Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:43:41 -0500
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 1985 Vanagon - emergency/parking brake set-up
In-Reply-To: <47758EDA.2060001@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
My '85 also has the older style. Furthermore, if your parking break does
actually fail, and mine actually did, its simple to replace. I had one of my
two rear cables (theres a parking brake cable for the right and one for the
left) seize up and break. In the process of replacing it, the rusted one on
the other side broke as well and was replaced, only to have our mechanic
break off a portion of the front cable (which is suprisingly hard to find a
replacement for). With all 3 cables replaced, the parking brake operates as
smooth as a ferarri (or your choice of super cars).
I've been told that if your cable is seized, the first step is to keep
hitting it with WD40 or Penetrating oil (such as PB Blaster.....good
stuff!).
All the best, and happy holidays!
-Craig
'85GL
On Dec 28, 2007 7:03 PM, Mike Collum <collum@verizon.net> wrote:
> Scott says '85 and up have the improved parking brake ratchet mechanism
> but in truth, there was a change during the model year. My '85 (and
> others I've seen) utilize the older version. The later ones are better
> in a couple of ways. They are longer, have more teeth in the ratchets,
> and have a plastic cover over the metal shaft where you grab them.
>
> If you have the older version and have to remove it anyway, why not
> replace it with the newer improved one?
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Scott Daniel - Shazam wrote:
> > There's not going to be any substitute for you or someone taking it
> apart
> > and unsticking or re-putting back whatever is out of place.
> > They are VERY good parking brake mechanisms, 85 and up, and almost
> never
> > fail in anyway.
> > I'd unbolt it from the floor, remove one circlip to get a pin out, then
> the
> > whole thing will be in your hands and you can do whatever it needs.
> > Unless it's been completely un-lubed since it left the factory in
> Germany
> > in 85, and has had food and hair getting into it all these years, it
> should
> > be a matter of cleaning, lubing, and re-assembly.
> > Vw has this trick of making the paw .......the thing engages the
> teeth of
> > the ratchet flip over sometimes. Doesn't usually happen to an 85 and up
> > vanagon parking brake mechanism though....
> > It's usually quite fixable. Nothing complicated about that mechanism at
> > all.
> > Scott
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of
> > AAG - Larry Word
> > Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 2:36 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: 1985 Vanagon - emergency/parking brake set-up
> >
> > Does anyone know how this thing works?....
> >
> > Mine has stopped ratcheting and will not stay up - what gives?
> >
> > Any insights would be appreciated.....
> >
> > any photos/notes from your past repairs even better!
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Larry
> > Ga.
> >
>
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