IMHO: When the feds made dual circuit hydraulic brakes mandatory, the
manufactures no longer felt it was necessary to provide good hand/emergency
brakes. Today's handbrakes can barely hold a parked car on a slight incline.
Out of curiosity, I tried stopping my TD with just the handbrake. I found it
does a very credible job, and stops absolutely straight. I would not
hesitate to limp home with it from a fair distance. (The fly-off lever
feature is great for this, you don't have to push the button!)
Bob Donahue (Still Stuck in the '50s)
Email - bobmgtd@insightbb.com
Cars: 52 MGTD - #17639
71 MGB - #GHN5UB254361
Member: NEMGTR #11470
NAMGBR # 7-3336
Hoosier MGB Club
Olde Octagons of Indiana
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Hunt" <paul.hunt1@blueyonder.co.uk>
To: "MonteMorris" <mmorris@nemr.net>; "MG list" <mgs@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 4:33 AM
Subject: Re: emergency brake
> One thing an MGB handbrake (in fact any BL car) is not, is an emergency
> brake. It is a parking brake ... and some even have trouble with that.
> Just try driving along at 30 on a flat and level road and seeing just how
> long it takes the handbrake to stop you :o(
>
> Sounds like the cable has started to part. Make sure the replacement has
> a
> grease nipple, and before fitting the cable anchor the ends of the long
> cable so you can slide the outer up and down it while pumping grease.
> Much
> easier to get grease along its length that way than waiting until it is
> installed with the short travel that gives you. Take the opportunity to
> dismantle the shoes and handbrake levers, clean and lubricate lightly all
> the pivot points, and put a thin smear of grease on all the metal-to-metal
> rubbing surfaces of shoes, backplates, levers and slave piston ends.
>
> PaulH.
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