Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 05:01:12 -0600
Reply-To: Al and Sue Brase <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Al and Sue Brase <albeeee@MCHSI.COM>
Subject: Re: help: locked e-brake?
In-Reply-To: <7649c95c05010120452bc22d14@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Chris:
The emergency brake cable gets holes in the plastic sheath and then
rust sets in and they bind up sometimes. Get a hold of the cable
housing, maybe 12 inches ahead of where it goes into the backing plate.
Bend it back and forth somewhat, even in a couple different directions.
You will usually get it to release. Sometimes it helps to spray some
penetrating oil into the cable housing, but be careful that none follows
the cable down onto the brake drum.
It is time for a new e-brake cable, it gets very tiresome kneeling down
in the slush to do this in the winter.
People in dry climates never experience such trouble.
Putting a new one in is not too bad of a job. The most likely spot for
trouble is that they also rust into the socket on the backing plate.
Backing plates are made of sheet steel and the rust and can break when
trying to extract the end of the cable housing. I always heat the socket
red hot and work the stub back and forth with a vise grips while
pulling it out. I put grease into the cable housing when i put the new
one in. Probably waterproof grease would be a good idea.
Al Brase
Chris Agh wrote:
>I have an 89 GL and just replaced the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor.
>Everything sounded fine upon start up so I decided to go for a test
>drive. However, the van would not move. It felt as if something was
>locking up one of the rear wheels. The e-brake also felt very tight
>even when released. I mean, I could only get one or two "clicks" when
>trying to engage the e-brake and it was much stiffer than normal. I
>jacked up the rear end to see if the wheels would spin freely and with
>the brake off in neutral the passenger side rear wheel would not spin.
> It would move only about 1/2 inch and then it sounded as if something
>metal was blocking it.
>With the tight parking brake I assumed something was wrong there, but
>in being a beginner at fixing the van I also naively assumed something
>i did in replacing the cat messed up the wheel.
>Also, the van drove fine 2 days before this happened - without the cat
>or muffler connected as i just had to move the van across the street.
>
>Any help, comment or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>Thanks.
>
>Chris
>89 GL
>
>
>
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