Problem removing rear brake cylinders on Pontiac Grand Am (1996)

You did clean off the rust and crap? Remove the retaining bolts and the line. Then pull the cylinder out. The hole is large enough IF the rust and crap is gone.

Rust makes the part swell in size.

I don't know your particular car but on every car I have done drum brakes on there is no hole that the wheel cylinder needs to pass through. You remove the tire and drum and you are looking at the wheel cylinder. Unbolt it from the back and remove the brake line and then pull the wheel cylinder off.

Steve B.

There is no pass thru hole. The cylinder will literally fall off if you take the line and bolts off. It only takes a few minutes per side after you get the wheel off.

I'm a licenced mechanic and i think that you are having trouble getting itout from behind the hub assembly. try taking the bleeder screw out to allow for rotation and make sure that you removed the breake shoe return springs and move the shoes back.

Thanks all for your help, after spending a total of 2 1/2 hours prying, scraping rust off, and twisting every which way I decided to go buy the rebuild kit and just go that route, 30 minutes later both sides were done and I felt much better as I bled the brakes and there were no leaks. To address all of your answers, the entire brake shoe assembly was removed, the bleeder valve was removed, and someone in another forum suggested I remove the hub assembly. I loosed the bolts on the hub assembly, but it would not separate from the backing plate, and I abandoned that route as well. But I really want to thank everyone for taking a minute or two to answer my question.