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MG TD TF 1500 - Access to brake cable hold-down bracket?

I am trying to get my "new" '53 TD handbrake adjusted and can't figure out how to get the cover off to access the brake cable hold-down bracket behind the hand brake in the passenger compartment. Any clues? Something easy I am missing or do I have to pull out the seat assy to get it off?

Some background...when I put in my new brake light switch and bled the brake system, I found the DPO had left the left rear brake lever disconnected from the cable at the wheel. Probably because it was hanging up. What I found was the housing around the brake cables were moving when the hand brake was pulled. It was moving the cable and cable housing instead of just the cable. Page M.10 in the Workshop Manual shows the hold-down bracket (#35). I just can't figure out how to get to it.

Thanks, Bill
Bill G

Go to my website, www.dbraun99.com and look for the MG TD15470 restoration link. Go there and look through the brake section. It's all there.

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

You will see it in Dave's pictures.

You don't need to get access to the hold down bracket to adjust the breaks, you use the adjusting screws on the brake lever for that.

But if you don't have the hold down bracket you will have to pull the seats and remove the carpeted arch to get access to where the bracket is supposed to be.
Chris Couper

If the clamping bracket is installed backwards it may not arrest cable housing movement. The bracket has a reduced diameter flange at it's fwd edge to prevent the housing from moving forward with the inner cable. Otherwise the housing could be worn, or the bracket nut loose.

Replacement cables have black PVC housings and their threaded ends are SAE, but otherwise work fine and are not visible after installation. I usually try to repair stuff before replacing for this reason.

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

Just so happens I took this picture yesterday :-)

Chris Couper

Thanks Guys,

The cables/housings seem to be almost new, they just don't appear to be installed correctly (i.e. clamped at the handbrake end). I can't even be sure that the clamp bracket is there.

Dave, looking at your restoration pics, I see the tunnel cover in the "interior & upholstery > carpets" pics #1 and #6 and also in the "brakes" section #53. That hold down bracket is what I need to get access to, but didn't see any pics on how to actually remove that cover when you first disassembled.

Chris, your pic attached is a great pic on what I need to get access to as well.

How did you remove that tunnel cover, mine doesn't seem to budge. Do I need to remove the seat back and seats? If so, that brings up another question...how do I remove the those?

Thanks again for the help.

Bill
Bill G

Bill - To remove the seat back, remove the wing nuts on the adjusting links at the rear corners of the seat back. then lift the seat back out of the car. You may need and assistant to hold the seat bottoms in place so they don't lift with the seat back. I suspect that Dave B's picture gallery shows all the bits and pieces of the seat bottoms/seat back attachments. Cheers - Dave D.
David DuBois

Dave D. - Thanks for pointing that out. I looked at Dave B's seat installation pics and see how the bottom seat hinges look like they must slide into holsters on the seat back. I may have to wait for an assistant to do this.
Bill G

Dave D. - Thanks for pointing that out. I looksed at Dave B's seat installation pics and see how the bottom seat hinges look like they must slide into holsters on the seat back. I may have to wait for an assistant to do this.
Bill G

You will need to pull out the seat back and at least one seat bottom, but I would remove both. Then you will have to remove one side of the tacks/screws that hold the carpeted arch that was under the seat back. You can then swing it over to real the contents shown above. You may have to shift the carpet under the seat a bit to get to the arch tacks as the underseat carpet should be covering it there.
Chris Couper

Thanks Chris, much appreciated.
Bill G

This thread was discussed on 01/09/2013

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