Emergency / parking brake handle stuck - 61 f100

[ken_b]

I searched here for an answer to this ? and didn't find one. I did see a Youtube video about replacing the cable, but that didn't anser my issue.

I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure out what's wrong / how to use the hand brake on my 61 f100. OK, to begin with I've owned this truck for 16 years and I guess I never tried this brake. Anyhow, help an idiot out, how does the handle work?

I thought it would simply pull out to set the brake and twist yo retract/release it. It won't pull out. It does wiggle a little when you try to rotate it though. Is there a latch or something I'm not using?

I crawled under the truck and manipulated the junction of the front cable and the rear cables and that seems free/not stuck.

[My wife's nightmare]

Just my guesses but either a cable is stuck, which you said you checked but be sure you can get a few inches of movement in all of them, or the handle mechanism is rusted together. I've had good luck with the rust "dissolver" liquids by removing the cable, coiling it to fit in the bottom of a plastic bucket and cover it with the rust dissolving liquid. Let it sit overnight and then try pulling the cable back and forth in the housing. Continue to soak as necessary. You can also put the handle mechanism in the same stuff. Just be sure to wash the parts with lots of clean water and dry them after taking them out of the rust remover. If the cables free up, spray some WD-40 or any other lubricant/water dispersant in the housing. Keep us posted on what you find

[ken_b]

Well I dug around a little more and suspect this is the problem.

This is where the front cable leaves the protective tube. Safe to take a wire brush to those fittings to get a better idea of what's going on?

[FarmMotorSports]

There is a rubber seal where the inner leaves the housing...
Its probably brittle, but you may be able to slide it out on to the cable so you can actually see where one enters the other....

My vote is soak that outer housing profusely, to my knowledge there is NO inner lining on the protective housing to stop the lube from soaking clear through...

If you release one end of the cable and then remove the c shaped clip holding the housing. You can flex the housing back and forth working the lube futher into the housing...

If the housing has swollen to a larger size any where along it that's where your rusted together.

[ken_b]

Thanks

My vote is soak that outer housing profusely,

With what? Silicone spray? Or rust disolver ?

I think the c clip could be slipped off without too much trouble. And disconnecting the bottom end of the cable should be easy enough, I think can pull the Connector for the rear cables enough bu hand to do that.

[slick4x4]

This stuff works about as good as it gets for freeing up rusted parts
https://www.kroil.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobCh ... gI94vD_BwE

[ken_b]

Thanks I'll pick up some of that.

I crawled under the truck again and the rubber on the end of the tube is fairly soft, so hopefully that's good. The clip is a little corroded in place, but that shoube be easy enough to get off. I was able to disconnected the tail end of the cable itself.

It's a one step at a time deal for me.

I'm 75 so I need the exercise getting down on the floor, crawling under the truck and getting up on my feet again.

[ken_b]

I got the whole front e-brake assembly out, including the handle. Got the cable freed up and cleaned. Soaking a bracket and various bolts etc in a bit of vinegar to loosen up some rust before reassembly.

[ken_b]

Done!

About the hardest part was getting the handle bolted back in place.

[Anthony]

one of these days, I need to get my emergency brake hooked up.... never finished that job.. smh glad you got yours working as it should..