Manky Monkey Motors

It must be catching.  I have a VERY odd problem.

Put the trike on the dolly the other day and took it over to my mate to fit the clutch cable the workshop couldn't fit, which he did.  Brought it home, unloaded it, went to push it into the garage and the rear brake seemed to be sticking a bit one side.  For quickness, I got the adjuster and knocked it back a bit so the wheel would turn and thought, I'll look at that another day.

Then I pushed it into the garage.  Remember that, it's relevant - I pushed it not rode it.  So no use of brakes, and it was rolling ok.

Went out today to put my golf club gearchange back on and take it out for test run - and it wouldn't move!  The offside rear brake is stuick on solid - tried to wind it off with the adjuster and that won't turn either!

How can that be when it hasn't been touched since I rolled it into the garage a week or so ago?  And what the heck do I do now?  Can't even get it out of the garage to work on it!

If they are drum brakes,perhaps they have rusted 'on'? Cant think of anything else BG.

But they weren't on when I pushed it into the garage, and the weather's been mainly dry since then!

Probably when you knocked it with the adjuster it just cleared the drum enough to move it,
Bet It's got a rust build up again,Give it a knock with a knocker.

         

??

Whack it wiv a 'ammer.

its due to lack of use  ;)

It's not unheard of for the brake shoe linings to swell if left damp either from moisture or brake fluid contamination.
I know it shouldn't happen but sometimes it just does. Especially likely if the brakes are not used enough to get some heat into them to dry things out it seems

But which bit do I whack?

whichever makes you feel best

Don't tempt me! - there's a sledgehammer in the shed...........   (http://i42.tinypic.com/51u7k.gif)

Ideally the drums,But with the wheels on that's difficult hit the backplate It shouldn't take much.


But don't use the sledge.

BG ..tap the backplate(or drum,if you can get at it ) DONT hit the drum hard,it may crack! Just lots of little light taps should do it.

Cheers folks - leaving it today cos it's raining and I ache from too much gardening yesterday - still, on the plus side, I was so mad at the trike, it took me through cutting the grass in the back garden AND most of the front (well the bits the cars aren't parked on) AND taking all the cuttings up the dump!  So I may feel sore today but the garden looks lovely!

Rockin' the trike!  - sounds like it ought to be good doesn't it?

Anyway we rocked but it didn't make much difference so I tried the adjuster again and this time it moved - but only a bit!  But the trike would roll a little, so I tried the adjuster again and found that whichever direction I move it, it will only go one notch and then it stiocks again, and so does the wheel!  Odd.

Still the main thing is, I can just about get it out of the garage now, so I can get the wheel off and get at the drum, should be able to loosen it or get it off.   Then when I get it rolling I'm going to get the brakes properly overhauled.

That's progress then isn't it Bobbi?

Yup!

Didn't do any more today cos it was raining - will have to wait till Monday now!

Brakes done now - but haven't had the time/weather/energy to take it out for a run yet - other things keep breaking and having to be dealt with!  You know that saying about things happening in threes?  I think we're on the THIRD three now!

It's the longest day of the year soon Bobbi. The days start getting shorter again after that -better get out there & do some riding while you can!

Always looking on the bright side  Andy.

 ;D

Well I did it!  Today I went out on the trike!

Took some spanners cos whenever anyone does the brakes they always adjust them up too tight and when they get hot they bind, so I stopped and adjusted that.  I was riding along, thinking "I'd forgotten what fun this is" when she started to not feel right, then I was losing power, then she stopped.  Felt like fuel starvation but the gauge was showing half full - however it sometimes does that when she's empty.  Someone I know stopped to see if he could help, and suggested taking me home to get Mike as it was looking like rain, so tried putting it on reserve but it still wouldn't start.  But I do know it takes a long time to wind the fuel through and Ian was waiting.  Went back with the car and the dolly and brought her home, shoved her in the garage and shut the door.  Tomorrow is another day.

At least you managed to get out for a while.  :)
 

Got it started today.   :) 

I put in some fresh petrol to dilute the old stuff in there, with some Redex fuel system cleaner as someone suggested.  Had to put in on full choke to get it started, which it never needs normally, but I did eventually get it to idle (more or less as it wasn't properly warm) which it wasn't doing before it packed up - so I think it may have been old fuel that was the problem.  I'll take it out when it's not raining.

Going to a rally on Friday but I'm taking the car - not asking for trouble!

There you go, it's more than a month since I was moaning about my trike so I reckon I'm due another go......

Took it out this afternoon to check it was ok as I wanted to take my gran-daughter down to Poole Quay bike night.  Couple of times round the estate and down the main road to fill up - it was fine!   ;D

Heading for Poole with 12 year old Grace on the back, and suddenly I can tell the brakes are binding again  :-\  - and I'm in a traffic system where I have no chance of pulling over - drat!  Managed to get round a roundabout, along a road, turn left and right.... by this time the clutch is getting hot too!  Found a place to pull over - no tools of course cos I checked it was ok this afternoon didn't I?  But Grace had her first experience of how good folks can be - another triker stopped to ask if I was ok, and lent a hand - and a spanner - so I could wind the brakes off and get the short distance to the bike meet.  There we had a discussion with another triker about what had been done to sort the shoes/cylinders/return springs.....   and the general conclusion seems to be that the master cylinder isn't letting the fluid back in, thus keeping the brakes on.  For some reason it doesn't happen till I('ve gone a few miles, so a 'round the block' test doesn't pick it up.

Anyway, when I get a master cylinder my son in law's going to fit it - it could even be the end of my brake woes!

Only reasons I can think of for that would be, the linkage not letting the piston to fully move back, or  heat from the exhaust affecting the master cylinder. This is more likely to happen at low speed or when stuck in traffic. Seem to remember that a new one was fitted last year. If it happens with he new  one perhaps a heat shield might help.
Hope you get it sorted BG

is the linkage letting the lever fully back?

Nothing wrong with the linkage.  As far as i remember the master cylinder that's on there is the one Toad fitted before he movede to Swindon, that was years ago!  But my memory's not good - what makes you think it was last year?  All I can remember last year is getting the shaft drive fixed.

Don't see why heat from the exhaust should do this when I've been riding the trike for years without this problem?  I know the rear end changed a bit with the addition of the towbar but after that I rode to Shropshire and back - about 170 miles each way, no problem.  Now I can't do 9 miles.

Trikers I spoke to last night reckoned a new master cylinder would fix it but I won't be doing that anyway for a while as my daily driver's due for some MOT work which may cost quite a bit.

No, probably me. Just thought you had a new one fitted before Basingstoke last year :-[.