Why is there grease on my brake shoes?

[Arya2.0S]

When i took my right rear wheel off today to refurbish it, i noticed the inner rim was covered in dirty grease! So i took the drum off and the brake shoes were covered in black grease!
I cant properly ascertain where exactly its coming from, but i dont think its brake fluid, since the brake cylinders arent that old and were replaced only a couple years ago, and the reservoir doesnt seem to be losing any fluid.
Could this be coming from the axle?
I took a picture but its still hard to see exactly whats going on.
Hoping the clever collective minds here can figure out whats going on and what i might need to fix it.

I have not noticed any adverse effects due to this issue, no axle noise, knocks or whines, i did clean the shoes when i put the drum back on and the brakes seem a tiny bit sharper so obviously the grease on the shoes wasn't helping my braking efficiency much, so likely my fronts were doing most of the work (would have been an ideal time to do a burnout lol).
Any ideas what this could be and what i'll need to fix it?
I'm gonna need to rob a bank at this rate...


Thanks as always.

[Paul G]

Looks like the halfshaft oil seal has gone. Sit down - unfortunately that will mean a new rear wheel bearing as the seal is built into the bearing. Also don't get a cheap ebay bearing as the seals aren't very good in them, get one from Tickover or CCi. You will need a press to fit the bearing to do a proper job and make sure the bearing is put back on the shaft with the seal the right way round.

[Peter-S]

Paul is probably right. Undo the four bolts that hold the small plate in the centre of the brake assembly. If it revels a general greasy mess then the half shaft needs to come out to replace the bearing,

I should replace the brake shoes as well.

[Arya2.0S]

Looks like the halfshaft oil seal has gone. Sit down - unfortunately that will mean a new rear wheel bearing as the seal is built into the bearing. Also don't get a cheap ebay bearing as the seals aren't very good in them, get one from Tickover or CCi. You will need a press to fit the bearing to do a proper job and make sure the bearing is put back on the shaft with the seal the right way round.

I had a feeling it was a bearing, its usually worse case scenario. Are these the ones you mean?
http://www.tickover.co.uk/shop/contents/en-uk/p725.html
Do i need one for each side? Sorry if thats a stupid question, i only know how wheel bearings work on stub axles, this is a whole new kettle of fish to me as ive never needed to do any work on the rear axle before.
Which way should the seal face to make sure its put on correctly?

Paul is probably right. Undo the four bolts that hold the small plate in the centre of the brake assembly. If it revels a general greasy mess then the half shaft needs to come out to replace the bearing,

I should replace the brake shoes as well.

Alright i'll have another look soon.

Thanks guys!

[Arya2.0S]

BTW, if this is just a seal gone in the bearing, does that mean the bearing is knackered too or is it just the seal?

If its just the seal then is it technically ok to still drive the car, because if so i could really do with some breathing room right now as im really struggling for cash and could use a few weeks to recoup the funds this is gonna cost.

Like i mentioned before i dont hear any noise from the axle, shes as quiet as a Mercedes (apart from the intentionally loud exhaust lol), as long as i keep the axle oil topped up will it be ok for a while longer?

Sorry for all the questions.

[stevemarl]

Are these the ones you mean?
http://www.tickover.co.uk/shop/contents/en-uk/p725.html

Yes, and it`s important to get the correct part, not a generic, as it has a raised lip on one side which seals it to the axle casing.
There is only one per side as it is a complete ball bearing assembly (like on FWD) not tapered like on the front. Unfortunately the seal is integral, so even if bearing`s fine it`s got to go.
TBH if it`s only a small leak, and you clean up the shoes and drums you`ll be OK for a couple of weeks (although not really A1 theory.... )

[Arya2.0S]

Are these the ones you mean?
http://www.tickover.co.uk/shop/contents/en-uk/p725.html

Yes, and it`s important to get the correct part, not a generic, as it has a raised lip on one side which seals it to the axle casing.
There is only one per side as it is a complete ball bearing assembly (like on FWD) not tapered like on the front. Unfortunately the seal is integral, so even if bearing`s fine it`s got to go.
TBH if it`s only a small leak, and you clean up the shoes and drums you`ll be OK for a couple of weeks (although not really A1 theory.... )

Righty-o, I'll make sure there's nothing wrong on the other side, I didn't notice any grease on the wheel or the hub when I took it off like on this side so hopefully it's ok and it's only this side that needs attention.

[Paul G]

Like Stevemarl says it won't probably need doing immediately, it could have been weeping for weeks or months to get to that stage. Clean it off with deagreaser then if you have any clean the shoe linings with brake cleaner and just check it every week or two. If it starts getting worse then that's the time it must be done. it might pay to remove the four bolts that hold the retaining plate and try to spray cleaner behind that - it may give you a bit longer between cleans.

You will probably need a slide hammer to get the half shaft out of the axle although as a bodge I have pulled them out but putting an old steel rim on with two nuts only tightened by a few threads. Ramming the wheel in and out might get it out but old Ford ones can be tight in there. It's not good practise doing this but it sometimes gets you out of the poop if you haven't got a slide hammer. The link uses a brake drum but don't do this it will knacker the drum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNLePvUoM3A

[pbar]

I had a feeling it was a bearing

You may find this of some use -

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=50080&p=339001&hil ... ng#p339001

And here is a walkthrough on how to do it -

http://www.fordcaprilaser.co.uk/page141.html

[Paul G]

I had a feeling it was a bearing

You may find this of some use -

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=50080&p=339001&hil ... ng#p339001

And here is a walkthrough on how to do it -

http://www.fordcaprilaser.co.uk/page141.html

Much better way of doing it than the bodge I posted!

[Arya2.0S]

I had a feeling it was a bearing

You may find this of some use -

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=50080&p=339001&hil ... ng#p339001

And here is a walkthrough on how to do it -

http://www.fordcaprilaser.co.uk/page141.html

Much better way of doing it than the bodge I posted!

Thank you both for the suggestions. I'll take care of it as soon as i can.

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi,
If, like me, you don't have access to a slide hammer, there is a another method to easily remove the halfshaft as described in the Haynes manual.
You need two long bolts, 180mm or so, and the same size thread as the retaining bolts (without checking, I think they are M8).After removing the four retaining bolts, you can simply screw the two long bolts in from the other way, they will press against the round hub and push out the half shaft as you tighten them.

Andrew.

[Arya2.0S]

Are GH or Firstline bearings any good? These are the ones Tickover sells. I'm a bit weary as i thought Firstline were the ones i put on it to begin with, if so they've only lasted 3 years in which case they're rubbish. Also seen a few people online complain that they still seem to leak after changing them, but that could be due to user error when they fitted them.
Does anyone have any experience with these and can vouch for their quality?

[stevemarl]

Are GH or Firstline bearings any good? Thes

Do you mean QH, Quinton Hazell? They are Ok (I mean none of them actually MAKE bearings, they just package them. SKF, FAG, Koyo make them.) Tickover do Capris so they should know. If you get them and they don`t have the raised lip on one side - send them back, they`re `not of merchantable quality`

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi,
Burton Power and the Capri Club supply the correct bearings, although I don't know what brand they are without researching it.

Andrew.

Edit: Burton list their product as Firstline FBK023, although the photo looks like it might not be the correct bearing.

2nd edit: Call Martin to be certain of being supplied the correct part.

[stevemarl]

And the correct QH part is QWB 151c.... (Wonder how they arrived at nomenclature?)

[Arya2.0S]

I went ahead and got the one from Capri club. They say they have them bespoke made to OE spec to avoid this leaking issue so hopefully they arent talking out of their arse.

They cost more (mainly due to ridiculous shipping costs) but better to spend a little extra now and have it last than to fit something thats only gonna last a couple of years and need replacing again which in the long run will end up costing more, like has already happened.

Once i get it i'll make sure it has that raised lip like you mentioned otherwise its back to the seller! My mate has a press so he'll help me fit it ifs the right one.

Thanks everyone.

[stevemarl]

have you actually bought it, or can you cancel, cos that (£48 + £12 shipping) is absolutely taking the piss! Tickover want £24 +£4 p&p
This is correct part for less than 1/2 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-Wheel-Be ... Swj85YN~bL

TBH I`m shocked by that price.

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi,
To be fair to them, CCI even draw attention to the high price, as they state in the description:

"With the rising problems with oil seepage with modern Capri rear wheel bearings the club has managed to find a bespoke manufacturer of bearings to make the club's bearings to OE specifications.

These bearings are double the price of the ones you will find elsewhere but they come with the correct seals and therefore don't leak oil once fitted."

I think the postage cost is so high because they send everything out by Parcelforce.

Andrew.

[Arya2.0S]

have you actually bought it, or can you cancel, cos that (£48 + £12 shipping) is absolutely taking the piss! Tickover want £24 +£4 p&p
This is correct part for less than 1/2 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-Wheel-Be ... Swj85YN~bL

TBH I`m shocked by that price.

I thought everyone said I should avoid cheap eBay bearings?

I'm dubious of these cheaper ones because that's what is already on it, and obviously they're complete rubbish. I saw a few people online complaining that Fast Lane and QH alike both suffer from this leaking issue, and since all Tickover does is buy from a manufacturer (and stick on a bit extra for themselves it seems) they're just as likely to have rubbish bearings as a cheap generic eBay seller.
At least Capri club acknowledge the problem with most bearings and have taken steps to supply a product which won't just fail again in 2 to 3 years, or so they claim. I reckon if they were lying, this is a small enough community that we'd have heard about it by now.

I'm not thrilled by the exorbitant price either but ultimately what other choice is there?
Buy the cheaper stuff and likely have to go through this whole process again in a couple years time (false economy) or pay extra for piece of mind and a quality product that will last and avoid all this happening again, saving money in the long run?

Luckily I was given a bit of unexpected cash so I can actually afford the damn thing for once lol, and I have a friend with a press that's gonna fit it for me.