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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - rear brakes stick

Hi there

My rear brakes stick after I have used the handbrake. I recently greased and cleaned all links of handbrake mechanism in the drum.... What could cause this?

Arnold
a.o. arnold

Broken springs inside drum(s)?
Handbrake over adjusted?

Get underneath and have someone activate hand brake.

Look at how much travel there is in the linkages. See if you can manually relase the linkages more than they return on their own.

After releasing the h/brake, stamp on the brake a pedal and release. Does this free the brakes?

Lawrence Slater

Sticking cable?
Dave O'Neill 2

Have you greased the cable as well as the linkages?
M Adams

light oil on joints and rods (not inside drum)

as always it's all in the handbook about servicing the handbrake

John Twist video may help - http://www.youtube.com/user/Universitymotorsltd#g/u
N Atkins

My guess would be the cable. I had to replace mine for the same reason.
Gryf Ketcherside

Figured it out, one of the joints was stuck

Sad enough one the rear brake adjusters is also stuck. Anyone a hint how to loosen these?
a.o. arnold

Assuming you haven't rounded off the adjuster head, are you using a decent tool?

If you are and it won't budge, you can begin with penetrating oil. If that won't shift it, it's strip down time. And if the adjuster is really stuck then it sounds like it should be due for a strip anyway.

Once you have got it all stripped down (back plate off), heat will usually free off the adjuster.
Lawrence Slater

No need to remove the back plate.
Remove the brake shoes
Remove the adjuster pins (thingys at the inside of the adjuster that the shoes lay on)
Drown the adjuster in penetrating fluid and try
If it does not work drown again and leave over night.
Then try again.

Use real penetrating fluid not WD40
Onno Könemann

Yes but Onno,

If the penetrating oil won't work, --and I have plenty of first hand experience of it not working (not wd40 real penetrating oil), then the only way without baking everyting else, is to remove the backplate and apply heat. That always works.
Lawrence Slater

I removed the backplate and clamped the adjuster in a vice... very satisfying to be able to apply some real torque to this rather annoying threaded wedge of ally. Gertcha!!

A
Anthony Cutler

Lawrence,
what is also require with penertrating fluid is time/patience

leave in soak as long as possible, then try to slightly tighten to crack seal of whatever

if that doesn't work leave in soak again and leave as long as possible and try again

on items like this I've never know it to fail

use things like Plus Gas, Kroil if you can get it

Rapideaze was used on metal pipes that had been underground for 70+ years, my tin is at least 25 years old and hardly any left but I don't think it's available now
N Atkins

As well as penetrating oil, another option is to have a go with Loctite 'Freeze and Release' spray (or similar).
Andy Hock

just my experience - I tried a Freeze and Release spray on a couple of things, can't remember what now, but it didn't work so I gave it away
N Atkins

Andy, that's a good idea. Same principle of heating, but in reverse. Contraction of one surface relative to the other to break the bond.

Yup I agree nigel patience. But after that, you have to use force.

And besides, if I wanted to adjust my brakes, and my adjuster was rusted/siezed in place, I would want to sort it that day, rather than waste a weekend waiting for penetration. (I always have been impatient when waiting for penetration).

Plusgaz is good stuff, never heard of the rapideaze. But you can be sure that if it is still available, it probably isn't as good as your 25 year old version. Your old can was probably dangerous to use according to elf'n'saftee today. :)

A bit like Nitromors. Used to be fantastic. You only had to open the top, and it stripped paint from a thousand yards. Now you could bath in the stuff for a week, and not even get a suntan. :) Ok slight exageration. 500 yards, and 3 days. lol

Lawrence Slater

According to a test article written in Grassroots Motorsports magazine, a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic tranny fluid beats all the commercial solvents, including Kroil and PB Blaster, hands down, no contest. It's the only penetrant I use.
JM Morris

Good stuff guys. I tried with a mini torch while the back plate was in, no luck. I'll try better penetrating and for sure also with aceton and automatic tranny fluid. If no success, I'll take it off (if I can get the brake cyl off :-))
a.o. arnold

Ah yes, brake cylinders. Don't you just love the pretty little circlip that was used to secure it, instead of a nice little bolt? :) Getting them off is easy, it's getting them on again that can sometimes be a task and a half.
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 22/10/2011 and 25/10/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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