch, but I don't want to proceed to the torch until I know I didn't miss something. Thanks !

[USAF_vair]

i sure you tryed hammering on the flat surface of the drum between the 4 studs for the wheel. the next step we have had to due is by using a torch, heat up the drum surface between the studs. this will free up the surfaces of the brake drum and the hub. never had an issue doing it this way. but be careful not to overheat the drum. this frees up the rust that builds between the two surfaces.

[DEBEER]

you have to remove the big nut for the bearings the dum is part of the hub with the wheel studs

[bbodie52]

This is a quote from the 1961 Corvair Chassis Shop Manual (Page: BRAKES 5-9)...

Remove rear brake drums and front hub and drum assemblies.

NOTE: Front brake drums are non-demountable, and are removed with front wheel hub. Rear brake drum may be removed by removing rear wheel retaining nuts.

In other words, you can pull the rear drums off of the wheel hub to gain access to the drum brake assembly, but not on the front wheels. To gain access on the front you must remove the wheel bearing grease cap, cotter-pin, large castellated nut and outer wheel bearing, and the wheel hub and brake drum off as an assembly.

Note: On 1965 and later Corvairs, the front hub and brake drum are separate components, and may be separated after removing the front lug nuts and wheel. This is NOT the case with Early Model (EM) 1960-1964 Corvairs.

This manual section is attached for your review...

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 5 - Brakes.pdf

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Shop Manual - Section 5 - Brakes

(923.04 KiB) Downloaded 332 times

All of these manuals and other valuable technical resources are available for free download at the following Web sites...

Downloadable Corvair Shop Manuals, Parts Manuals, Service Manuals, etc.
http://1969corvair.com/techpages/Corvai ... Index.html

Early Model Corvair Shop Manual & Other Useful Manuals
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/corvanatics/manuals.php

[63spyderroadster]

Thanks for the quick responses, I'm glad that I didn't proceed until I learned more from people with more information than I had! I think I can proceed with this information. I'll let you all know when I get down to the wheel cylinders and find out if they appear to be rebuildable or rusted junk.

[63spyderroadster]

Simple, remove the dust cap, pull the cotter pin, back the nut off with a 1" wrench, and I gain access to the brake components in about 3 minutes. Thanks for adding the pdf. as well bbodie 52, Thanks!

[bbodie52]

Since you are new here, I want to backtrack a little and welcome you to the Corvair Forum! I joined this forum back in August and I've come to believe that this is one of the best sources for good Corvair information on the Web. The members are helpful and anxious to assist. Just browsing around will be very informative to you.

I have been involved with Corvairs since I was nine years old, when my parents bought our first Corvair -- a brand new 1961 Monza 2-door coupe, white on red with a 4-speed transmission. I now own Corvair number ten, which I purchased last June. (If you want to read a brief personal biography that outlines my family background and our experiences with Corvairs, go to CORVAIR FORUM > Introductions > New from Lake Chatuge North Carolina. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4032)

Here are some good Internet sources, and some additional links for Corvair-related information:

Downloadable Corvair Shop Manuals, Parts Manuals, Service Manuals, etc.
http://1969corvair.com/techpages/Corvai ... Index.html

Early Model Corvair Shop Manual & Other Useful Manuals
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/corvanatics/manuals.php

CORSA (Corvair Society of America) Chapter Locator
Locating a local CORSA chapter near you can be very helpful, and attending meetings, parties, Corvair shows, etc. can greatly add to the enjoyment of your new hobby.
https://www.corvair.org/index.php?optio ... crmSID=3_u

Clark's Corvair Parts
http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/pages.cgi

California Corvairs
http://www.californiacorvairparts.com/p ... roduct=264

Corvair Ranch (Used Parts, Machine Shop, etc.)
http://www.corvairranch.com/

Corvair Corsa (Good technical and historical information.)
Corvair Corsa is a plentiful source of Corvair history, information and pictures. Here, you can explore the entire collection of production Corvairs including the Corsa, Monza, Monza Spyder, Corvair 700, 500, and the Corvair 95 truck series.
http://www.corvaircorsa.com

This Web site seems to have the most comprehensive and well-researched data for fitting various tires and wheels to EM (Early Model, 1960-64) and LM (Late Model, 1965-69) Corvairs:
Sizing Corvair Wheels and Tires: http://autoxer.skiblack.com/tires.html

Again, welcome to the Forum. If you are so inclined, we would love to know more about you, your interest in Corvairs, and would love to see pictures of your car. And if you need some help or advice, just let us know.

[63spyderroadster]

Thanks Brad,

I just quit working on my Corvair a few minutes ago. I only have one, a 1963 Spyder Conv. that my dad bought in June 1967. I was 10 then and I remember going along with him when he bought it. My dad passed away in 2001 and I left it stored in a shed at my moms and dads farm about 650 miles from where I now live. I went there and trailered it home about a month ago.
My dad was a Corvair fan and simply kept this one for his toy. Unfortunately, he did not like putting money into this car and he did not drive it much after about 1970 or so. It is about 99% complete but needs lots of attention and it needs almost all new rubber parts nearly everywhere. The paint is okay because he had it repainted in about 1999 and the top is ok but the plastic window is very cloudy.
I have lots of work to do on the car, but I've done lots of restorations and modifications on other vintage Chevys, just not much work on Corvairs. I have a buddy who owned one back in the 60's and he is helping me figure out how it works and he's helping me devise a plan of attack. I bought a new fuel tank and sender and I need to replace all of the brake and fuel lines next.I will post some pics of it sometime soon.

Thanks, Nick

[bbodie52]

Sounds like it has some great potential. If there is no road salt damage or body rot, that is a critical plus! Convertibles were especially subject to weakening of the unibody frame which could cause problems because they lacked a hardtop. If your '63 Spyder has a clean body, the rest is relatively easy. I am sure we would all love to see pictures and follow you through the restoration of your classic Corvair.

If there is anything we on the Corvair Forum can help you with, please let us know. Where are you located? i would recommend finding out if there is a nearby CORSA club chapter that is active. That could also be a big help if it puts you into contact with other local Corvair enthusiasts. Help via the Internet is great, but local friends and face to face contact is a great thing too!

Is the Spyder convertible low mileage and all original? If so, that would be a gold-plated starting point for a great restoration.

Our current 1966 Corsa convertible (non-turbo)

[63spyderroadster]

Yes, it's pretty much all original with 55,694 miles on the clock. Maroon with black top and interior. The paint job is ok but it's obvious that the paint job was a quickee due to wavy sides. Painting over a poorly prepared surface has always been a peeve for me. But it will do for now. I plan to keep it stock as possible unless an upgrade to original improves safety or makes much more sense than original.

I joined North Texas Corvair Club as soon as I took possession of it. Already met several helpful members through this club.

Nice Corsa, Brad. By the looks of your photos I think you really know how to live!

[bbodie52]

It seems that my father "set the stage" for much of the good fortune we enjoy. He retired as a Lockheed engineer from Burbank, California in the late 1980s. He and my mother then moved to NC and built their retirement "dream house" on Lake Chatuge. Unfortunately my mother died of lung cancer only a few years later, so my father spent much of his retirement alone here. At his request, when he was 85, my wife and I moved here from Pennsylvania in 2008 (where I had retired from the USAF as a Master Sergeant (E7) in 1996, after 24 years on active duty, and then worked as a computer technician and network administrator). Unfortunately, my father passed away not long after we moved here from lung problems and recurring pneumonia in 2009.

You are right about the photos of this area -- the home my father and mother built is in a beautiful area and we feel it far-exceeds anything a retired Air Force MSgt would ever dream of! My father also established my interest in Corvairs in 1961 with his first Corvair Monza, when I was only nine years old. So after almost 41 years of marriage and ten family Corvairs my wife is "stuck" with me and with Corvairs. We hope to travel to the west coast and back in our 1966 Corsa next year to see more of America, attend the CORSA convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and to recapture some of our past memories of traveling long distances in a Corvair -- while we are still young enough to do that. My wife is in a wheelchair, so a motorcycle won't do and a Corvair convertible will have to suffice!

[63spyderroadster]

Fresh out of the storage building

[63spyderroadster]

Thanks for your help everyone. Brad asked me to post a photo, and here it is. I took this photo on Nov. 21, 2012 as soon as we pushed it outside for the first time in over 11 years. I was getting ready to trailer it back to Texas for resurrection. The engine started after installing a new battery and a fresh fuel transfusion and thorough cleaning of the points, coil and resistor connections. Just about 2 or 3 hours of CPR coaxed him back to life. The engine ran relatively smooth. It was a good day!

This is the first time For me to post a photo on a forum, which is why I did not post it on the right thread.

[bbodie52]

Thanks for posting the first picture of your 1963 EM convertible. I enjoyed seeing the Corvair's "coming out party", after lying dormant for so many years! Your Corvair will be a half-century old next year, and it will do us good to see pictures of it "stretching its legs" and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air as you work through refreshing the car's systems, polishing and cleaning, etc. But I'm sure that you will feel rewarded for your efforts as you are able to drive your convertible around, perhaps with the top down, and enjoy cruising in your classic car! You will probably be amazed by the "thumbs up" and positive comments you receive from friends, neighbors and strangers every time you venture out in your Corvair. It still amazes my wife and I every time we go to the store, the movies, the gas station or a restaurant in our Corsa. It is a rare occurrence to take it out and NOT receive a positive comment, an interested question, or an offer to buy! You wouldn't get that kind of reaction if you spent a fortune on a brand new Corvette! People just seem to love seeing a classic Corvair cruising the street! Nostalgia, family memories or family history, or other emotions all seem to surface with the sight of a running Corvair prowling around.

So hang in there as you plug along, discovering and learning how to work on your Corvair! Certainly you will run into obstacles and problems along the way, but hopefully you will find help, answers and inspiration from local Corvair club members and from the members of the Corvair Forum. I wish that when I was starting out with Corvairs I had had the kind of support and information database that you will find on the Internet as you work on your Corvair. The parts availability and knowledge support that you will find available to you makes the process so much easier! I hope that you will also photograph and document your progress along the way and post some of your story on the Corvair Forum. Your progress, time and hard work earns "bragging rights", and the Corvair Forum is the place!

[63spyderroadster]

I really appreciate the tech help and encouragement this forum provides. I'll post more pictures as I proceed through this renovation. Thanks again.

[bfmed1961]

it's been a long time since you posted this post, but maybe you can still use some help. One of the things that was not mentioned by everyone else is that drums back in the day were originally riveted. Meaning you would have to take off the drum as normal by the spindle nut and then from the inside and outside do a combination of drilling and grinding of the four rivets that hold the drum onto the spindle. Once you've done this you can remove the drum just like the rear drums or just like any other drum set up.