Any tips of separating brake panel that's well and truly stuck onto the drum.

[AshimotoK0]

Got a couple of rear wheels where the brake drum cover is well and truly seized onto the drum, presumably because the shoes have somehow adhered to the steel drum liner (over 30 years in the damp unused). One is a 400/4 wheel the other a Comstar. Obvious thing is heat but any other ideas anyone? Definitely on the 400/4 one it's not the brake cam spindle that's seized.

[matthewmosse]

Hide mallett, hold wheel steady so it doesn't rotate and knock the sticky out bit on the brake plate to hopefully get it to rotate. Slop diesel over it liberally in the hope some works its way into the drum ( or wd40, diesel is just cheaper than most lubricants) try different directions of rotation etc. You'll quite likely find the linings are off the shoes and the various layers of corrosion mean it has run out of room.

[AshimotoK0]

Hide mallett, hold wheel steady so it doesn't rotate and knock the sticky out bit on the brake plate to hopefully get it to rotate. Slop diesel over it liberally in the hope some works its way into the drum ( or wd40, diesel is just cheaper than most lubricants) try different directions of rotation etc. You'll quite likely find the linings are off the shoes and the various layers of corrosion mean it has run out of room.

Spot on advice Matt... Did everything you suggested on the Comstar one and managed to get it off. Brake lining totally detached from the alloy  shoes and one was still stuck to the liner. Got a knife blade between friction material and the drum and it peeled away. Liner cleaned up really nicely though (low miler) just need new shoes now. Thanks for you help ... never seen that before.

[matthewmosse]

I've had a few like that - I geuss I buy bikes as ripe as they come.