Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Seized 4/4 handbrake

I tried the search function in vain as I am sure the answer must be here on TM somewhere.

Having not used my 2013 4/4 since end-March, when I stupidly lost my radiator expansion cap, and armed with the new cap (thanks for the suggestions Richard) and it being a balmy Sydney Autumn arvo I was looking forward to a run in the afternoon sun.

The handbrake, which had been engaged, refused to release. Rocking the car in neutral and shifting quickly from first to reverse did nothing to free the brakes.

Suggestions on how to free the handbrake gratefully received.

It's worth lifting the saddle board to establish whether it's the cable or drums that are seized.
If it's the drums it's worth getting a length of wood and a lump hammer and giving the drum a gentle nudge just in case the shoes are seized to the back plate.

Jack the car up
Remove the rear wheels
With the handbrake lever released
Give the drums a wallop around their circumference and a couple in the wheel face with the wheel nut mallet

That should free off the shoes if they've corroded onto the drums

Simon @ SiFab.co.uk

I might be tempted to give it one more go in reverse, the engine should be able to free them, assuming they're just rusted on. Was the last run in the damp/wet?

If not you'll need to take the hubs off and look if Richard's idea about the cable is not the cause....

My bet is they've just rusted on.

The Morgan rear drums on your model will have the self adjustors. This makes backing off the shoes a bit more tricky than the manual version.

As above it would be worthwhile to establish where the problem is coming from. My bet would be seized wheel cylinders, but the handbrake cable is also a possibility.

If the cable is OK, you are going to have to get access to the inside of the drum in order to make more progress. If pushing the car is not possible then getting the shoes to release off the drums is going to be a tough one.
First release the 2 small bolts which locate the drum on the hub.
Tapping with wood on the outside of the drum in different places may work , but if driving it at low speeds doesn't, I have my doubts whether this will either.

If push comes to shove , you might need to pull off the drums using a fair bit of force , please do make sure the car is secure before doing so, and have a helper nearby. Once off, you can back off the adjustors to their minimum, and set about removing the shoes and springs from the cylinders. You might notice if the pistons are extended from their housing. It may be possible to tap them back in again (gently with a wooden drift) and then work them in and out without getting a fluid leak , but I would have a couple of wheel cylinder repair kits ( or wheel cylinders if the repair kits are not available in Oz) available "just in case"

Once you have dealt with the cylinders I am guessing that the drum will need a clean up on the friction surface at the very least. I would then clean everything up nicely so that the cylinders slide in the backplate and the adjustor is operating freely. Then re-assemble everything (much easier with 3 hands than 2) , set the adjustor , and tap the drum back on again. It should rotate relatively freely when the shoes are not in contact , and if this is not the case remove the drum (this time it should be much easier) and reset the adjustor slightly.

Others here may have something to add which has worked for them.

Good luck

A couple of links which hopefully you won't need.

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php..._Dru#Post203794

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php...line#Post167331

There are some good drawings on this site, they came in very helpful when I rebuilt mine last year. Mine had a hole in the backplate (with a rubber bung) to allow you to release the auto tensioner.

http://www.gomog.com//allmorgan/APBRAKES.html

Not being silly, but are you sure it is the hand brake/rear brakes?
A couple of months ago I had a devil of a job to get my front brakes to release especially near side.

You may have hit the nail on the head!

Many thanks guys, all the suggestions are much appreciated. I will report on how I go.

I have never jacked this car up or removed a splined wheel, so it will all be a learning experience

Just like a normal wheel, loosen the nut a little before jacking up - not the direction to undo as marked on the nut and then the wheel will pull off towards you.

Make sure the car is well supported (axle stands) before you do any "hitting" or "pulling".....