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MGB Clicking sound, and handbrake fully disengaged - 1978 MGB

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clifton

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Hi all, made my first post recently that admitted to being a total newb, and now I'm up against my very first challenge - thanks in advance for any help.

My 1978 MGB seems to have a disengaged handbrake/parking brake. I was driving with my cousin and he noticed a clicking sound with frequency that seemed linearly proportional to our speed. When I pulled over to investigate, I also noticed that the handbrake had no effect (and was extremely easy to pull all the way up).

Not sure where to begin. Is this remotely easy for a newcomer to fix? Based on JPSmit's recommendation I got the Haynes manual but not the Bentley as it was more expensive.
 
This is actually a relatively easy fix.

1. You will need the jack up the rear end so that both wheels are off the ground.
2. Visually check the emergency brake linkage that it is all there.
3. On the back of the hubs is the adjuster for the rear brakers. Turn it until the brakes are on full (the wheels don't turn) and then turn it back enough that the wheels turn freely.
4. check your emergency brake.

video here. (I could have just posted it but I like sounding smart :ROFLMAO: )

 
Another possibility (and one I encountered with my car) is to make sure the hand brake cable is actually attached to anything - if its super-easy to pull up the cable may be disconnected or broken. The clicking noise could be the handbrake lever at the wheel touching the inside of the tire rim, if the cable is missing or broken the levers can retract too far and contact the rim (on my car one of the hand brake levers was bent from that happening). The cable is adjusted where it attaches to the underside of the handle, so you have to get underneath to check/adjust it. It should have virtuallly no tension but also no slop on it when fully released. It may have come detached from the handle and if so that would explain the super-easy movement of the handle and the lack of any actual braking action.
 
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