Mule 550 parking brake cable and rear end work

[Travis]

Here's my home made bearing driver 3 extensions and a 24MM socket to knock the OLD bearing (only) out.

 

gasket mating surface to the transmission all cleaned up, all theRTV is cleaned off. The manual says to use "Kawasaki Bond silver gasket maker" for $34 a tube hahahahahahaha.

 i have a tube of that Permatex Ultra Black gasket maker, you think that'll work?

[kenfain]

Good work there Travis. That board ought to work out just fine. Same with the permatex. 

[Willy M]

With your good luck Travis I can't use the old saying "Houston, we have a problem"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_we_have_a_problem

[Travis]

2 hours ago, Willy M said:

With your good luck Travis I can't use the old saying "Houston, we have a problem"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_we_have_a_problem

I haven't tried to put the axle on yet!😄😄LOL

[Travis]

Looks like a trip to the parts store is in order, need some gear oil and come to find out my tube of gasket maker gasketed itself inside the tube.. hard as a rock...🙄

[Travis]

Let's go install a axle

[Travis]

Axle is installed! got the gasket maker squished out a little around the outside edges after snugging the bolts. Got to let it sit for 1 hour then torque to factory Spec.

had a little trouble getting it in, since this side has the Diff lock contraption on it.See the gear on between the axle case and axle? and it has little "castle towers" as i call them on it similar to a Castle Nut, that interlock with the trans gear when diff is engaged, the mechanism has a lever on top of the case attached to a engagement cable, and inside the case is a little dowel pin that sticks down from the lever, (its hard too see but that gear has a machined "groove" in it that that dowel pin rides in) and when the cable is engaged it that dowel pin moves to the right and pushes that gear into something similar to a spider gear for lack of better word, and then rotates both wheels at the same RPM.

amazing what you can learn by tearing into something.

[Travis]

and for anyone else doing this, it makes it ALOT easier if you take the bed off FYI. and these bolts get torqued to18 ft lbs. or 180 in lbs. and the axle mounting bolts to the FRAME right behind the drum get torqued to 25 ft lbs or 300 in lbs.

 

AND LET THE GASKET MAKER SIT FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE FILLING WITH GEAR OIL

[Travis]

mounting bolts torqued to 18 ft lbs, and i have a nice bead of silicone showing around the outside edge.

and axle bracket mounting bolts torqued to 25 ft lbs.

just need the new brake springs and cable to come in!

[kenfain]

Nice work Travis, as always. I like the detailed description. You've left us with a real good feel for what this job takes to complete. That's what this forum (and all forums) need. 

Just a thought here, if you use that diff lock. Then you'll want to change that cable soon. If you check that picture you'll see some rust brewing in there. Maybe you could get by with giving it that solvent bath, that you used on the brake cable?

[Travis]

 2 things you can't do with out Brake parts cleaner and PB Blaster.

Good eye, i didn't notice it. i  rarely use the diff lock BUT the times i do use is when i really need it.

Oh here's the kicker, you cant just by the cable, you have buy the entire handle or "assembly" $114.00 so it looks like a solvent bath it is, but that's just from online, might call the dealer sometime and see if they can help me find just the cable.

 of course im sure i might could hillbilly-rig a cable with those ends on if does break....

one thing i've learned rust is a very good adhesive. if only I could package it and sell it, $$. HaHa

 

 

[Travis]

Parking brake cables and new brake hardware are supposed to be UPS delivered Tuesday.

 I had to order a new shock mount bolt because i wiped the threads out removing it. no easy way to remove those shocks that i know of.

[Travis]

Filled the transmission with gear oil , no leaks (yet) in both places at the axle, where it mounts and where the seal is.

brake parts are supposed to be in  here soon.

 

Im thinking about buying this https://www.ebay.com/itm/KAWASAKI-MULE-500-520-550-ENGINE-SKID-PLATE-ROCK-GUARD-NOS-OEM-P-N-KAF500-012/262599946646?epid=1523585811&hash=item3d242d3196:g:xlwAAOSw-kdXxJ8i:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!77303!US!-1

Partshouse has it for $70, since the transmission case bottom is fully exposed... i think this price is cheaper than a rebuilt or new transmission, even though i pretty much know where everything is in the pasture im sure there will be "that one day..."

[kenfain]

Didn't look too hard at what the material is that its made of. But I have something similar on mine. It's like a 3/16 thick polymer. Like a bed liner material. It's got lots of scars underneath. Of course I drive in heavy woods. But it's good insurance. The only problem, if you can call it that. Is the cleaning of it, on the inside/topside.

[Travis]

left rear brake complete.

[Travis]

its hard to reassemble because you have to put the brake  cable on first, and then you have that 3ft long cable swinging around, and you cant hold the plate level, makes it hard, took me about 30 minutes.

[Travis]

Left side is all buttoned up, i engaged the parking brake, wheel held, i dis engaged the parking brake, the brake released like it was supposed too, now on to the other side!!

here is the picture of the parking brake cable end that goes into the drum,the square bead on the cable goes on the back side of the hook in the lever.

 

oh and for anyone else here's another torque spec, Axle Nut 110 ft lbs

[Willy M]

Once that's done you'll have much more fun with the accelerator!!!!!no brakes required..............

[Travis]

Having some trouble with the right side, axle nut is off, the drum will come out about 1/4 of the way  and stops, i think the parking brake is still a little bit engaged and the pad is binding it, i might try unhooking the other end of the cable and pushing it to see if i can free it up.

[Willy M]

sometimes a drum can get a rusty ridge that catches on the brake shoe. Back off the shoes or just wrestle with it and it may come off.

[Travis]

It's weird, with the drum fully seated  it spins fine, but when i try pulling it off is when it binds up, so it may be like you said, Will that it's rusted, I'll try spraying some PB blaster on it and see if that works.

[Willy M]

with rust and a bit of wear the shoe seats deeper and catches on the lip of the drum which is not there when new. Once off can knock off the corrosion and finish with a fine file or wire brush.

 

[Travis]

Got it off with a puller.👍

[kenfain]

Nice job! Yeah, a large puller, and a hammer is what I usually have to resort to. Glad to hear you got it.

[Travis]

Well one problem, the wheel cylinder is frozen.

its been soaking for 24 hours with no improvement.

on a plus i did get rust build up off the drum by soaking it in evapo rust, that stuff is good!

[kenfain]

If the cylinder can't be salvaged its not all bad. Since a new one should be available, and it can't be that expensive. But if a rebuild kit is available, it's a simple job. At least the drum cleaned up. Everything that's saved means less parts to buy. So I'd say the evaporust was a good choice. Especially since its supposed to be reusable. Battery charger electrolysis works great too. 

[Travis]

Wheel  cylinder from Kawasaki is $130 shipped to dealer, or $90 if I orders it online.

[Travis]

I had the wheel cylinder soaking in evapo rust which i used on the other one several months ago, i took it out dried it off and took out the bleeder valve and filled it full with liquid wrench,

[kenfain]

I'm assuming that there's no rebuild kit available then? If the soaking doesn't fix it, you might have to operate. If you can gently disassemble the cylinder, there's not much in there. Lightly honing the inside of the cylinder, and cleaning the parts, along with rubbing silicone oil into all the rubber should fix it. 90 bucks seems way over priced. The ones for a car are fifteen or twenty.

[Travis]

No rebuild kits for em.

Disassembly and cleaning is the next step, if I ruin it there then my mind is made up for me.