Brake drum removal, m37

[ke6rwj]

I'm officially stumped...

I have been trying to get the three screws off the drums so they can be removed. I've tried wd40, liquid wrench, 2 bottles of propane to heat, large screwdrivers, hand impact screw driver, angled screw driver, air wrench, chisel .... All ive succeeded in doing is chewing them up. They are still stuck...

The rear ones came off after some effort, but these front ones are just misery....

Shall i just grind them out? or are there some other ideas out there?

End of my rope here....

Chris in Alabama..

 

[zak]

If you have messed the slot up beyond use then just drill deep enough to remove the head. Repair by drilling
with a drill pilot clamped to the hub. Use a drill that is for the thread dia. for tapping. You should be able to chase
the remaining treads out working slowly with a tap or pick. Use anti seize ans stainless screws when it gets put back
together. Joys of 60 yr old iron

 

[ke6rwj]

I'll have to drill one for sure, the other two still have slots... Any experiences to help free these?

 

[98taco3]

I was able to rap on mine with a punch and get them to come loose. Couple wacks with a hammer and they broke free. Might be wroth a shot

 

[ke6rwj]

Yea, I was successful in removing large chunks of the screw when I tried that. But at this point saving the screw is not an option...

I figured I could use some heat since they are different metal than the drum, but maybe a propane torch won't get hot enough..

I still have two wheels after this one to do.

 

[FireFighterHill]

they make a spring loaded tool with a huge phillips or flat head bit for those. You hit it with a small one handed sledge. id compare it to a impact .

 

[ke6rwj]

Hand impact driver, broke one had to get a new one. No dice

 

[jimbob1111]

Hi,
The propane isn't going to be hot enough.
The method I use for rusted up jap cars that have screws holding brake drums or rotors on is.
1 Hit head of screw with large punch that matched screw head diameter, 3 or 4 good hits. Sometimes you'll hear the tone of the strike change when you hammer on it, if sound changed, it probably came loose.

2 Use screwdriver bit & hand impact driver, start out a little easy with the hammer. If it isn't going to come out it will just break the bit off.

3 Get the Oxy / Acetelene torch, heat the screw RED HOT & spray with PB Blaster or brake fluid. The key to this is heating the screw fast and not heating the drum up with it. You'll probably hear the screw make a tink or pop and it'll screw right out. If still tight use hand impact driver and bit.

Good luck,
HMFG

 

[98taco3]

A bottle of MAPP gas will do you wonders. Much hotter than propane and usually does the trick

 

[DaveP]

I have drilled the heads off the bolts just enough to get the drum off.
drill them a little at a time to make sure you dont get into the drum.
and then use heat and vise grips to remove the rest of the bolt.
Its been a while since i have done this but i think i grabbed the part of the bolt that stuck thru the hub on the back side.

 

[Roller]

I would take off the hub and drum together, this will allow you to get at the thread end of the flate head screws with a torch and loosen them up, or just leave them alone and do your brake work . The drum does not have to be removed from the hub.

Frank

 

[ke6rwj]

A bottle of MAPP gas will do you wonders. Much hotter than propane and usually does the trick

I was wondering if MAPP is still readily available I remember they were talking about phasing it out ... I should have one anyway I think

 

[ke6rwj]

Hi,
The propane isn't going to be hot enough.
The method I use for rusted up jap cars that have screws holding brake drums or rotors on is.
1 Hit head of screw with large punch that matched screw head diameter, 3 or 4 good hits. Sometimes you'll hear the tone of the strike change when you hammer on it, if sound changed, it probably came loose.

2 Use screwdriver bit & hand impact driver, start out a little easy with the hammer. If it isn't going to come out it will just break the bit off.

3 Get the Oxy / Acetelene torch, heat the screw RED HOT & spray with PB Blaster or brake fluid. The key to this is heating the screw fast and not heating the drum up with it. You'll probably hear the screw make a tink or pop and it'll screw right out. If still tight use hand impact driver and bit.

Good luck,
HMFG

Thanks that's a great rundown!!

 

[1958 M274]

I would take off the hub and drum together, this will allow you to get at the thread end of the flate head screws with a torch and loosen them up, or just leave them alone and do your brake work . The drum does not have to be removed from the hub.

Frank

I agree. Unless you need to replace the drum, or have another really good reason to take them apart, just pull the hub and drum together!

 

[Oldvw2]

Might also try a Left-hand drill bit after center punching the remains of the screw. A lot of times I've had the heat from drilling and the bit grabbing actually loosen the stuck fastener...
Chad

 

[STSCSS]

I unstuck one of mine by over tightening then losening it up. Air impact is the best tool before heat. The other thing is getting into a good argument with the wife before working on the truck seems that stress strength will overcome any stuck bolt!
The other trick is using a punch to twist it out of the slot is messed up try striking it near the edge of the bolt in a counter clock wise angle. that also will work.

 

[colbanister]

I had the same problem and someone suggested that I use a "Left Handed" Drill Bit.........It was a miracle cure for me..........Good Luck...I know your frustration.....

 

[myJEEPisAfatty]

Heat it up with the torch and the squirt some Kroil on it. Works like a Charm lol

If youve never heard of Kroil its an AMAZING penetrating oil.

 

[rumplecat]

myJeepisafatty has the answer I always use, Kroil or SiliKroil is amazing stuff! My son and I completely disassembled a parts M37 a couple of years ago, it's almost as helpful as air tools. You can only order it from Kano Labs in TN.

 

[littlebob]

Looks like all the best ideas were already covered, but I'll try to add.

The new Mapp is not as potentent as the older/less clean gas.

You need a good quality torch from a Plumbing wholelsaler or such, that will generate much more heat than the ones you normally find at hardware/homecenters. Goss and Turbo Torch make units that get very hot.

We had a 64-1/5 Mustang that sat for a long time, when we sold it, required all of the above and a sledge hammer.

Good Luck!