Guys, I've broken the handbrake mount on my car, it's welded onto a bracket in the transmission tunnel, and I think I've broken the welds. Since it's going to be a right hassle to get it fixed, and it'll probably be a bodge anyway since I can't see how anybody could possibly reweld it in situ, I'm thinking hydraulic handbrake. I've had a look and you can get a kit for about £50 from demon-theifs, but what else would I need? I can't imagine it's that cheap. I realise you still need a cable operated handbrake for the MOT, which is a bit of a bugger, any way of getting around it? Cheers!
Im not sure if it needs to be cable operated or just have a loking mechanism on it. Id probably take it to a friendly mot place
You have to To fit the brake all you need is to make a new brake pipe from the front to the back split in the middle where the handbrake will go. That kit from the DT's will probably just be a cylinder that you can bolt in behind you old handbrake lever. To pass a real MOT it 100% has to have the cable aswell I even got the book out at work to check. It also has to have a locking mechanism. I think I'm going to put mine back in its just a pain to bleed the brakes with the damn thing in place. Jay
it has to be a mechanical handbrake to pass an MOT, 'some' inspectors will let a hydraulic handbrake pass as it's lever mechanism can be classed as a mechanical component.. Most wont though.. Does the BM have ABS? I pressume not, but if so, your pretty fucked.. if you have diagonal split system (opposite corners) your also pretty fucked.. If you have no ABS and one line to front, one line to rear, you basically T into the rear line (obviously ) with some adapters that tweeks sell and take a line (copper or braided) to the master on the Hydraulic handbrake.. I haven't done mine yet, I'm not sure what you have to do with the Inlet to the master cylinder on the handbrake where the reservoir would normally go..
or listen to Jay, he knows what he's on about .. Jay what do I do with the inlet on the handbrake? also, if my cars got split front and rear lines, how do you fit a bias valve? ta
Phil All you do is split the line that goes from front to back. My hand brake had no reservoir so the line from the front of the car goes in one side then the liine to the back the other. I got it the wrong way round first time and had the hand brake on the front wheels. heres a pic to try and explain it. http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gze86jay/detail?.dir=/62ab&.dnm=68a6.jpg If you want a bias valve aswell split the line in font of the hand brake and put it in. Jay
No ABS, and I think it has a single line, but I could be wrong. If I had diagonal lines, in theory I could just patch it into one side...welded diff... Seems simple and cheap enough to do, it's just the having a cable thing that's kinda awkward, since the idea was to just not piss around with my broken mount, rip it out and replace it. It still works though, just a bit wobbly and easily breakable, so I could always try and position a new handbrake beside it or something, but I'd probably end up grabbing the wrong one. Oh and, if I left the cables in place, and patched the hydraulic handbrake into the original position, but it wasn't connected to the cables, would the MOT tester really notice?!
Quite possibly not, i would imagine if the hydraulic system locks most mot testers will me happy, but if the cable system was still their they might be non the wiser, get a frendly tester!
Ff it still locked the rears and they didn't look at the cables while pulling the handbrake (which is impossible) then it surely would go through. Hmm. Why did I have to break the handbrake, another one to add to the list of fatalities thanks to the welded diff. lol My handbrake was useless with an open diff, it would randomly lock one wheel or other but not both, but now it's so good I get enthusiastic enough to rip it off th ecar...