Right, failed MOT last week on blue sidelights and 15% handbrake efficiency... I've adjusted the handbrake as per the book but can still pull away with the handbrake on. (Needs a few revs and as soon as I ease off the revs the handbrake stops the bus again). How do I know if its good enough to pass the re-test? One of my new Hella headlamps causes number 2 fuse (side lights etc) to blow. When the lights are hanging on their connections they're fine, as soon as I fix the near side into the headlamp bowl it blows. You can hear electrical "fizzing" as the headlamp touches the fixing tab then the fuse pops. Any idea why? Dodgy earth somewhere? I've got around it for the MOT by fitting a push fit side light holder (cheers mattlad) which isolates the supply from the lamp itself so it works at the moment but I'm at a loss as to why this would happen? It may be relevant that on the original headlamps, 1 had a push fit sidelight holder, the other had a bayonet type, so even then 1 was isolated, 1 wasn't?
Should've said - it's not obvious which sidelight terminal on the bulbholder is earth. Wrong way round, and the sidelight fuse (1 or 2) will pop as the supply is shorted.
I always find bus drums quite interesting to do... My method: Slacken HB cables Shoes must be adjusted evenly too, so if you're unsure of the starting point, wind the shoe adjusters right off too!! Evenly adjust shoe adjusters until the shoes lock the drum... then pump the brake pedal several times to re-centre the shoes (9 times out of 10 the drum goes from locked to free) repeat until the drum stays locked and then back off the adjusters 2 or 3 clicks each complete both drums, then adjust the HB cables up... you're aiming for 7 clicks of the HB for the drums to be locked!! The one thing you need to be totally on top of is the even adjustment of the shoes... the amount of busses I've seen where the adjuster on one shoe is twice as far out as the other is just daft... crappy HB and crappy brakes
I adjusted the shoes, then the cables but probably have unequally adjusted shoes. Shall start from scratch in the morning...
Yep, did that. I just reckon I probably got the brakes to bind but only on one shoe per wheel, and probably not the one that does the handbrake! I'll back them right off (if I can work out which way to move each star wheel?) then adjust them up equally. Any tips on how to work out which way I need to turn each one? Cheers
as you look at the backing plate from under the van.... the left adjuster, lift it up to wind it in and down to wind it out, the right is the opposite This is the same for either wheel
Cheers Paul! So, slacken cables, wind adjusters right in, adjust out equally to bind wheel, slacken off a touch, adjust cables. Happy days!
Bind wheels, pump brakes.. Repeat until wheels stay locked, back off both adjusters 2/3 clicks, adjust cables, job done
