[T3] 1971 Fastback; More Problems!

[Jim Adney]

On 19 May 2013 at 10:48, Art Sterrett wrote:

> Got all my electrical problems solved except for one.  Turned out to
> be the battery, installed a new battery and all is well.  I must of
> said something that had Jim thinking I changed a bunch of wiring
> around but I did not. 

Glad to hear that it was a simple battery problem, and sorry that I 
misunderstood what you had done in your troubleshooting.

If the TS problem is fixed by a little extra pressure on the TS 
switch lever, then the problem is in that switch. I MIGHT be able to 
fix it, but those are tough nuts to crack, and replacement '71 TS 
switches are rare as hen's teeth.

> Now for new problems!  Coming home yesterday my brake pedal went
> almost to the floor and it felt like one or more of the wheels had the
> brakes on, or they were dragging.  I had less than a block to go to
> the house so I kept going.  The right rear wheel felt and smelled hot
> so I pulled it to see what was going on.  Found no broken springs,
> etc.  Found no leaks, the reservoir is full of fluid.  In order to
> remove the drum I had to back off the rear shoe because it was tight
> against the drum, the front shoe was not.  The emergency brake appears
> to work fine. 

It could still be the e-brake failing to release all the way. You 
should be able to check this from the driver's seat by feeling the 
equalizing bar that you can feel thru the boot at the base of the 
e-brake lever. It should be straight across when applied and when 
released, IF the brakes have been properly adjusted, which is not 
always a safe bet. In any case, you should be able to feel that bar 
and become familiar with how it feels when everything's released 
properly. Then you might be able to notice if it's different at some 
time.

Bob is right about the problems that the hoses can give, but if that 
was your problem, both shoes on that side would have been pumped out.

The problem I see more often is that the pistons don't return all the 
way when the brake pedal is released. This might be due to a fatigued 
return spring, or it could be a sticky piston. I've usually managed 
to fix it by pulling the pistons and putting a dab of Dow-Corning 
silicone grease on the end of the piston, where it will get squished 
out and around the piston when it's installed. (Never use regular 
petroleum grease on brake parts.)

It's possible that you need a new top spring. I've actually never 
replaced one, and I don't have new ones, but it might be worth 
looking for one.

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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