[ddavidv]

I have it adjusted that both shoes contact the drum at the same time. What you see in the pic is how things wound up after doing that.

So...can I just remove the lever from the bottom and change it's location to make it 90 deg to the cable coming down?

Of course if I do that the cable may not reach?

Other question:  a friend critiqued my axle mounting/clamping. He told me I should bottom out the top 'gap' then draw the lower one in. I've been drawing them down evenly. Opinion on who is right?

[Adrian II]

With Davross45's instructions in mind, your operating levers should be acting as two sides of a parallelogram together with the linking rod, the brake cams have splined shafts to allow for fine(-ish!) adjustment!

Hitchcocks' notes explain the whole drilled trunnion thing for making adjustment easier.

https://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pictures/content414/front_brake_overhaul_16-08-17.pdf

Cable too short? don't forget the lower cable adjuster on the fork leg, if the cable has insufficient inner left with the handlebar lever adjuster and the fork leg adjuster screwed fully in, it could be the wrong one. Either replace with a new one the correct length, or if it's still in good condition, and if you are REALLY careful, you could shorten the outer cable a little, but don't damage the inner cable at all, or else you will have to buy a new one anyway.

Ref the front axle clamps, I have always tried to even out the gap.

A.

[ace.cafe]

The drilled trunnion is ruined and must be replaced. The likely reason for the sticking is that Hitchcock modification removes any positive retraction of the upper brake shoe by the linkage.

Fix the brakes to be centralized and adjusted properly. No need for any drilled trunnion.

[ddavidv]

Ace, interesting take. I'm one who is loathe to alter what factory engineers have done. And the upper cam did do exactly as you described before though I'm not sure it is currently the culprit.

I'm probably just going to order the trunion and new cables (you may recall the decompressor cable is non-functional). Too many unknowns with the current setup and it's starting to frustrate me.

I also feel I should clarify a generic thing on the brakes. Rest assured I am not comparing the Bullet's brakes to anything else/modern I currently have. I've ridden several 1960s British bikes with drum brakes and while they are not spectacular they will stop the bike with authority. These do not work. I could stop quicker throwing out an anchor.

I mention this because I was just in a discussion with a guy who felt the brakes on his modern Triumph Bonneville were inadequate. I own one also and they are certainly good brakes but not outstanding compared to some other brands. Braking quality is highly variable to what you are used to. I'm confident the brakes on my RE are capable of adequate ability but they aren't currently there.

[ddavidv]

BTW, curious minds and all that...anyone know what the 'S' and 'O' cast into the drum refer to?

[mrunderhill1975a]

"S" means "shoes are OK".  "O" means "Ooooh...shiiiiiiiiiii***!". I better get some new shoes.

[ddavidv]

Curses...Hitchcock's is out of stock of the LH threaded trunion.

[Arizoni]

I don't know but it the lower brake cam has a splined shaft like Adrian II says, it looks like the arm is installed one tooth off of where it should be.  By installing it clockwise 1 tooth it might be perpendicular to the cable like the book says it should be.

[ddavidv]

I'm going to try moving it. I also figured I could put a lock nut on the inboard side of the trunion as well to help with the return.

[Bilgemaster]

All these revelations of "drilled trunion" being "ruined" and other molestations of those brakes, aside from making me think of taking a brief break of my own in my bunk, make me wonder if grabbing this complete 2004 front brake plate assembly for just $36.95 with free delivery might not be a quick and simple solution to your woes. It's even got the shoes, which don't look half bad. I mean, who can say what other "improvements" may have been wrought by the PO to that troublesome brake? Just slap on that seemingly unmolested eBay one, a fresh cable, and go for a damned ride, say I. In fact, it's a gorgeous day, so that's where I'm off to right now.

P.S. Ask the vendor nicely, and I'll bet they'd throw in the original cable.

[ddavidv]

"Seemingly unmolested" is the key phrase there. 
Much of my bike was in that category when I purchased it!

[ddavidv]

I tinkered with it again last night, repositioning the levers and adding a inner locknut to the drilled out trunion. Yet to be tested but the brake lever feel is completely different...in a good way!

[ace.cafe]

Itf you haven't done it yet, see if you can loosen up the brake plate center nut and apply the brake hard and hold it on while then tightening it up. This centers the shoes.

Also, if shoes are new, put an arc on the leading edges with a hand file, or else it will take forever for them to bed in and make full contact.

[ddavidv]

One step forward, multiple steps back...but the brakes are fixed!

It only took four attempts, two sets on instructions, internet coaching, staring at photos on the web and a colossal amount of cursing but they work...well, pretty well considering their reputation. It will actually stop now without making my sphincter pucker.

I retorqued the head bolts (successful) and stripped one of the valve cover studs (the opposite of successful). This latter thing really cheeses me off because I never strip threaded fasteners anymore. I acquired that 'feel' decades ago and can tell when something is starting to go wrong. This? Not even snug and I could tell. Pulled it out with the threads attached to the stud.

Dammit.

And the bloody right turn signals aren't working again. And now the clutch has decided it wants to slip.

However, after my test ride and satisfaction with the brakes I've decided to call today a WIN as I have surmounted a huge hill getting it to stop. Hopefully the clutch is merely an adjustment issue...or it has lost far more ATF weeping through that shifter seal than I thought.

[ace.cafe]

ALL nuts on the top of the head, such as rocker block nuts and rocker cover nuts only get 5 ft-lbs torque, no matter what any workshop manual says.
Head stud nuts get 20 ft-lbs, not the 24 the manual says.

These figures are well tested and very accurate numbers that will hold all the respective items securely without pulling the studs out. It is extremely important to not pull out the studs because the alloy is soft and there isn't enough material to securely hold a Timesert and a Helicoil won't hold either. You might be lucky and get a thread repair to hold, but very often they will pull out too.

The moral of the story is to use my torque figures carefully and hope for the best. I have a LOT of experience in this area, and you would be very well advised to heed this. I have seen iron barrel Bullet heads that we could not repair, and I worked in one of the most advanced racing shops in the country when we built our Fireball engines. We could work miracles, but when the heads go soft and start pulling studs, it can get very bad.