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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 03:21 PM
  #13  
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jc836
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: Monroeville,PA
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IT is possible to damage the brake lines going into the cylinders-if you apply too much torque on the nuts while disassembling. Take your time and use a bit of PB Blaster on the threads-that will help loosen the fittings. The 2 retaining bolts for the cylinder should also get a shot of Blaster. Use a real Flare Nut wrench on the brake lines and bleeder screws-they ar not expensive to buy and worth it in saved brass fittings.
I agree that you should take your time and do 1 side at a time. Jack up the car and put the rear on stands. Use lots of brake cleaner once the old parts are out and clean the backing plates. You will find that there are several places where the shoes rub on the plates-use a tiny amount of white/lithium grease on those points and nowhere else. You will also need to buy a spring plier kit-for your own safety and it is easier with this $20 investment. There are several tools that generally are used and all of them make things very easy. If you can rent them -do so.
The biggest things that take time are adjusting the shoes to the drums and bleeding the lines-this is part of the price you are being quoted. Use fresh Honda brake fluid and do it right. My tech flushes the lines using the gravity method-just lets it run and keeps adding to the master cylinder till it runs clear.

Hope this gives some help to you. Drum brakes are not hard to do-you just need to be patient. Did I mention that the Helm or the drawings from the dealer parts department will be a great help. You also want to torque the bolts holding thcylinders to the correct values.

If what I have offered still concerns you-then the $200, which includes some sort of warranty on the labor, is worth it.
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