I would bet that you have driven for some time with the link disconnected. If you don't see any obvious rubbing or scraping then don't worry about the link for now. If your brakes feel good , then remove the caliper. DO NOT REMOVE THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE CALIPER , THEN NO NEED TO BLEED THE BRAKES. Pull the bolts out of the caliper , pull the caliper back and tie it up out of the way, You only need to compress the brake pads if you are putting on new pads .(DO NOT STEP ON BRAKE PEDAL OR YOU'LL HAVE THE URGE TO SWEAR AND THROW THINGS) You'll need to pull off the big nut on the end of the axle to get the drum off. Loosen this nut before you jack the car up. If you find something stuck in by the brake shoes, most likely you can remove it and reassemble and be done. Replace the shoes if only needed, they just need to hold the car at a stand still, they are not used for braking purposes

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'83 240D 264k on 100% biodiesel/ 31mpg
83 300D 217K the $800 gem
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