HELP!! Stuck brake drum on WC-64KD.....OMG!!

[dbcolts]

Ok......we're rebuilding the wheel cylinders on a WC-64KD (converted to a pickup type). Yesterday the first 3 drums came right off, and we didn't even have to use the "break loose" bolts.... the screws holding the drums to the hubs came out easily. Today we've spent 6 hours trying to get the left rear drum off. 1st....the 3 screws wouldn't break loose....even with an impact wrench (and we'd put WD-40 on them the night before). Finally we drilled the heads off....and then the drum should have come right off....WRONG!! We retracted the brake lining...using the adjustments on the backing plate. The drum spins freely....?? We then tried the 3 "break loose" bolts to add pressure. Then we put a little heat to the face of the drum......nope! Then we thought that the 5 lug nut bolts were holding it. So we tapped them in about 1/8" to break them loose from the drum. That didn't help. Through the inspection hole....we can see that one of the linings are "real close" to the drum....even though it still turns. I have a feeling that one of the wheel cylinder pistons is stuck in "the out position". And the lip of the drum is hanging up on it.
I would appreciate any ideas.....Or? Am I going to torch cut the thing off?

[Frank Irons]

Remove the rear axle and then loosen the hub bearing retaining nuts and remove the outer bearing. This should give you a little more wiggle room to wrestle the drum off.

Frank

[dbcolts]

Thanks

Frank........we'll do that this morning, and I'll let you know how it comes out. Thanks for giving me some HOPE!
David

[dbcolts]

Praise the lord

Frank
Thanks so much. Ya'know.....after working on it 6 hours yesterday......we'd burned out the brain cells to the point that we had to quit, and take a breather. We tried your suggestion and had it off in 5 minutes. Hallelujah!! Plus we found out that the seal is shot, as the inside of the drum is caked with dirt/grease. The bearings and races are fine.
Again.......thanks for the help.
Have a blessed day.
David & Gelacio

[Frank Irons]

Ex bubblehead? What boat were you on? I was on the SSBN 643.

Frank

[dbcolts]

The Tunny, APSS-282

I was on the Tunny, APSS-282 in 1968-69. I ended up getting out as an EM-3. We were home-ported in Subic Bay, PI. And carried SEAL Team 12 to North & South Viet Nam harbors. Doing bad stuff and reconnaissance. Other than a Viet Cong patrol boat dropping hand grenades on us, as we were sitting on the bottom....waiting for the SEALS to return.....we only had action from our own ships. That fired at us at night.....as we were surfaced charging our batteries. Oh....and a destroyer depth charges us. They thought we were a Chinese sub. Luckily both ships were bad shots......and the depth charges were miles away.
What years were you in? We had a Nuke side-tie with us in Subic for a few days....but don't remember what boat it was. I did go on board.....nice....carpeted and lots of A/C in all the compartments. We only had cool air within 5 ft of the A/C outlet. We all wore cutoff dungarees, tee-shirts and flip-flops. And grew beards. OH!! No showers for the 3 weeks we rotated to Viet Nam......our water makers never made enough water. Just enough for the batteries and coffee. The Greyback was our sister boat....that rotated every 3 weeks with us.
Here is 3 pics....me on the bridge, the boat returning to Subic, a pic of the SDV outside the hanger on the stern of the boat.

[Frank Irons]

Great photos! I was on the APSS 315 Sealion for a reserve cruise in '67 out of Norfolk. I was on the 643 boat in late '67 to '69 on active duty patrolling the North Atlantic waiting to launch 16 Polaris A3 missiles at the enemy. We were out of Holy Loch Scotland for the first two patrols, and then out of Charleston, SC. No war stories to tell, at least on here LOL!

Frank
QM3 (SS) USS George Bancroft SSBN643 Blue Crew

[dbcolts]

Seals

The crew of the sub did not get along with the SEALs.....they were all crazy guys. In fact the Navy had to put them up in a barracks that was on a barge in the middle of Subic Bay. As they did nothing but start fights wherever they went. Were they the same.....when they were on the Sealion?
I liked the duty we had....as we had 3 weeks of liberty when we were in port. And the yard birds did most of the work on the boat. We had Fairbanks Morse diesels.........only 3 ran.....the 4th one was used for parts. Even though I was an electrician.....we all had to work non-stop to keep them running. 5 hours sleep a day was all we got, when at sea.
Once we were on the bottom....waiting for the SEALS to return. It was during a typhoon....and the boat took a bad list.....but we couldn't surface to correct it. Of course I could sleep anywhere/anytime. The depth charge we got....woke me up....but I was told....Don't worry about it. Yeah right! One time we surfaced at night off the coast of Viet Nam to charge batteries.....and had the sub totally wrapped in a fishing net.....that we all had to help cutting off. That fisherman was really mad. One thing about being in the war zone.....our pay was "tax free". As I remember, sub pay was $65...?? I think my months pay was $165. Maybe you remember.

Have a great weekend.
David

[dbcolts]

2nd & 3rd pic

The 2nd pic is of the crew having our "going back to Subic" bar-b-que and beer on deck. It was Pabst Blue Ribbon beer in OD cans. I must admit we always ate well....anything at anytime.
The other pic is of the boat being towed to a position between Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Island in 1971. Where it was used as a target. I have a video of it (taken from a helicopter) getting struck by the torpedo....jumping in the air....breaking in half....and sinking. I've only watched it once.....NOT A PRETTY SIGHT.
Oh.....the pic of the sub in dry dock.....On the first day I was on the sub, we hit a coral reef head on....at periscope depth. We had been practicing with a new SEAL team and were headed back to Subic. And sheared off the sonar dome on the bow (on the bottom). And bent two of the torpedo tubes. That was exciting. I was in the crews berthing with 3 other guys (I hadn't qualified yet), trying to stay cool. 3 of us flew forward, when we hit. Then the collision alarm went off, and all the water tight doors were slammed/locked shut. THEN! The boat took on a 45 degree up angle.....and we all slid to the aft bulkhead. I didn't know if we were going down or up, as the boat had stopped dead. I don't remember how....but I was the first one out of the hatch in the crews mess. Only the Captain beat me up and out....he came out of the conning tower. Then we all went up to the bow to see the damage. Not a pretty sight. We got a new skipper right away....Captain Green. Here is a pic of me with him at the submarine service birthday party in San Diego in April....and my wife Sheila

[47MollyWagon]

Great stories!

Thanks for sharing those great stories David. The man I think of as almost a second granddad on my Dad's side (since his Dad died when he was young) was a Navy welder in WWII and worked repairing submarines. He passed away a couple years ago, 97 years young.

Here's a link to his obituary that has a some more description of his service:

http://www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com/...e/obituary.php