Moss Motors, Ltd

I have a 74 Midget that the rear brake adjuster is seized. I have tried every trick I have on removing it and am left with a seized adjuster that has a hole through it (slightly off center). I heated, beated, soaked in oil, and prayed. Any other suggestions? How does the backing plate come off? Where can I find a new one?

qualityguy,

With a name like that, I hesitate to suggest drilling the thing out and re-tapping the hole, but that might work for you.

One of my manuals is quite silent on the topic of removing that plate. I will check another one for you and report anything that I find. Just an observation though, it looks to me that you'd have to pull the axle to get the plate off.

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On their death bed, nobody ever said, "Gee I wish I'd spent more time at work!"

'68 Sprite 1275
'76 Midget 1500

You can try literally soaking, by rigging up a pan under the drum panel, or by removing the panel and soaking it overnight in a pan of PJ Blaster or liquid wrench.  Regular oil probably won't cut it and neither will WD-40 if its really stuck.  If you have buggered it up, you will need to find another panel and Ebay comes to mind as a source.

Removing the panel requires that not only the axle be removed, which is reletively easy, but the bearing  and its carrier will need to be removed too and this requires a big socket, 1 7/8 I think, and either a slide hammer or a homemade puller, unless the bearing is a slip fit on the axle housing, which is unlikely.

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-Michael

I have had the axle out so that's not a big deal. I can't tell if If the bearing has to come out? I tried drilling it and using a bolt remover but my drill walked. It didn't wreck the threads but it is not straight so If i put a bigger drill in it now would wreck the threads.

I soaked it in Kroil for a week. I did find one on E-bay. Thanks for the suggestion. Now I have to work on the bolts holding that on.

I have a 76 Midget and have the same problem you do. I have replacement back plates but after finding out how difficult it was to replace them I just put new brake shoes on and now have full pedal.

Q-guy-

I wonder if you could weld a bar across it's top and then turn it? Banging on it with a hammer at the same time to make it ring may do it. 

 

I know not everyone has a welder. I don't.

 

LCJUTILA