Handbrake cable not coming out

[PaulTWinterton]

1 hour ago, zambo said:

can see the handle reassembly is a bit...

 

The trick is to insert the toothed part into the lever first.  Then you hold down the push button while you install the lever into the car.   The toothed part slots into the body and the pivot pin slides through. Release the button. THEN you feed the cable into the lever.

 

Done that job a few times.   ?

[zambo]

 
The trick is to insert the toothed part into the lever first.  Then you hold down the push button while you install the lever into the car.   The toothed part slots into the body and the pivot pin slides through. Release the button. THEN you feed the cable into the lever.
 
Done that job a few times.   [emoji23]

Thanks Paul - will give it a go.

[NYNick]

You'll need the following:

 

1) BFH, to hit yourself in the head with.

2) Favorite 4 word curse. (mine is "FPOS"; your mileage may vary)

3) A monkey with its hand stuck in a coconut. This way, you'll have something else nearby that is as stupid and frustrated as you feel.

4) A mechanically inclined friend or relative who volunteers to help while you change the air in your wife's tires.

 

Number 4 worked for me!

[zambo]

So are you saying my success quotient without major frustration will be low [emoji23]?

[NYNick]

52 minutes ago, zambo said:

So are you saying my success quotient without major frustration will be low ?

I'm saying that three jobs proved the most frustrating to me. The 'rusted to hell frozen solid took me three days to finally get them loose' E-brake adjusters. The 'stupid as a monkey's hand in a coconut what were those stinking german engineers thinking' E-brake handle. And 'why would a lousy cable get so stuck in a tube it could pull the entire car off jack stands" e-brake cable.

 

Wow. They all involved the brakes! That tells you something.

[PaulTWinterton]

1 hour ago, NYNick said:

three jobs proved the most frustrating to me.

 

Very funny, literally.   I rehabbed my rear subframe last winter and was not challenged by those parts.  I even reused my original cables.  It must be the history of the particular car that causes that problem.

 

As for the shoe adjusters, they were meant to be serviced at regular intervals, so I'm told.  I grease mine to  keep corrosion at bay.

 

The W springs and I are new friends.   I used to hate those guys.  If you've ever watched a brake shop assemble drums the process seems generic.  Tip: ALL the parts are loosely assembled and installed as a unit.   The W spring holds everything in place. 

 

The one poorly engineered detail IMHO is the hand brake lever pivot.   It would have been so easy to reinforce that area and use shims.

 

Otherwise I don't have any other complaints about the rear brake system.  I can fix or adjust things without using a pro or special tools.

[rstclark]

Following up on Zanbos advise above, Use some tape to hold the button in during the install of the handle  Otherwise you will need three hands to do the job

Using tape is better than letting anyone know you can't do this by yourself

[rstclark]

Correction the comment was posted by PaulTWinterton

[NYNick]

12 minutes ago, PaulTWinterton said:

 

Very funny, literally.   I rehabbed my rear subframe last winter and was not challenged by those parts.  I even reused my original cables.  It must be the history of the particular car that causes that problem.

 

As for the shoe adjusters, they were meant to be serviced at regular intervals, so I'm told.  I grease mine to  keep corrosion at bay.

 

The W springs and I are new friends.   I used to hate those guys.  If you've ever watched a brake shop assemble drums the process seems generic.  Tip: ALL the parts are loosely assembled and installed as a unit.   The W spring holds everything in place. 

 

The one poorly engineered detail IMHO is the hand brake lever pivot.   It would have been so easy to reinforce that area and use shims.

 

Otherwise I don't have any other complaints about the rear brake system.  I can fix or adjust things without using a pro or special tools.

Northeast US cars are special. By 'special', I mean stuff rusts.

 

[zambo]

 
Very funny, literally.   I rehabbed my rear subframe last winter and was not challenged by those parts.  I even reused my original cables.  It must be the history of the particular car that causes that problem.
 
As for the shoe adjusters, they were meant to be serviced at regular intervals, so I'm told.  I grease mine to  keep corrosion at bay.
 
The W springs and I are new friends.   I used to hate those guys.  If you've ever watched a brake shop assemble drums the process seems generic.  Tip: ALL the parts are loosely assembled and installed as a unit.   The W spring holds everything in place. 
 
The one poorly engineered detail IMHO is the hand brake lever pivot.   It would have been so easy to reinforce that area and use shims.
 
Otherwise I don't have any other complaints about the rear brake system.  I can fix or adjust things without using a pro or special tools.

I have found the same thing Paul - so far.

The old cables came out but one required a little persistence per my post. The new ones went in with no issues at all.

I’ve only yesterday morning bolted the subframes to the main axle beam (on the bench) and have set the brakes up loose so once the e-brake lever and cable are connected, it’s just the W spring to go on (hydraulic connections aside).

Though I did mis-step initially on the W when I fitted it on the bench only to realize I wouldn’t be able to get the shoe lever out far enough to connect the cable. I guess you learn as you go.

The handbrake lever in the car may benefit from that little upgrade with the washers and thin bearing (with threaded bolt to replace the pin). Which sounds a lot like what you suggest. I’ve collected those bits in a baggie a while ago so will pop them on when I install that lever and see how it goes.

[PaulTWinterton]

1 hour ago, zambo said:

Though I did mis-step initially on the W when I fitted it on the bench only to realize I wouldn’t be able to get the shoe lever out far enough to connect the cable.

 

I did that too. ?  

 

Rebuilding the subframe is such a rewarding job.  Enjoy.