Car Failed The MOT - Need advice on handbrake

[grinder]

Hiya chaps

righ then the cab failed the MOT yesterday on the hand brake only giving about 12% effeciency

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO apart from being annoyed that it failed , how the hell do i make the hand brake work better

so far i have ( ohhh i like lists )

1 - got home swore at the car
2 - jacked it up
3 - took off the back wheels
4 - sprayed all the handbrake assembly on both side with WD40
5 - loosened them up somewhat so they now move smoothly
6 - watched as Clare opperated the handbrake and the pistons dont actually move that far ( i would say about 2mm tops ? )
7 - the hand brake level in the car has LOADS of movement and doesnt lock up tight
8 - started to adjust the adjustment at the side of the handbrake to see if there is slack in the cable ( in the car )
9 - got it to lock the back wheels on the 4-5th click - couldnt move the wheels with a breaker bar between the studds
10 - rebuilt it all and took it for a spin
11 - its still not that effeicient - you can nearly rip the level out the car and it wont lock the back wheels ( as if you were trying to do a hand brake turn )
12 - the brakes might need bleeding as if you press the pedal once it will brake but if you press it again it really brakes hard - would this have an effect on the hand brake as its cable opperated

the only thing the car has had done is new discs all round - and there are still lines of rust round the outter and inner edge of the disc where the pads are still bedding in

could this be a cause of it ?

or am i best driving the car and then adjust the handbrake in the car , then do another mile or so and adjust again ?

to be honest im not sure how to make them work better and now have 3 issues

1 - MOT actually runs out on the 10th June
2 - i only have till the 15th June to get it back in for a retest
3 - its really naff weather and i dont want to work on the car on the drive :)

Ideas greatly welcomed at this point :D :D :D

Stu

( off to search the net for some more info )

[Prof]

Stu,

Handbrake is seperate from the Hydraulic circuits.

The cable from each rear brake goes to a coupler which allows some adjustment of the braking to each wheel, and then a single cable from there goes to the handbrake.

Mostly if the hydraulics work fine the pads are biting on the disk ok, so the handbrake should work with a little adjustment. It's possible the cable has stretched quite a bit - they do over time, so you may want to look at adjusting the tension on the brake cable with the handbrake off - on the coupler, then make final adjustment on the handbrake lever.

I like to have it so that it's free with no handbrake, and then starts to bite on the 2nd click, by 3-5 clicks the handbrake should be pretty much full on, but will only be about 23% or so on the handbrake test anyways.

I sympathize with the weather - I'm trying to finish my clutch change and sort my oil leak out - front cover of the engine has to come off :(

[grinder]

didnt realise there was adjustment on the coupler ???

how do you adjust that

And to make it worse - its booked back in at 12:30 today for a retest ;)

[Brett]

Work the mechanism lots and adjust the slack out of the cable.. I think 20% efficienty will get you a pass.. so just keep at it, you will probably get enough for a pass... :wave

[TiddlesRX7]

I can't add anymore info than Dave and Brett sorry Stu. Although I have had to adjust the handbrake on mine before now as it was pants. And to be honest its still pants now. I just adjusted mine in the car by the lever. But since im gonna be under the car tomorrow (weather permitting) then i'll check the cable where it joins to go to the callipers.

[TiddlesRX7]

This might help though Stu. Page 49
http://www.cochran-racing.com/FSM/s5/11_Braking_system.pdf

[grinder]

hiya chaps - yeah i have read the FSM and to be honest - its not much help !

i have the car jacked up - and doesnt look like there is any adjustment at the coupler - thing is the prop and the exhaust is in the way

what the plan is ( a cunning plan i might add )

its booked in for 12:30 - so i might leave here at say 11:45 ish - take it for a spin , adjust it by the handbrake , drive more , adjust and see if i can get all the play out of it before i hit the MOT station and try not to create tooo much drag on the brakes

thing what gets me - how do people drift a FC - how to they make the hand brake lock the back wheels ??

IF and thats a big IF - it passes the MOT - then next plan is to bleed the brakes and get some fresh fluid in there - see if that tightens up the foot pedal

from looking at the figures on the machine - the front were getting about 240kgs and the rears only about 90kg

he did say that lack of use isnt helping - but its been stood for about 3 weeks prior to the MOT - so not sure if that didnt help much ??

[Prof]

There is a limited amount of adjustments on each brake caliper - a pair of nuts that need to be loosened, then move the cable / sleeve and retighten, I think there is a nut on each of the rear cables as they join at the coupler - but again not much there.

Most of the adjustment is then done on the handbrake - but be prepared to turn it quite a few turns to get any change in feel !

As to your fluid - if it's been in a long time, then it may have absorbed water and got a little spongey -so flushing out the old fluid will definitely help. You might also be losing some of the vacuum in the Master cylinder - if the hose is a little leaky, so you'll have more pressure on subsequent pumps as it builds back up.

[grinder]

yeah if you pump the become nice and tight

is the hose and easy job or am i best just bleeding the entire system first

anyways - whilst the car was on axle stands thought i would have a play with the adjuster on the actual handbrake

i have turned it about about 1.5 full turns and it does feel a lot better - what i did - was turn it half a turn - pump the brakes , then apply the hand brake and spin the back wheels

even with 1.5 turns there is no noticable drag on the back end - so not sure if to drive it to the MOT station and then just put a quick full turn on it again and see what that does

or i might just mention there is slack in the cable ( wonder if this is due to the pads wearing down to the metal ) - and see if he will test it and then let me tighten it some more if the readings are low - it would seem the BEST way to make sure its working right - might just see what he says and gauge his reation ??

well i suppose the good sign to all this - there were no advisorary on the car - everything else is working OK - so once this is done should be another 12 months of trouble free motoring eh :D :D :D

[Prof]

The hose has a 1 way valve in it - which may be failing, but I had a bit of a split just on the end of mine - so was just a case of trimming it slightly and then reclamping it

[grinder]

and where is it

anyways - car home with new MOT - i asked if they were better and his answer "they are good enough to pass ! )

ended up giving the adjuster another 1/4 turn at the mot station just to make sure

i dont think they are binding as the car still creeps in Drive - so its not tooo bad

i can get on with getting the new leads and induciton cone on now ;)

[TiddlesRX7]

Nice one Stu another 12 months of not driving the FC about then!

Oh and make sure you get the new leads the right way round;)

[grinder]

Nice one Stu another 12 months of not driving the FC about then!

Oh and make sure you get the new leads the right way round;)

they are numbered - only idiots get the wrong ;)

[richrx]

well done on the pass :)

how did she go on the emmissions :o

rik

[grinder]

what emmissions ;)

[richrx]

what emmissions ;)

oh yeah..the rx is exempt as there just that good :Talking1

i wander if my 'friendly' mot tester will understand..


rik

[grinder]

if its pre 1992 there shouldnt a cat test anyways ( i think ) :D