Need Some Advice on a BE Emergency Brake

M

mxp01

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 1, 2008

• #1

Gentlemen:

Last year we dismantled my 1960 BE for paint. We did so quickly and without complete note-taking of all the dismantled items.

Since we have re-assembled the car we have hooked up the E-brake but we do not have any tension on the cable. In other words, when we pull up the e-brake it does not squeeze the rear brakes at all.

I do not have a workshop manual and the cable does disappear into that transmission tunnel, so we can't easily see it. Can someone provide me directions on how to get this adjusted to work?

Mike Pennell

 

healeyboz

Jedi Knight

Offline

• Jun 1, 2008

• #2

You have to adjust the "sleeve" on the cable to take up the slack. There are two nuts that can be adjusted.

 

Pythias

Jedi Knight

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• Jun 1, 2008

• #3

unfortunately, (or not) the starting point is when you do the rear brakes and have it all apart.. that's the time to loosen the adjuster and get everything "set". RIGHT after you finish your brake job, You can tighten it up. (its UNDER the car. If you crawl underneath and look at the steel arms that run on top of the rear axle into the brake drums, then look at the cable that attaches to it, you'll see how the adjustment works.....Try it without the brake job. IF, after turning the double nuts all the way tight you STILL don't have a hand brake, .... .. and WANT one.... gotta go back to square one on the brake job.. undo the adjuster all the way, do the rear brakes..

at least that's what i've heard.

 

JPSmit

Moderator

Staff member

Silver

Online

• Jun 3, 2008

• #4

did you get this sorted out? I can post pictures later today if you need them

let me know

 

OP

M

mxp01

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 3, 2008

• #5

We haven't had the opportunity to get to this yet, perhaps this weekend. However, if you can post photos that would be very helpful.

Mike Pennell

 

JPSmit

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• Jun 3, 2008

• #6

OK here's the pic - background is dark and you're looking straight up from the bottom. To locate, the two rods going left and right go to the hubs and you can see the bottom of the diff to your left.

The adjustment takes place with the two nuts that hold the cable to the top of the flange. (where the cable shield is). It's real easy, just don't do what I did and adjust backwards. loosening on the flange tightens on the cable.

https://tinyurl.com/4egbda

 

H

hcallaway

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 27, 2018

• #7

1 Can anyone tell me by looking at the picture if this position of the emergency cable is at the beginning of the adjustment range?
2 Since I have to cut and extend my rods should they be completely relaxed without any drag on the drum (the leaver touching the backer plate) or have the leaver with slight tension.
3 I have 1/4 steel sleeves that I will weld in place. I am not threading as I have cheap dies so I have to get this right the first time. I am thinking if I have the cable at the beginning of the range of adjustment I should be able to tighten as needed.

 

H

hcallaway

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 27, 2018

• #8

I am thinking that the picture from JPSmit that this would show the cable at the maximum tightness?

 

JPSmit

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• Jun 27, 2018

• #9

hcallaway said:

I am thinking that the picture from JPSmit that this would show the cable at the maximum tightness?

Click to expand...

I think it is my cable is a bit stretched.

 

H

hcallaway

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 27, 2018

• #10

JP
1 Did you put some drag on the brakes before you adjusted?
2 Was your emergency brake all the way released? (I understand for later model cable systems that you put it in the 3rd click position and adjust from there.)
Thanks for the quick response.
Holt

 

N

nomad

Yoda

Offline

• Jun 27, 2018

• #11

Agree that JP's cable is at maximum tightness adjustment. I would adjust the brakes correctly for the street and loosen the cable and go from there. There should be a little bit of give in the system one way or the other.

Kurt

 

JPSmit

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• Jun 27, 2018

• #12

hcallaway said:

JP
1 Did you put some drag on the brakes before you adjusted?
2 Was your emergency brake all the way released? (I understand for later model cable systems that you put it in the 3rd click position and adjust from there.)
Thanks for the quick response.
Holt

Click to expand...

For a long time I just went with a slack ebrake - then I figured out that I hadn't thought about the location of the drums when I set up the ebrake.

So, I first adjusted the drums tight enough to hold the wheel - and then let them off just enough for the wheel to spin - this act alone tightened up the ebrake enough that I didn't worry to tighten the cable any more - it still isn't the third (or close) click position - it is closer to the end of the range but, it is good enough. IIRC a few years ago (at least 10) there was a long conversation about replacement cables not being as good as the originals - too stretchy - so, for now I just leave it and don't park on hills. :grin:

Hope that all makes sense.

 

OP

M

mxp01

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 28, 2018

• #13

Wow, a 10 year old post reappeared! This was from my first BE, which is still operational and in the hands of an avid car collector in the Bahamas. Since that posting I moved to Nassau, Guadalajara, Kabul, Basrah, Jeddah, and next month Riyadh.

MXP

 

H

hcallaway

Jedi Warrior

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• Jun 28, 2018

• #14

Posting is what helps keep these on the road. I wish others would register and add to the conversation. Thanks for the topic.