E brake cable replace

[GPS]

Anybody tried changing E brake cable on a 72 Twin cam, with body on?
Are there any tips or tricks? Inside chassis to disconnect from the adjusting yoke and reinstall is a little questionable.
I still need to get those hand reduction shots needed for some of these jobs on this car.
Thanks for any input.

Cheers

[4129R]

There are 2 C clips holding the cable outer to the chassis in the black hole. You can get those off with a long screw driver.

Once you have released those two, and the inner cable ends at the drums, the cable can come forward to allow you to get at the horseshoe. Then with the horseshoe up on top of the hole, use a drift to force the end jaws apart so the cable can come out of the horseshoe.

Use copperslip or grease on the inner where it engages with the horseshoe.

When you put it back together, make sure the thread on the adjuster nuts is cleaned up so the nuts run freely. To get the spring back into place, put a loop of wire through from the engine side to pull the C on the end of the spring into place.

Good luck with getting the C clips back on the new cable outers in the hole.

Good luck with adjusting the cable with the lock nuts. If the thread is very clean, it helps.

To adjust the cable, you can space out the cable outers where they engage the trailing arms at the drums by drilling out 1/2" nuts with a 13mm drill, and cutting a slot in the nut to allow it to fit over the cable inner. You can put about 1/2" on each side to space out the outer cable to take up the inner cable slack.

Patience and thin hands are needed. Chapman could not care about after sales maintenance, only the precise engineering. If it was difficult to change, service, or maintain, tough.

[Kendo]

Did someone here mention changing the adjusting nut for a nylock, to make that job a bit easier? Or was that for a different hard to adjust item?

[4129R]

Did someone here mention changing the adjusting nut for a nylock, to make that job a bit easier? Or was that for a different hard to adjust item?

I have found that is the threads on the cable adjustment are clean, the two lock nuts are easy to move to adjust, whereas a Nylock nut needs continual adjustment by spanner (wrench) that make it very hard and time consuming to adjust.

All you need to do with two nuts is put mole grips on one nut, and tighten the other about 1 flat, which is relatively easy compared with tightening a Nyloc nut, at best 1 flat at a time,  at worst half a flat at a time, turning the spanner each time.

[Kendo]

Well, that's what I get for repeating stuff I read without trying it first

[4129R]

Well, that's what I get for repeating stuff I read without trying it first

I have done 7. You would have to be a gynaecologist to work in that small space in the chassis.

Apparently a lady from the trim shop with very small hands had to do some task on the production line at Hethel.

To make that access hole a little bigger, even with a cover metal plate bolted over the hole, would not have compromised the integrity of the chassis box frame, but never let future maintenance get in the way of design. 

[dakazman]

  Try wearing sport sleeves, it will save you some bloody forearms.
 There is an easier way though. Un bolt the pivot bolt under bonnet , this gives you the ability to lift the u clamp up and out of the hole . Leave it loose. Then attach it back cables and the pivot bolt. Make sure the cable run is under cooling tubes . Then set the tension.  I. Did this on an S2 with no body on frame.
 Dakazman

[GavinT]

Did someone here mention changing the adjusting nut for a nylock, to make that job a bit easier? Or was that for a different hard to adjust item?

Ha . . that might have been me. 

But I'd agree with 4129R's words about clean threads. But my method also presumes dakazman's post about temporarily releasing the reaction lever under the bonnet so there was not a lot of spanner (wrench) action.

I've also wondered about installing a split (cotter) pin where the spring attaches to the chassis. I can't imagine a more difficult retention method given the location. I also can't believe there's much chance of that spring coming off.

[HoraceM22]

If yiòu get this bit done, don't forget the "H" pads in the brake shoes. They take up more of the slack.

[HoraceM22]

Also removing the cable from the pivot lever sounds like a great idea. Working on the horseshoe down in the depths is really painful and awkward.

[dakazman]

  There is an easier way though. Un bolt the pivot bolt under bonnet , this gives you the ability to lift the u clamp up and out of the hole . Leave it loose. Then attach it back cables and the pivot bolt. Make sure the cable run is under cooling tubes . Then set the tension.  I. Did this on an S2 with no body on frame.
  I might add,.. Tie a wire onto the catch assembly so you can pull the cable back up. Attach cable to the arm first , then put the bolt in the pivot arm. 
Think of it as replacing the front cable.
 Dakazman