I managed to get my rear brake pads replaced (two sessions over two weekends - I really need a lift - does someone want to break the news to my wife???). My parking brake used to ratchet though I had to pull essentially all the way up. Now it doesn't ratchet at all. If I pull up on the lever while looking at the cables behind the driver seat I don't see any cable movement. I didn't find anything promising with the search tool. Any ideas? Are there any good pictures (better than what's in the PET) of the handbrake mechanism?

Thx,

Skip

You might have to back off on the double nuts on cables under the car, just behind the firewall. With the parking brake slack, adjust the vent clearance (0.006") as I recall.

Check the brake handle and adjust the adjusting nuts as needed.

I think the venting clearance is close. The problem seems to be in the handbrake mechanism itself. If I pull up on the handle, it should go click, click, click, and the cable should move. Neither happens.

No pictures today.

If the cable does not pull:
The cable end could have broken at the handbrake end. It is a yoke that has a pin in place. If the pin finally gave way = no pull. The end of the handbrake lever could have worn out too. Water collects there.

or

Your rear parking brake is frozen .... parking brake arms have not retracted.

2.) Ifyou have no "click, click, ....", the claw could be misaligned with the fixed toothed piece or the teeth on the claw are worn out.

Pbrake handle is attached to the drivers side long. The handle rests on a pin with a plastic bushing. The ratchet mechanism is fixed to the long with a bolt ... maybe 13 mm or larger, don't remember.

From the end of the handle, a cable runs to a yoke, to which both Pbrake cables are attached.

The end of the Pbrake handle can and will rust and wear out. it is a bitch to remove because it is doubtful you could easily remove the cable from the handle end. Other method is to disconnect Pbrake cables at yoke (not easy) and pull it through the permanent cover.

you could always count on a nifty set of wheel choks!

I pulled my seat and took a few pictures. Full up:
Click to view attachment
full down:
Click to view attachment
and a shot from the top showing the pawl hiding in there:
Click to view attachment
I wiggled things around a bit and can get the back piece of the lever to rotate (needs a little grease or wd-40), but the pawl never engages the teeth of the stationary gear. It seems that at some point I (or a DPO) pulled it up too far and completely disengaged the pawl from the gear.

Any ideas from here?

Thx,

S

Oh, that's a good data point. Your cables are way too loose if you can pull the lever up that far with the cables still connected.

Can you push the button in all the way to disengage the pawl and then move the handle down?

(A) If yes, do that, adjust vent clearance, and adjust the locking nuts.

If no, then dis-assemble the e-brake handle, get it working and then goto (A)

What a Rube Goldberg device that thing is! I wound up taking the seat and seat rail out, but eventually got it all put back together and ratcheting. In the process I figured I might as well vacuum under there. Naturally, I sucked up one of the washers and had to dig through my shop vac to find it. Also, the seat is now sitting on the workbench in the basement so I can re-glue the little bit of fabric that connects to the front edge of the seat. (There's always something that needs doing.)

Final adjustment of the parking brake (and I guess I might as well redo/double check the venting clearance) will have to wait for another day. I'm getting too old to be crawling around on my back with the car about five inches from my face...

Thanks for the help,

Skip

...And so it begins...In a few weeks you'll have the motor torn down and looking into what crank and rods to install! Voice of experience talking...

Skip - tell her for $2-3k + install costs you get a 2 car space in the garage & that adds to the property value!
... assuming you have 10-11' +/- of head height in the garage to stack 2 cars.

Sure, that would be $2-3k + install costs + the price of a second toy. Also, we don't have 10ft clearance. Our garage is an old, small horse barn.