Wheel brake maintenance kit

[pjcomeau]

My wheel brake does not "brake much anymore". I bought a maintenance kit while back, but just did not take the time to fix it.

I was looking at what needs to be done and realized that it's not obvious how the compass is held in place (i.e. no visible screws). Any hints on removing the compass and anything else I should know before taking things apart to do the wheel brake maintenance.

Thanks,

Pierre

[Ron Hill]

Pierre : Here's what I do to remove the compass:
Press hard with both hands on the stainless steal sides while turning and lifting at the same time.  It should pop off.  Then I put a very light coat of grease on the stainless inside so it'll come off easier the next time.

You may not need your "kit".  Take some lacquer thinner on a cotton swab and clean the bronze brake pads and the center surface they ride on !  The usual reason the brake doesn't hold is that there's oil/grease/grime on those surfaces.  Give it a try as you can always install your "brake repair kit".

A few thoughts.

[Tom Soko]

Pierre,
I think that one step that should be added to Ron's advice is to remove the two screws that hold the compass light in place.  Once the light is removed, the SS cover should lift straight up.  Hope this helps.

[Ken Juul]

after the stainless cover is off, the compass is held in place by 4 small bolts.  It is less confusing when reassembling if you make a reference mark on compass mount and the inside of the binacle.  Sharpie or fingernail polish works well.  It is a bit disconcerting watching the compass swing as the wrench moves around it.  It is very sensitive to metal near it.

[Ron Hill]

Pierre : You can do the job you want to do without removing the compass from the stainless binnacle.
 
I set up the cockpit table and put a throwable cushion on the table.  Then I lay the compass (with its light wire attached) on the cushion.  It stays there and then I'm free to work on any steering things, throttle friction etc.    A thought

[pjcomeau]

thanks guys, I'll give this a try this week.