<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div><div style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hi Philip,<br>My guess is that the hand brake cable is not moving freely in its sleeve (outer) and is bending up near where it connects to the hand brake lever.<br>I would recommend, with the handle fully up, pulling hard, really hard, on the end of the cable as an assistant lowers the handle may straighten the bent cable.<br>Another possibility is that the pivot on the hand brake levers inside the rear brakes is seized....perhaps check that first.<br>Also, as the wheel cylinder is parallel to the hand brake lever mechanism having someone push on the brake pedal can help.<br>Michael S<br>BN1 #174</div></div><div dir="ltr"><hr><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">From: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="mailto:philipfish@waitrose.com">philip fish</a></span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Sent: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">4/11/2015 12:23 p.m.</span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">To: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net">healeys@autox.team.net</a></span><br><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">[Healeys] Help adjusting the handbrake on my Austin Healey 3000 BT7</span><br><br></div><div>Hi all,<br>
I had a frustrating couple of hours trying to adjust the handbrake on my
BT7 at the weekend. At the moment the handbrake pulls up to near the
top of the ratchets before engaging. As the rear disk brakes seem
properly adjusted I tried to take up the slack at the fork located at
the rear of the handbrake cable, above the rear axle. A straightforward
job I thought following Norman Nock's "handbrake" notes (downloaded from
the web via British Car Specialists), but not for me. <br>
<br>
With the handbrake fully-off removing the clevis pin from the fork was
fine. I then turned the fork in several turns inwards and tried to
reconnect the clevis pin but could not line up the hole in the fork with
the hole in the balance lever. I could not do this on my own as there
was too much tension in the link rods. Got my son to help, but still
couldn't get the clevis in. I then removed the return springs thinking
this would make it easier, but I still could get the holes to line. Only
by adjusting the fork back outwards beyond the starting position could I
get the pin back in. The result being that I now have more travel on
the hand brake than when I started.<br>
<br>
Is there a better method that I am using?<br>
All so what is the best method to try a re-fit the springs? I tried
using needle-nose pliers to stretch the spring but it took forever to
get the hook end of the spring back in to the little hole on the link
rod.<br>
<br>
Thanks<br>
Phil </div>
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