Posted by Peter Gillies on Thursday, July 29, 2004 at 5:24PM :
In Reply to: Power Wagon E brake posted by Tim Holloway on Thursday, July 29, 2004 at 4:08PM :
Tim
Adjusted prpoerly they will work incredibly well. As to being coated in oil, in the diamond drilling business we burn it off. Unfortunately this will fill the cab of your truck with a cloud of smoke that is not for the faint of heart. Driving down a wide country road with slight downhill grade probably in 4th gear apply the emergency brake gently & slowly increasing the presssure keeping your thumb holding the locking mechanism in the released position, in short order if the band is coated in oil it will start to heat up, and smoke starts to appear. This will cause the oil to liquify and drip off the band. Again this is not for everyone. Another option is to take the band off and clean it with a brake cleans product. Naturally adjustment is crucial. Here on the west coast all of the logging in the early days was done with 2 and 3 drum "donkeys" that had clutch and brake bands such as ours that applied and released the power to the drum. The adjustment and maintenance of these bands was a daily fact of life for many generations. I would be inclined to carfully install and adjust your new one and then test it, as with a single resevoir brake system it is your 1st/2nd line of defense. Good luck!