HI my 16v has mot comeing up soon and i know its gonna fail on hand brake cable so, how heard are they to fit and what tools would be needed and is there a guide any where. thanks, nick
two 10 or 13mm spanners i think, maybe a set of pliers - it is as easy as changing a bike brake cable.
1, remove handbrake mech cover 2, unlock the two nuts on the cable 3, remove nuts 4, from under the car pull the cable out - it may come with a guide tube (you need to reuse this on a new cable 5, remove from caliper + remove from retaining clips etc refit it reverse of removal set the clicks on the handbrake so you get 3-5 clicks, job done. it could be the handbrake mech on the caliper that is failing/seizing so check how free it is with the cable off.
Bringing alive an old post! I'm trying to remove my cable now but it's not budging from where it goes through the body. Everything is released and the cable is no longer visible in the car. Is it a case of just using brut strength or is there a more technical method? Thanks.
assuming mk2/3 if its really jammed you may have to remove the metal guide tube so you can grip it to release, chances are if you have been tugging hard the tube has become dislodged anyway
no specific length for MK2 16v, you have pre-88 or post-88 cables plus discs or drums. pre-88 gti are 1800mm, post-88 are 1625mm
pipe grips may help to grip and wiggle the cable/metal shroud free from under the car. support car securely of course.
As above, grip the ferrule (should be alloy) of the outer cable which locates in the metal guide tube and give it a turn. Once its moving, keep rotating it left/right/left/right while pulling it rearward and the end should just pop out the tube. Heres an image of a cable how the ferrule looks. http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/486170_x800.jpg The ferrule concerned is the one in the backround.
Thanks for replies. The new cable is now on but the acutator is seized and the handbrake has no effect. (Picked up on MOT) It's impossible to rotate the hub with the foot brake on, but easy to turn with little effort while the handbrake is on. However, a clue might be that's surface rust on the offending disc which suggests that not enough braking force is being applied. Any advice please gents? Thanks!
could try a good dose of penetrating oil while you work the lever to free it, if not the mech inside is toast and will either need new caliper or strip down for possible repair. this can happen if the piston is forced back in with a vice/gclamp as it needs to be rotated as it is pushed since the handbrake mech is on a screw the rear brakes dont really do anything under normal conditions s o a bit of surface rust is normal, fact they lock when you press the pedal shows the piston itself is free
