How to release rear drum on Peugeot 107?

[TM]

Thanks Mike, for the explanation. The flimsy metal strip (with the L shaped bit on it I imagine?) just seems so thin that it couldn't do anything. Old tech, great innit.
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Regarding the noise, I was thinking that it might be the timing chain pulleys/sprockets, but the garage were not able to pinpoint it because it failed to perform, but it did make a short appearance, enough for them to say that it wasn't engine related or least most likely not. They too suggested that it was ancilliary, maybe the water pump.

I drove it into town to pick up my daughter, whose car it is, and it was quiet as a mouse. Suddenly, after stopping for fuel, it started this howling, wailing noise that increases with RPM. Back on the drive, I sprinkled some water on the various pulleys and it eventually quietened for a few seconds, but I doubt it's the belt. The noise is back now and isn't going away so that will be a job for next week. Will have to find out which bit is making the noise first, so off with the belt and all that.....

[Penelope Stopit]

paintman said:

I seemed to be replacing at least one wheel cylinder before every MoT on one or the other of our 306s!
Never a seizure, always a leak. So much so I always removed the rear drums to check them during servicing.

The shoes should adjust automatically by the application of the footbrake although I did used to turn the star wheel adjuster to take up a lot of the clearance beforehand.
Haynes (306) just says 'Depress the footbrake several times to operate the self adjusting mechanism'

For adjusting the handbrake cable - again 306 with drums - Haynes:
"First apply the footbrake several times then apply & release the handbrake several times to ensure that the self-adjust mechanism is fully adjusted"
Then it speaks of pulling the handbrake lever to the fully applied position & counting the number of clicks. Correct to be 4 to 7.
"Jack up the rear of the vehicle & support it on axle stands. With the handbrake set on the first notch of the mechanism (1 click), rotate the handbrake adjusting nut until only a slight drag can be felt when the rear wheels/hubs are turned. Once this is so fully release the handbrake lever and check that the wheels/hubs rotate freely. Check the adjustment by applying the handbrake fully, counting the number of clicks from the handbrake ratchet and, if necessary, re-adjust"

Hopefully after you've sorted the other seized cylinder it will all work!

More useful information for later, good post, thank you

[Penelope Stopit]

Mr2Mike said:

The ends of the adjuster are held securely to the shoes via springs. As the shoes move apart during braking, the threaded part of the adjuster gets pulled out of the main body of the adjuster. The toothed wheel is internally threaded and just behind it on the adjuster is a little L shaped lever, which is under a small amount of tension from a flat spring. If the toothed wheel gets pulled far enough away from the adjuster body during a brake application, the movement of the L shaped lever advances the toothed wheel by one tooth, which extends the adjuster very slightly via the screw thread.

It's a very clever little mechanism, and looks exactly like the one used on the Smart Roadster. They cause no real problems in the Smart, though again backing them off is quite fiddly.

I've looked at several topics in several forums for an explanation of how these adjusters work and had no joy

Thank you for your in depth explanation. What confuses me is that the majority of posters comment that these adjusters don't work, I am guessing that they work ok until the adjusters become seized up

[paintman]

Give them a good clean.
Never had an issue with the adjusters.
Photos/diagrams of how they were before you take them off & apart are a good idea. I did have to have a quick look at the other side from time to time!

[Penelope Stopit]

paintman said:

Give them a good clean.
Never had an issue with the adjusters.
Photos/diagrams of how they were before you take them off & apart are a good idea. I did have to have a quick look at the other side from time to time!

Good thinking, I will take pictures as I work through the strip-down. I wish I had took pictures of the rear beam that's now in lots of pieces
Yamas, Cheers