72jrfan88 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Hello All, Recently I used my parking brake after i put the car on ramps for a oil change for safety purposes. It worked properly but after i released it, the rear end is still locked up and engaged. I checked all the lines which seem fine. The actual pedal mechanism under dash however doesnt seem to go in the off position and just floats loosely. I noticed there was a little retainer clip which popped off(where the brake line is held) and I cant seem to find it.Is there a way to move the brake line manually for the time being? Right now the brake line is most likely in its highest spot and i cant get it to move down towards the floorboard at all? As of now i have the line unlatched at the firewall/parking brake pedal until I can get it hooked properly. Any suggestions or know what this problem could be? Any input would be greatly appreciated. take care, Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Find where the cable goes through the firewall and follow it back, making sure it's free and not binding on anything. Since it's not connected to the parking brake mechanism, you should be able to get ahold of it under the driveshaft and easily pull it. If that cable's not in a bind, see if there could be rust inside the rear cable housings that attach to the brake back plates. The lever that's behind the brake drum, that applies the brake shoes, may be binding, but it's not likely both messed up at the same time. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 most likely the cables that go to the rear brakes a rusted badly, common problem, nobody hardly ever uses them so they rust! then! you decide to use them, they apply the parking brake because your leg/foot is strong, but when you release them, they won't! they're stuck on! getting them to release can be very difficult to the point of having to cut a hole in the brake drum to pry the parking brake lever back enough to be able to remove the drums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Yikes...I bet its rusted on.I tried grabbing the brake lines but I feel no slack..there is a clam that seperates the two brake lines by the tranny..this clamp seems to be gunked up..I'd sure hate to have it towed out of my garage but I bet I will have to now..the regular brakes worked fine when I reversed the car back in garage and stopped..it just feels like the passenger side wheel drags when going forward..is there anything that can be sprayed on back of drum or lines to break it free.or is it all internal at this point? Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 you could try cutting the cable at the backing plate and see if that will release them sounds like you'll have to replace them anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Ok. I'm assuming that would just affect the rear brakes..but fronts would still operate like normal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 the rear work work fine too if it releases the parking brake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 I will attach som e pics...it seems like my pedal lever itself isn't working properly.could this be why http://s754.photobucket.com/albums/xx188/microwave3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 the cables are what pulls the pedal back, if the cables are stuck, pedal will not return, this is also why your rear brakes a dragging, stop looking for other reasons, this all started when you applied your parking brakes trust me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 I defintely agree..I'm not looking for other issues but when I pushed the parking brake down another part flew off and I can't find it..I just thought if maybe the pedal was assembled with that part I could try it again..right now nothing is even pulling the cables to attempt it to disengage..I can get pedal toreturn by pulling release handle and lifting the pedal up. I just can't get it to stay there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostnFound Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 The pedal is moving by hand when you have the release lever pulled out but what's happening is that the rear cables are still seized. I'd do what Sam said and cut the rear cables to move the car if you need to and then replace the rear cables. This was a very common problem up here in rusty, lay road salt down like crazy Ontario Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Ok thanks guys for the advice. Does cutting that guarantee it to unseize. Sorry for all the questions guys.I'm new to this and brakes aren't my specialty.I thought that by cutting any of the steel brake lines under the car that I would lose my normal brakes as well. But that must be run on a whole different set of lines. The lines run down both sides almost following the path of the frame and cross floor pans before going to rear wheels. Do i have to cut both?I just want to make sure I know where and what to cut. It seems the braided lines turn eventually go into a thicker housing and then into drums.Maybe tomorrow I can add some pics just to be sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballubet Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Cut the cable as close to the backing plate as possible. Then you'll have less area the cable could be seized inside the covering. The rear cables aren't that costly and you definitely need at least 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Peters Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 You are confusing brake lines with emergency brake cables. The brake lines you speak of are the hydralic fluid lines. The Emergency is basically a mechanical braking system. The Emergency Brake CABLE runs from the brake pedal to the rear of the car. Look for cables running to the backing plates rather than steel or rubber hydralic lines. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Quote: I bet its rusted on.I tried grabbing the brake lines but I feel no slack. Where did you have ahold of the cable? There is one front cable and 2 rear cables. If one of the rear cables is the problem, you should be able to pull on the back end of the front cable, under the driveshaft. It will slide in the housing, if the other end isn't being held by anything. Is the front cable working right? This photo shows the two rear cables of the parking brake system at the bottom of the photo. They enter the back plates below the rear axle tube, and the hydraulic lines that operate your brakes using the normal brake pedal run across the rear of the axle tube and into the wheel cylinder, above the axle tube. Don't cut the hydraulic lines. If the right rear cables is the only one that's not releasing, just cut that parking brake cable close to where it enters the back plate. The cables are tough. You would probably need bolt cutters or a cutting torch. You can spray some WD-40 into the front of the cable housing and then try to force the WD-40 deep into the housing with compressed air. If it's not very rusty, a few shots like that and it might free up, but I'd not spend too much time with it. Like was already posted, new cables aren't too expensive. After you get the WD-40 in there, try pushing on the front part of the cable while pulling on the outer housing and see if it will slide in. There are springs inside the brake drum, pulling on the shoes, that normally cause the parking brake cable to slide toward the rear of the car when the brake is released. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostnFound Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 In-Line Tube make stainless steel sets.... http://www.inlinetube.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hello. Some good news. I sprayed the rear line right where the braided line meets the rubber sheath before backplate liberally with pb blaster. Then put car in nuetral not running and did a slow push forward once I felt resistance I stopped and pushed it backwards from hood then the next time I went forward it released.i then started the car and let it roll forward and there was no hesitation at all nothing was hung up. I didn't really trust going far just yet.I just continued to drive forward and backward in my driveway. As a test I put the parking brake back on and tried to release it. I was met again with resistance but hardly any at all and its free again and should be untill i test it again.I definately know I didn't fix it completly but glad to know I can drive it to the shop if need be. I can tell Its not fixed because my pedal still won't hold in the all the way up position therefore the warning light is still on because I am not hitting the little plunger with pedal housing.I felt the drums and they werent hot at all during these testsit seems to engage the e brake you really have to put it to the floor deep in this car so something still isn't right..but still feeling somewhat happy. Thanks again everyone! Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallaby Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Wow, I was surprised nobody chimed in with the penetrating oil trick. The cable that does the pulling is wrapped inside a spiral wire housing (like a manual choke cable, or an old lawn mower throttle). [geez did I date myself?] Soak the entire length of the cable housing and it could free up and work well enough that you don't have to cut or replace anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostnFound Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Experience tells me that it will just eventually seize up again....depending on how bad it is rusted.....but I may be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Quote: Wow, I was surprised nobody chimed in with the penetrating oil trick. ????? Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overdrive Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Good job, Eric. It seems like the cable didn't quite go back to the original position, but you have moved it enough that the brakes aren't holding. Look at the front end of the cables, where they enter the outer housing, and see if you see a clean section of cable. If the cables have released back to the normal position, the cleaner part of the cable will be back inside the housing. If you are interested in saving the cables you have, remove them and hang them up vertically. Slide a funnel over a cable and tape it to the end of the housing. Put some light motor oil in the funnel and let gravity take over. It'll take a little while, but the cable will be very well oiled, and you can pull it to see if it's free. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badddoin Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 I cut mine off and threw it away. No hills in Florida. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72jrfan88 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 Great news! That pb blaster after a 24 hour soak loosened the lines so much I was just able to pull on line right by the backplate...I released so much tention it popped the pedal back in its normal spot canceling the light on dash! I took it for a ride before pulling on the cables i was getting hung up a bit when using parking brake. I thinkiit heated things up so I barely had to pull on the lines! I'm new to this but I've already learned a lot by owning this car. I think its time for a pb blaster testomonial! Thx again Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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