Handbrake cable removal?

lxstuart · Post by **lxstuart** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:17 pm

Ok, couldn't find anything on here and the workshop manual was pretty useless.

Pretty sure my drivers side handbrake cable has seized, I was intending to remove and soak in WD40, to coax it back to life.
How awkward is the removal?
Anyone with any pics?

LewisH · Post by **LewisH** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:26 pm

I looked at replacing mine, decided against it...

Its probably not a hard job, just looks awkward?

Post by **Vtecmec** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:29 pm

You'll have to remove the centre console to get to the lever end, undo it there, then there is about 5 or 6 bolts along its length under the car and then to remove from the calliper you need to remove the gudgeon pin.

You might get away with taking it off the calliper, undoing a few more bolts, leaving the rest on the car and dropping some oil down allowing gravity to take it along its length, saving you half of the job.

Post by **Vtecmec** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:32 pm

The seizing may well be the calliper and not the cable though, which you can determine when you separate it from the calliper.

lxstuart · Post by **lxstuart** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:41 pm

Its a recon caliper, so I jolly well hope not

Sounds easy enough, most of the interior is out anyways (well sort of, cos its all been pilled into the back again) so doesn't sound too taxing.

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:45 pm

I had a seized cable at last years MOT.

The Prelude's cable run is badly designed, as it loops up at the end to the caliper. This means if the rubber boot on the end perishes, water gets in and then sits at the bottom of the loop, this then rusts the cable inner and outer, causing it to seize.

It's a ballache to do the driver side one, as it runs above the heatsheild for the exhaust so you need to remove these first. To remove the heatsheild, you need to drop the whole exhaust system off it's hangers and hinge it down at the flexi.

@Confused and I did this last year for mine, took about 2 hours on a cold and dark February evening using only torchlight!

'92 Si VTEC · Post by **jjmartin349571** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:00 pm

Gayno wrote:It's a ballache to do the driver side one

That's the impression I got when I looked AFTER cutting my handbrake cable

Fml

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:02 pm

Why did you cut it?!

'92 Si VTEC · Post by **jjmartin349571** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:17 pm

Because I lost my temper with the pin securing it to the caliper and it was cold and dark and I just wanted the caliper off - I regretted it pretty much immediately after I did it

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:46 pm

We've all had moments like that jj