Ask the Editors: Holey Rear Drum Brake Cover
There seems to be a hole in the bottom of my drum brake cover that appears to be part of the factory design. To me it seems counter intuitive to put in all these seals just to have a big hole in the bottom to let in who knows what.
I thought about plugging this up but was wondering what will happen to my brakes. The other option would be to just leave it like it is. Thoughts? hoowahfun
Indeed that hole at the base of the brake cover was no accident at the factory. These holes exist for drainage- while it’s true they can allow for mud and water to enter, they also allow for said contaminants to drain back out. It would be far more damaging to the brake components should muck become trapped within the cover space.
If this is something you simply cannot live with- or if you happen to ride in conditions that could potentially cause grime to enter through the drain hole (mud crossings, creeks, during pressure washing etc.) our best advice would be to seal the hole with a removable plug such as cut of a small strip of rubber during rides.
The logic here is that the rubber plug would keep most potential contaminants out but could still be removed at the end of the day with a pair of needle-nose pliers so that any moisture that may have gotten inside has the ability to escape.
Some other options to consider when building your removable plug would be to use the hole as a mold to form liquid latex, silicone, calk or permatex into the correct shape and size. Any of these should provide an adequate seal but still be removable.
