Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

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ColinChandler
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Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by ColinChandler »

Hello all,
I've currently have a shortened handbrake lever to clear the gearstick of the 5 speed Ford gearbox. A common thing to do but I don't find it that comfortable to use as my fingers are coming onto the area where the round handle part of the lever runs into the flatter side sections.
Reading through other posts, JLH says he just fits a Mini handgrip but others have moved the handbrake lever backwards and either shortened the handbrake cables or moved their forward fixing positions backwards to suit too.
Does anyone have any comments on this please?
Would adding a Mini grip on something that's already short be more comfortable? Its an easy fix but does it still fit. The other option of moving the lever back means the bolt that holds the lever to the floor will not now go through the crossmember flange. That's got to be a really lovely bit of structure to take the load of pulling on the handbrake.
Any opinions would be welcome.
Many thanks, Colin.
philthehill
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by philthehill »

When I fitted the Ford gearbox to my Minor I moved the handbrake rearwards whilst leaving the forward handbrake outer cable mounts in place as per ex factory.
I found that there was sufficient threaded end on the handbrake cable to allow the adjuster nuts to be screwed rearwards with just sufficient thread left to allow a small amount of adjustment but of course not as much as there was when the handbrake was in its factory fitted position. The handbrake works well. It was always my intention to shorten the rear end of the handbrake cable and swage a new toggles in place about 1 1/2" inboard of the original toggle but never got round to it as it works satisfactorily.
The transmission tunnel is quite ridged just behind the original front handbrake mounting bolt which I used for mounting the front of the revised/modified handbrake mount bracket.
Handbrake 1.JPG
Handbrake 1.JPG (2.23 MiB) Viewed 1300 times
Last edited by philthehill on Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sleeper
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by Sleeper »

Colin
You could always move the gear lever forward....

John ;-)
philthehill
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by philthehill »

Not so daft as it might seem

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=166648

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=164793

http://www.scimitarweb.co.uk/sgwrs/view ... 20&t=11843

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58041071@ ... 796057992/

https://www.frontlinedevelopments.com/p ... it-1500cc/

I understand that BGH Geartech have in the past produced a short remote housing for the type 9. Not sure of current situation but here is link if you want to make any enquiries.

http://www.bghgeartech.co.uk/

Reading the links above and regarding the cutting and welding - there is the possibility of deformation of the casing which can put the welded on remote 3mm or more out of line making gearchanges stiff/difficult and poor welding which can produce leaks. So it appears it is not just a case of cut and shut.

ColinChandler
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by ColinChandler »

Thanks for that Phil.
I'd seen posts before about the Frontline shortened casting but I wasn't too sure if the entire gearbox was shorter and I would therefore need to have a longer propshaft. Now I know.
Thanks for the photo of your handbrake in its moved back position. A picture's worth a thousand words.
As I've already got a gearstick hole in my floor, I think I'm going to move the lever back. I've have an untouched/unshortened van/pickup handbrake lever which has two fixing bolt lugs rather than the single one the car has. ie one each side of the lever. Using that appeals as it will give an even pull on the floor and with some reinforcement under the floor/back to the original floor fixing, should be fine.
I could also drill through a couple of the brass cable nuts and add them as spacers to bring the adjusting area of the nuts back towards the middle of the cable thread.
Thanks once again.
Best wishes, Colin.
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ndevans
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by ndevans »

philthehill wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 10:14 pm When I fitted the Ford gearbox to my Minor I moved the handbrake rearwards whilst leaving the forward handbrake outer cable mounts in place as per ex factory.
I found that there was sufficient threaded end on the handbrake cable to allow the adjuster nuts to be screwed rearwards with just sufficient thread left to allow a small amount of adjustment but of course not as much as there was when the handbrake was in its factory fitted position. The handbrake works well. It was always my intention to shorten the rear end of the handbrake cable and swage a new toggles in place about 1 1/2" inboard of the original toggle but never got round to it as it works satisfactorily.
The transmission tunnel is quite ridged just behind the original front handbrake mounting bolt which I used for mounting the front of the revised/modified handbrake mount bracket.

Handbrake 1.JPG
Just stumbled across this thread. Phil, this photo shows your handbrake in its revised position right? Do you, or does anyone else, have a photo of it in its original position, showing the original method of fixing please?
Reason being, my handbrake has been welded into position, and is slightly off centre and at an angle. Although it works and has passed over 30 MOT's while the car has been in the family, it means that my left hand gets close to the right knee of the person sitting in the passenger seat-which doesn't always go down well! I also suspect that as the handbrake is at a slight angle to the car c/l, it may lead to the brakes on one side biting slightly harder than on the other-not that it matters, as long as it holds the car and doesn't drag when the handbrake is off, but it would be nice to get it right.

Cheers N
cheers N

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33063, Eridge, Sept 2021 by Neil Evans, on Flickr
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philthehill
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by philthehill »

The front handbrake mount hole is positioned directly over the floor/front crossmember flange and the front handbrake mount is bolted directly through the two. The hole should be there; I used that hole for the front mount of the adapter bracket shown above.
The rear of the handbrake is mounted in the slot bracket that is welded to the floor/transmission tunnel. I had to remove the slot bracket and make up two angle brackets when moving the handbrake rearwards.
If you have the hole and the slot bracket and the handbrake is leaning to the left I would suggest that the front mount bracket of the actual lever is/has been bent and needs to be brought back to its correct angle of mount.
See picture posted 6th June 2019 in the link below.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=h ... AdAAAAABAY

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ndevans
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by ndevans »

Thanks. The handbrake is currently buried under carpet & sound deadening, but that's all coming out soon. I'll get a photo then. Cheers N
cheers N

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33063, Eridge, Sept 2021 by Neil Evans, on Flickr
'69 Traveller, 1275, discs.
dp
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by dp »

Perhaps a piece of tube with a curve filed into the end to match that of the brass nut which is then turned the other way. The tube fitted between the brass nut and the fitting to take up the cable slack
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philthehill
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Re: Move handbrake/ford 5 speed

Post by philthehill »

The tube would have to have concave & a convex ends as the indent in the bottom of the brass adjuster is there to stop the brass adjuster turning. If no concave and convex ends the brass nut is liable to rotate so undoing and slackening the handbrake cable.

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