MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - Handbrake cables

Chaps,

You may remember not so long ago I was asking some questions about the handbrake on my YT. Well I managed to successfully replace the pawl with one from a Z-magnette. I had to remove the big rivet and washer in order to take the lever off the ratchet so that I could swap the pawls and rods, which I was wary of, but fitting the new rivet and washer (from Moss) wasn't too difficult and just involved a lot of bashing with a hammer (which is the sort of thing I'm quite good at).
My handbrake lever now works fine. However when I reconnected the two cables, adjusted them up and pulled on the brake for the first time the cables pulled through a little more than I had hoped and the whole system went baggy even with the adjustment taking up as much of the slack as possible. On inspection it turned out that the cables weren't returning and taking up the slack and indeed the rear brake on the drivers side is now permanently on (even with the brake cable as baggy as you like).

Therefore I have a number of queries:
How can I release the driver's side brake to allow removal of the drum? Obviously I'll try greasing the cable at the nipple and wiggling/pushing it into its sleave inside the car, but I'm not sure that's going to work.
I'm going to need two new handbrake cables. Is NTG as good a place as any to get these? And are they supplied with the forked end (which engages in the slot in the brake-shoe actuating lever) and the adjusting screw on the other end already attached or do I have to do something clever?
The maintenance manual doesn't cover replacement of the brake cables and as it's not something I've ever tackled before I'm in need of a bit of an idiots guide.
Or am I best just to take it to somebody who has a clue (once I've released the brake that's stuck on)?

Many thanks as always.

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul

Given the use the local garage was to you last time Saul, I wouldn't recommend them!

Try contacting Richfield Speedograph - see Links Page or info@speedographrichfield.com.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Saul,
I am in no way familiar with the Y cars, but: In general, if you grab hold of the cable (with hand) at various points along its length, and twist it, so that it makes a pretty tight "S" bend, the retracting springs will eventually pull the cable back. Work from the brake end toward the lever, go back and forth a few times along the cable, from one end to the other. Soaking the cable in penetrating oil before and during this process helps too. I have freed up stuck cables on all sorts of vehicles this way, generally quite quickly. Frequently one twist near the brake will do it. Gets lots of points when you stop to help a bunch of ladies staring at their van with smoking parking brakes, and you just reach up under it and grab the cable, a twist, and the van starts rolling!
If the cables are hard to get, soaking them in parafin and working to and fro can frequently save them. It often turns out that the cable is OK, when it seemed too long/stretched. What is happening is that the cable is acting as the adjuster, and the real adjuster is only functioning as a sort of stop. Once you get the cable free, you can adjust the brakes correctly, and the cable turns out to be fine - they actually very rarely stretch or wear out. My first "incident" in driving happened when I removed the cable on my 47 Ford to free it up. Had to take my sister somewhere, got in the car, went right through the stop sign at the end of our road into a ditch - NO brakes. Turned out that the stuck cable was (formerly) keeping the brakes adjusted!
FRM
FR Millmore

Thanks guys - I've managed to sufficiently free the stuck cable by "manipulation" as suggested.
I've therefore managed to remove the drums on both sides and am in a position to tackle replacing the handbrake cables.
I've ordered the cables from NTG, but am still keen to receive any information on how to go about this.

Do I feed the cables from under the car into the cock-pit or vice-versa? How are they fixed at the greasing point?
Anything really would be of use - please.

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul

Because of the greaser you have to work from the wheel to the handbrake. You will need to take the brass stop nuts off the cable to get them through the gearbox tunnel holes.

Also, go easy when you come to taking the bolts out for securing the existing cable to their various stand-offs.

Good luck

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks guys.
I got the new cables yesterday.
Removal of the old ones was pretty straight forward.
Because the mid fixing point is where the grease nipple is it was all quite easy to dismantle due to the nut and bolt being free-running and uncorroded thanks to all the excess grease that had splurged out over the years.
All I had to do then was swap the grease nipples over to the new cables and they're ready to go.

Fitting and adjusting shouldn't be a problem so I consider this chapter closed.

I'm looking forward to having a handbrake that works properly.

Now, if I just had a bolt for my panhard rod...

Thanks again.

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul


Saul
Some time back, I ordered the two bolts (different lenght)from Namrick in Brittain I think.
Should not be to difficult, since they should have a BSF threads.

Regards
Anton
Anton Piller

Thanks Anton.
I was informed by Bill Bennet (see thread "Rear Axle Control Link (Panhard Rod)") that although the Namrick bolts are the right length (5") and the right thread (1/2" BSF) the thread doesn't extend up the shaft of the bolt far enough. It's only the top inch or so of the bolt that should be unthreaded (and there definitely cannot be more than 2 inches unthreaded to allow the necessary adjustement of the nuts, cups and rubbers).
Roger Furneaux of Mad Metrics is apparently having the correct bolts especially made up and will send me one as soon as possible. However it's taking slightly longer than I had hoped and I'm concerned that the bolt won't be with me in time to take my YT to the Goodwood Revival Festival on Sun 18th :-(

Ho Hum.

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul

I so should've kept my mouth shut about the handbrake chapter being closed!

When I came to fit the right hand cable it turned out that the cable NTG supplied me with had been incorrectly manufactured such that the "fork piece" that hooks onto the lever at the wheel was way too large. Much bigger than that on the end of the new left hand cable (and on the old cables).
When I talked to Mike at NTG he said that the manufaturer had done this before and that he had (mistakenly) hoped that they had now corrected things. Unfortunately they (NTG) didn't tend to keep more than one set of cables in stock so I am being sent one as soon as the manufaturer gets around to making a new correct one (which I am led to believe will be today). You'd hope that at 66 quid per cable you'd be able to trust that you were getting a correct item!

Why are things never easy?

Still, I should be able to go to Goodwood with at least a functioning handbrake, even if it's without a parnhard rod...

Cheers,
Saul.

P.S. All the best to Paul Barrow - get well soon.
Saul

Roger Furneax (aka Mad Metrics - see Links Page) has now informed me that he HAS the bolts for the Panhard Rod so I will be getting a pair from him!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Well done to Roger for getting the bolts. In the end I took a different route and purchased a 5" bolt from Namrick and had the 1/2" BSF thread extended up the bolt by a very very kind gentleman who posts on this board.
I refitted the panhard rod last night with the new bushes and bolt and have to say it all went very smoothly (for a change).
I am now looking forward to some more aggressive cornering...

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul

Although I specialise in parts for M.G. TA/TB/TC models, I can usually make or obtain any nut or bolt (the XPAG engine is of course common to T & Y and I have most engine fixings). Same applies to bearings and seals (although I don't make those!). I now have the 5" long 1/2" BSF bolts, with 1" unthreaded, as well as smaller BSF(plated or SS)& Metric for anyone still interested.

ocTagonally

Roger
Roger Furneaux

An interesting follow up to this is that I was fitting a pair of cables I took off Y 4099 to my YT 4455 and where the flange on the grease nipple is, the right hand one fitted beautifully and had a nice easy access. The left hand one (as viewed from the rear of the car) was back to front and up against the chassis member nearly.

Were these handed and do I have 2 right hand ones, (were they 'handed') or have I done something daft when I fitted it?

If you turn the cable around the other way of course you wind up with the handbrake bit at the wheel so they are not reversable!

Thanks

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul,

they are handed.

Jack
J.L. Murray

Thanks Jack. Will have another look around my shop for a left handed one - I cant beleive they were both right handed on Y 4099, although if worst came, I can rig up a jig bracket.

Thanks

Paul
Paul Barrow

Ridiculous as it may seem - I have four right handed ones!! Obviously one can go on the YT, one as a spare for either of the YTs or the YA, which still leaves me with 2 right handed ones!!

Any body out there got 2 left handed ones that they want to swap one for a right handed one?

Thanks

Paul
Paul Barrow

This thread was discussed between 01/09/2005 and 07/11/2005

MG MG Y Type index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MG Y Type BBS now