We are in the process of running in the wifes new motor and have been running into problems with the rear brakes dragging.When the car is cold its fine..but the further you drive they seem to drag more and more to the point they're SMOKIN... Could this be caused from rust on the drums ( The car has been in storage for 7 years) and also do the rear drums self-adjust when the wheels roll in reverse?..any help will be great..cheers Jason.

Dragging drums can be a sign of deteriorated flexible brake lines, and no they don't self adjust, they need to be adjusted with a screw driver on the star adjuster within the brake assembly

I backed off the Right Rear shoes yesterday and that side remained cool today..So dunno..might just back the left one off and see how I go?..How can the rear flexible lines cause the rear brakes to drag?..sorry for my ignorance.

Yeah, my thinking is the lines... with age they can begin to come apart internally, and effectively become blocked and not let the fluid return back to the master cylinder.

End result - brakes drag.

Slacking the adjustment off can help, but be careful or you'll end up with no rear brakes at all.

Just spoke to our VW mechanic and booked it in for whatever it needs..such as new rear lines, wheel cylinders,shoes and drums.
I think after 7 years in storage with the hand brake on some things are going to need some TLC plus I dont want to muck around with brakes seeing that it now has a stout 1916 in it now and not a clapped out 1500 SP anymore.. we have spent too much coin on the car to lose it to a potential brake failure.
Thankyou for your replies people!..

You beat me to it but yes


After 7 years sitting i'dd be pulling down every part of the brake system and replacing all parts that have fluid in them except for the hard lines ( replacing them if nessasary )
As brake fluid has a high percentage of water and any other values of the oldbrake fluid wil be well and truley gone by now it is more than likely all your cylinders including master , calipers and slaves are corroded which is now tearing hell out of all the internal rubber seals in the before mentioned items .
So at this point i would cease driving the car or the new motor is going to looking for a new home shortly when all those rubber seals fail and the car is unstopable except for whatever is in front of it .

Yep..exactly what I was thinking..lol.

Brakes all fixed and running sweet..!!!!!. Diagnosis was blocked front L&R brake hoses, Rear Brake Cylinders seized,So new front brakes lines,new brake shoe linings,new brake cylinders and dot 4 brake fluid flush..Its brakes better than it ever has. Makes us wonder how long they have been knackered for.

Good to hear , so get out of here , and have some fun putting some miles on that 1916

Hell Yeah!!..The wife refuses to drive it at the moment because the Berg shifter freaks her out..lol...So I'll put some kays on it and get her to drive it out away from the suburbs so she can get some confidence up again. I keep telling her its just a shifter with a handle instead of knob!!!.Shes getting soft in her old age..