The magic trick with any seized bolt (if wd40 etc don't do the job) - is......heat

If you don't have an oxy welder (and let's face it most of us don't) you could use one of the small butane/propane bottle hobby torches (they might sell em as soldering torches, i don't know)

That'd probably set you back less than $100 for a torch kit that has a hose and can be hooked to regular bbq lpg cylinders (which are astronomically cheaper to re-fill). The hobby torch like that won't be able to heat things to the point they are glowing red, so you are in zero danger of melting any metal bits. Just apply the heat for a good few minutes with some vice grips locked hard on the adjuster square bit, and after a few minutes, try gently rocking it back and forward about 1/16th of a turn in either direction. Usually you'll find that stuff that wouldn't even budge with Chuck Norris roundhous kicking the vice grips, will move _very_ easily once heated. If it doesn't come loose, remove the heat/flame, and re-apply some wd40, It will smoke a bit, don't go nuts, just get it lubricated, let it cool and then after a couple of hours, go back and reapply the heat for another 5 minutes and try again.

I've seen shafts that wouldn't come apart in a 10 ton press (mini outer cv rusted into a hub if anyone cares) come apart pretty smoothly after the application of heat (in that case an oxy torch, to be fair).

If you are having trouble locating any further bits (or if the adjuster just plain refuses to budge) - hold off on going on ebay, and post it here. I've a few spares (and I'm sure others here do too) that won't cost you the earth!

Keep us updated on your progress.

thanks heaps jmac! ill give it a go on the weekend with some heat and let you know how it goes

supafatto- thanks mate pics were great

So the rain gave me some time off work today to have another go...

Good news is the heat and vice grips worked a treat on the rear left brake adjuster screw as i got it moving again and now moves freely.

Now another problem....! I have unwinded the brake adjuster screw as far it will go so the little adjuster hands are touching (if that makes sense, the arms that push the brake shoes apart). But the brake shoes seam to have too much 'meat on them'. I can get the drum cover back onto the brake but its like the hanbrake cable is on full tight, cant spin the axle at all. Is this normal for new brake shoes? is there anyway of taking some 'meat' off them to make them fit? or is there something else that i can adjust??

Now, the rear right still gave me dramas even after the heat treatment. So ive just taken the whole adjuster unit out and will wait for the new one i bought off ebay to arrive and just swap the new one in. Hopefully i wont have the same problem with the brake shoes having too much 'meat' but i have a feeing i will.

Good news about the hanbrake cable, after supafatto sent me some pics of the little plate he made up for his handbrake cable i knocked up something similar today and the handbrake cable fits good but cant test it yet until the brakes are complete and put back together.

thanks for the help

Good to here, thanks to 1200rc for showing me :) have you got all the right parts? For the h165 I mean?

brake shoe wise>?

i bought some that i thought were right and match up perfect to the old ones that were in there originally, but the drum just fits really tight, so i dunno where to go from there!

Ok so what have you changed? Shoes, adjusters? I have all new stuff in my h165 I'll pull the back apart over the next few days and take more pics and measurements if that helps, but mine are tight! I know this might sound silly but the cars out of gear? Easy to forget! Lol I've done on many occasions :) and did u change wheel cylinders?

changed shoes, and springs, original adjuster on back left, in decent nic compared to the back right (new adjuster on the way for back right), original cylinders.

the drum cover fits on but cant spin the axle by hand once i get it on....

haha yes out of gear! i've done that before as well

measurements could be good, give me something to reference my setup too

Try put a wheel back on and turn they can be a little tight till the bed in

will do, ill give it a go tomorrow

thanks for all the help!

i put a wheel on today and gave the axle a spin, short story it spun but seems to be tighter in one spot in the revolution?

is that normal?

cheers