Handbrake. Mk1. Arrrrgh.

[DrTre]

OK.
Failed MOT on no handbrake on NS.
Changed the caliper.

When I changed the caliper I slacked off the handbrake in the cabin.
Handbrake off.
Adjust the hex screw so pads bound, then backed off a third of turn.
Checked the mechanisms moved on both sides.
Tightened up in cabin
Applied handbrake, can't turn the wheels by hand.
Car doesn't roll on hils.

Kushty I thought.

Failed again.

What am I doing wrong?
Cables?
The cables surely work the mechanism or not?

Any help gratefully received

[DrTre]

Yep. NS was where there was nothing again, not sure the OS is particularly great either though.

The mechanisms certainly move on both sides, no doubt.

The brake did work a lot better a couple of weeks ago, it does seem worse now but I'd not noticed because everywhere I park is flat, weirdly.

Hand Brake lever doesn't rise more than say five notches, and is stiff to do even that

[DrTre]

Cheers Pewe.

So seized cables can still move the mechanism, but possibly not enough to put the brakes 'on'?

Sorry, I should have stated that the mechanisms both move when the hand brake is applied.

[DrTre]

Refurbed OE ... Is what I was told...

....I'll get another... From a different source

Cheers lazza

Edited by DrTre on Tuesday 6th October 16:54

[DrTre]

I'll give it a go but in all honesty, having read around a bit and found other threads Lazza has been on, in haste to just get a caliper I'm pretty sure I've ended up with a copy sold as refurbed.

I plead ignorance rather than tight fistedness as auto link (who I am now buying from) are cheaper than the previous seller. To my untrained eye it looked kosher, but I'm glad all that's failed is the hand brake and nothing more serious having now read other things.

[DrTre]

Just to clarify, yes I bought from eBay.
It looks/sounds like it's a copy I think.

They stated "remanufactured" and oe on the phone, so I just believed them and it wasn't particularly cheap for a recon, however I have my doubts, eg it does not have the full set of cast lettering/numbering and has two prongs on the mechanism.

Today I purchased from auto link who I know only supply quality parts.

Thanks for your help everyone, particularly Lazza as I really don't think I'd have thought of that.

Edited by DrTre on Tuesday 6th October 19:15

[DrTre]

i read that thread, to be honest I can't really see the photos on there

but you can see the two pronged arm on there, mine had that I think (sorry, kinda doing this from memory)

Edited by DrTre on Tuesday 6th October 20:56

[DrTre]

Cheers

I'll have to check the spring area when I have the wheel off.
As for the rest of it...well the one i have on is nice and shiny silver, not gold..same hammeritey finish though?!
But as I say, it only has a few letters of cast writing on it, not the amount the genuine one has.

The second pic is the one I'm struggling to visualise...is that the area of the copy that is being on the last pic (genuine)?

[DrTre]

Yep those are some of the threads I read yesterday.

I didn't buy from there, but it wasn't a million miles away.

[DrTre]

SOrry to bump, but this is the caliper I suspected was fake...now I'm not so sure.
Any help gratefully received!!

Edited by DrTre on Saturday 17th October 10:11

[DrTre]

OK,think I've worked it out.
The travel on the handbrake cable is nowhere near the same on one side as the other.
But it does work so the cable can't be snapped.
Is there a way to take up slack only on the one side?
I'm assuming it has to be the caliper end.

[DrTre]

OK,think I've worked it out.
The travel on the handbrake cable is nowhere near the same on one side as the other.
But it does work so the cable can't be snapped.
Is there a way to take up slack only on the one side?
I'm assuming it has to be the caliper end.


Edit: Think I've cracked it, the movement in the cable wasn't enough to actuate the handbrake so I took the mechanism off, wound in the adjuster, fitted it back and adjusted it per normal. All hunky dory.

Edited by DrTre on Saturday 17th October 12:11