Another thing to look for is worn linkages. The eye-holes elongate
and the pins wear. This can add lots of slop to the system.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Hunt <paul.hunt1@virgin.net>
To: John Wood <johnw@ot-link.ot.com.au>
Cc: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Monday, September 21, 1998 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: Handbrake
>John Wood wrote:
>>
>> I am living in Sydney Australia and own a blue 1967 MGB. I have just got
>> it through its local registration test but the one thing I could not get
>> working properly was the handbrake.
>>
>> I have bled the brake system, renewed the shoes and then adjusted the
>> rear brakes. Having done that I have tightened the handbrake cable such
>> that it reaches maximum travel after about 4 or five 'clicks' - it will
>> go no more because the rear brakes will not move any further.
>>
>> Despite all of this adjustment the handbrake only holds on the smallest
>> hill and I have so far been unable to figure it out.
>
>John - I have found over many years on many BL cars that this design of
>handbrake can be made effective, but deteriorates rapidly on an
>all-weather car. Remove and clean all the mechanical linkages and
>lightly lubricate them. I also apply a very thin smear of grease to the
>shoe to back-plate and shoe to linkage metal to metal surfaces. Even
>then, my roadster will lock the wheels but my V8 will not. Roger Parker,
>whose views I respect greatly, has also said that if the cable has
>stretched so much that it has lost its 'spring' then it will not hold
>the car and should be replaced.
>
>> The only thing that looks a little odd is that the cable travels over
>> the exhaust pipe at the back - it kind of looks like it might be better
>> coming across the car on the underside (closest to the road) of the
>> pipe.
>
>My cable also fouls the exhaust, but only when the body is jacked up and
>the axle is hanging down. On its suspension it is fine. Could this be
>the case with yours?
>
>Cheers,
>PaulH.
>
>
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