Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Handbrake cable replacement

I'm going to attempt replacing the handbrake cable on my 2014 plus 4 tomorrow due to a cracked outer skin on the offside. Common problem I believe.

Anyone tackled this before and can give any useful advice? I know it's a bit of a pig to do and requires removal of the tunnel.

TIA

Hi Gordon, it's not too bad a job. I take the seats out then remove the bolts on one side of the tunnel. I loosen the bolts the other side. At this point I can prop one side of the tunnel up with wooden blocks and get my hand in to undo the cable fixings, in my case pipe clips screwed to the floor. I have heard of people punching the screws out from below but I don't know how they fix the cable back and it sounds a bit destructive to me. Mine is a 4seater and I was given the wrong length cable initially which was a bit annoying! When you finally adjust the cable don't forget to release the automatic adjustment on the rear brake shoes before you start. I found a 3/8" drive deep socket is much quicker than a ring spanner when tightening the cable. Gomog has info on handbrake adjustment. Good luck.

The outer casing cracking is a common fault as you say , I found a break in the outer cable just above the bent in the cover at the brake drum .I soaked the area with ACF50 and then sealed it using plumbers tape .
This was 2 years ago and if I have stopped the inner cable from rusting it should not fail . I also try to lub the cable from the top .

Morgan should have taken a lesson from Morris Minors they have a grease nipple half way down each cable .

Likewise. I used denso tape and that was almost 4 years ago. A lot easier than replacing the cable...only to see it crack again!

Self-almalgamating tape would likely make a decent sealing job too .... easy enough found at an electricians suppliers (or I think I got my last roll from Ewn in Peterhead )

K

Ps ... if you were keen to get it done over the weekend I have some here.

I must admit I would treat with oil then clean the outer & apply some duct tape followed by a slit rubber hose held on by tie wraps to protect it.

The above procedures will delay the inevitable but eventually the cable will rust and bust!

Thanks to all for the advice.
The cable was beyond repair so had to be replaced, the offside had virtually no movement due to the outer covering being completely split all round. It was picked up at the last service, oiled and filled with grease but really should have been replaced then.

The replacement cable from Techniques is a much better fit than the original with a much straighter entry into the hub and it appears to have way better outer sheath and protection sleeves.

Started at 9.30, an hour break for lunch and finished at 4.30, that included changing both brake cylinders as well. The gadget for inserting the clips into the rear of the cylinder is a godsend. It's not a difficult job as calypso red said, a lot of the time is spent removing and replacing the interior trim. I also took the opportunity to grease the propshaft while I had the tunnel off.

Here's some pics that might help someone else.











Back tomorrow to change offside caliper as one of the bleed nipples took some thread out on removal, not leaking but I'd rather have it replaced. A big thank you to Michele and Cain at Wolf performance for the excellent service. As usual I have no connection to the aforementioned companies and the value of your investments may go down as well as up.😜

Looks like tape would not have done the job...

Pay attention when reinstalling the tunnel. Correct alignment ´prevents the shaft touching in hard cornering.

Otherwise you start from the beginning;-)