Probably not the correct time, given the dam burst but I got the rear brakes done and adjusted on the Toyota.
Lemme tell ya, those darn drums were adjusted TIGHT!!!! I broke every one of the pins holding the shoes on when I removed the right side...
Boy howdy, let me tell ya how happy I was that I had the presence of mind to order a complete hardware kit, shoes, and both new wheel cylinders back when I bought these (over 2-years ago). Because when it went to putting this side back together the drum brake and I got in an argument and it ended up ripping a boot on the non-leaking wheel cylinder...
There she is, all done up though. New hardware and everything. Damn do I hate drum brakes. I was just getting over my dislike for them too. Seriously, how did these get invented FIRST??? Discs are so much simpler!
Anyhoo, enough griping. Second verse, same as the first!
I got her topped up with RBF600 brake fluid and set in on the adjustments. A quick note before I tell you why I'm unhappy with the adjustments:
Regarding the overkill brake fluid (Vikki, this is "Racing Brake Fluid, and it's boiling point is somewhere near the surface of the sun. It's something you'd use in a competition race car). Back before the war, when I had time to take the Mazda to the occasional trackday, I would bleed the brakes every couple of years with fresh fluid. That would leave me with a partial container of really potent brake fluid sitting around absorbing water for the next two years before I did it again. One day I figured I'd put all that good, but not useable on the track, fluid to good use and dumped it in the Toyota. It's wet boiling point is WELL and above any normal DOT4 fluid so, why not? 
Anyhoo, back to that brake adjust:
Um... well, I've bled the brakes and adjusted the drums, and then got my vacuum pump out and bled the brakes again. I STILL can not lock the front tires under heavy braking. I'm estimating 70% capacity here. The problem is, I'm beginning to suspect that those REALLY tight rear brakes I've been complaining about were actually adjusted correctly, hence why the pedal feels softer now...
Right now there is friction between the shoes and the drums. With the back end in the air, if I spin the tire it will stop about a quarter turn (maybe 1/3 turn) after I let go. Given how the adjustment has gone so far, I'm willing to bet that if I click the rear adjusters about 3-5 more clicks then I'll have my old pedal back (and that just doesn't seem right to me. Should the rear brakes really be dragging like that?).
On Friday Mrs. Hungary will be home so I'll have her in the drivers seat for a 2-person full brake bleed. Failing that, I'm open to suggestions (Front pads are 80%, no stuck pistons, MC is new, and now the rear brakes are new. If I pump the pedal about 5-times with the engine running it will get rock hard. Hence the reason I'm still attempting a bleed).
In other news, that clutch is working GREAT!!! I did not think that half a millimeter off that flywheel was going to make a difference, but that clutch grabs right in the middle of pedal travel now.
Good times.
I've been listening to that radio show (and podcast) off and on since about 2009 or so.
Cherries and plums will be next, I think. We have one tree each in our yard.
