I've just bought a 101 Ambulance... (YAY ME!)

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Just thinking about this. Could the shoes be offset up versus down? Take a good look as you offer the drum up to the axle.
 
I've done the rear shoes and had no problem.
Alright, nobody likes a show off 😁 😁 😁
A mate at work reckoned he'd had this problem in the past and he got around it by grinding a mill or so off each end of the shoe. I did offer up the old shoes to the new and at first glance the metal part looked to be identical. I'll have a closer look when it stops raining and pay more attention to the length of each, then if needed grind a bit off as Tony suggested
 
Just thinking about this. Could the shoes be offset up versus down? Take a good look as you offer the drum up to the axle.
If you mean are the shoes centralised about the hub centre, i got them as central as i could by using my thumb against the back plate lip with a flat blade screw driver resting on the lining and then moving my thumb up towards the top of the shoe and then tapping the shoe up or down to get a constant distance to the lip.The drum still wouldn't go on. I also tried looking head on at the hub and while offering up the drum looking to see if it looked like it was going to mate up with the studs. It looked a bit off first too high then too low just by moving my head a bit. I don't think it was a very scientific test... But i tried gently tapping the drum up a bit then down a bit but by thos point i was getting very close to smacking something hard with the hammer so i ended up removing the the new shoes so i could refit the drum and wheel. At this point also i was down to about ten minutes of light. After refitting the drum i decided i'd leave myself a small note on the steering wheel "BRAKES!" so i'd remeber not to press the pedal, then thought i'd add a coulple of cable ties over the pistons just to be safe. So with cables ties, drum and wheel back on and at this point it was almost dark i thought i'd check to see if the convoy light worked. As the decal around my light switch is un readable i didn't know which position convoy is so started at one end and tried them all. I noticed that i had two red lights on on all positions so i looked at the brake pedal to make sure it was fully up. It seemed to be but then i pressed it a bit then pulled it up again, checked the lights, still on, so pressed it further then pulled it back up then called myself a couple of naughty words as i realised i had possibly just broken the cable ties and pumped a piston out. So at the moment, until i get the drum off again i don't know if i've gravity drained a brake reservoir...
 
I could do, but it has been chucking it down all day today, which is why i went to work today and got frustrated on the 101 yesterday.
The SIL built a garage so she could build the 107. Done this then re built the 80” and built a herald. Decided then that a 2B would be good… found out it don’t go in with cab fitted.

I use to have an old fishing box with large brolly attached(with sides) at least the space I wanted to work was dry.
 
Spent four hours on my knees earlier and got both back brakes replaced and reasembled and the driver's front. Had to trim a couple off mill of both ends of the back shoes to get the drum back on and the same on the front... TWICE! Once wasn't enough.
Trimmed the remaing two shoes too so i'm hoping it will be a ten minute job, once i've removed the drum.
I was almost calling out for Esmerelda such was the seemingly never ending DONG of lump hammer on drum...
I'll be off to Able Engineering tomorrow to pick up a pair of their 'modern' wiper arms and 15" Bosch sprung blades and a full set of brake pipes, both copper and flexi as i think that will be number three on the list of jobs. Number two will be removal of the extra fuel pump(that's sucking through the one in the tank and then replacing the one in the tank. Hopefully i can go back to original wiring then as i don't like the long red wire going from the fuse box through the rear bulkhead passenger window into the back to the extra fuel pump!
 
If you mean are the shoes centralised about the hub centre, i got them as central as i could by using my thumb against the back plate lip with a flat blade screw driver resting on the lining and then moving my thumb up towards the top of the shoe and then tapping the shoe up or down to get a constant distance to the lip.The drum still wouldn't go on. I also tried looking head on at the hub and while offering up the drum looking to see if it looked like it was going to mate up with the studs. It looked a bit off first too high then too low just by moving my head a bit. I don't think it was a very scientific test... But i tried gently tapping the drum up a bit then down a bit but by thos point i was getting very close to smacking something hard with the hammer so i ended up removing the the new shoes so i could refit the drum and wheel. At this point also i was down to about ten minutes of light. After refitting the drum i decided i'd leave myself a small note on the steering wheel "BRAKES!" so i'd remeber not to press the pedal, then thought i'd add a coulple of cable ties over the pistons just to be safe. So with cables ties, drum and wheel back on and at this point it was almost dark i thought i'd check to see if the convoy light worked. As the decal around my light switch is un readable i didn't know which position convoy is so started at one end and tried them all. I noticed that i had two red lights on on all positions so i looked at the brake pedal to make sure it was fully up. It seemed to be but then i pressed it a bit then pulled it up again, checked the lights, still on, so pressed it further then pulled it back up then called myself a couple of naughty words as i realised i had possibly just broken the cable ties and pumped a piston out. So at the moment, until i get the drum off again i don't know if i've gravity drained a brake reservoir...
I can offer no help with the brakes & seem to recall suffering a similar problem with mine years ago. I've forgotten how I got around it, sorry. However, the 'convoy' position on your switch should only illuminate the differential light to light up the white painted diff cover (which you of course still have...) & the headlights which would have been fitted with the infra-red converter lenses (I've never seen one though) & automatically cancels out the functions of any other lights, indicators, hazards, h/lamp flash, rear lights, & side lights. Great fun at the MOT!
 
@yfo866

Did you fit the tyres yet? Curious as to the diameter in the real world.
G.
No, not yet. That'll be the first thing i do once i've got the brakes sorted. I've got Monday and Tuesday booked off as holiday so all being well i'll be collecting four front wheel cylinders, all flexible pipes and a set of brake pipes from 101parts first thing on Monday. I'm aiming to be parked outside when they open. You won't believe how much i want to stop whinging about the brakes and move up to how few miles i'm getting to the gallon! 😁
 
@yfo866 hills around cornwall doing me in. And the free wheel down hills don’t make up for the fuel either
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I did buy them from CBS they were 15 quid each but no longer available...
I see Able Engineering are now selling a steel 'single' reservoir. Seeing that it's a standard Girling item i goodled brake reservoir and the cheapest i've found, all be it in plastic, was quite shockingly cheap! £13.16 each. The Girling one is £40.38 plus VAT!


It's a shame i've just paid Able £543.47 for a rather large box of assorted goodies two of which are aluminium brake/clutch reservoirs that i'll be picking up first thing on Monday or i might have been tempted.
Amongst the box of bits are the reservoirs, four front wheel cylinders, four flexible brake pipes and the pre fabricated replacement brake pipe set. All being well i'll have all of the new brake components fitted on Monday. Then once they are bled i'll be able to throw the new tyres in the back and go and get them fitted. THEN my new moan will be "have you seen the price of petrol? I'm only getting [insert rather small number here] miles to the gallon!"
 
Re tyres / tires -

I had / have xzl on mine but they've perished before getting worn out.

I'm about to swap to 15" rims and I'll put 35x12.5x15 on then, which are a much easier to get size. I mean you can go online to any number of retailers and even have a choice of manufacturer.

Side wall increase will make so little difference on an ambi and I don't think the diameter / circumference will really have much of an effect either.

Another option I considered was just getting the rims banded. That's actually quite cheap to do, but my issue was that I couldn't work out all the detail, whilst I know the 15" rims will just work (I'm acquiring them from another 101 owner)
 
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