QuestionI have an all original '65 Plymouth Valiant 200 (slant6/225). I must replace the RR outer axle bearing and grease seal. Napa seems to have the parts and I have found a machine shop to remove the old bearing and press the new one on. However, neither Haynes nor Chilton's makes a repair manual for this car, and I fear the friend who's to help me may not know as much as he'd like us to think. (I am aware of several companies who reprint old car manuals, shop and otherwise, but cannot really wait several weeks or more for delivery!) So, ANY advice, tips, referrals, etc. would be GREATLY appreciated. The car was driven maybe 7 miles after the seal went bad; so I understand there may be metal shavings from the broken bearing inside the axle itself; mightn't they need to be removed? and does this require a special tool? Also, can I really just "wash" the brake pad (w/gasoline?) and re-use it?. I am pretty mechanically inclined, but have never attempted something like this! Please help a grrrl out!! Thank You Kindly...Jennifer K.
AnswerFirst, I'm sorry to be so slow in responding - the site must have been down or else had some problem, as I haven't been receiving questions for about a week - now I get a bunch all at once!
I guess you have the axle out already? If you do, you don't need my advice as to how to pull it. I believe 65 still had the tapered axle ends (there will be a big nut with a cotter pin through it under the hub cap, in the center of the wheel). If you have that type of axle, yes, there is a special tool and procedure required to get the drum off, and you have to do that to get the axle out. If you want instructions on that, post a follow up question to me and I'll "talk" you through it.
I doubt you did any damage to anything else by driving with a bad bearing only 7 miles, but certainly it would be a good idea to take a good flashlight and look into the housing from the end. Don't flush it out with anything, that will dilute the rear end grease and cause more troubles. Just run a magnet in there (you can buy a magnet on a telescoping rod from any tool place - it'll be worth it's weight in gold every time you drop something in an inaccessable place!) to fish out any particles you see.
If the brake lining has any more than a tiny spot of grease on it, don't waste your time and lungs working with solvents to try to clean it - it will just keep coming back - once absorbed into the lining, it will just keep oozing out forever. Linings are cheap, replace both sides to keep them even and just put new ones on. You must also clean the inside of the drum with special "Brake" cleaner - which you can also buy at the parts store. This stuff is the only thing that will absolutely remove all the greasy residue - gas will not only poison your liver, but it will not get things really clean- it just thins out the oil.
If you're going to keep this car, do get the Shop manual, either from one of the automotive literature dealers or from eBay. Don't waste your money on a Chilton's or Hayne's manual- they are not specific enough - too general. Contact a literature dealer like Ed Faxon and get the factory shop manual - accept no substitute. These also run on eBay all the time, and go pretty cheap - you can buy one for about 1/2 to 1/3 the price you'll pay a literature dealer, and it will be a genuine article, not a reproduction, (which have much poorer photographs).
Dick
