Re: eBrake Anomoly: '99 Civic EX Coupe
 

George Macdonald wrote:
>
> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 08:57:41 -0400, VelociRacer <VelociRacer@ThePodium.org>
> wrote:
>
> >I have rear drum brakes, and the shoes are wearing out evenly after
> >68,000 miles (still factory pads and shoes with lots more left!). When I
> >apply the eBrake, I can distinctly feel the right rear not doing any
> >braking nearly at all. jacking up the car confirms the lack of eBrake
> >action on right rear. What could possible be the cause? Cable dislodged
> >from one of it's guides? I am changing my oil today and will creep
> >underbody and look around.
>
> Four years seems early for corrosion of the cable/sheath or the internal
> parts in the backplate/shoe assembly but that'd be one suspicion. It could
> also be the clip which anchors the sheath at the backplate which is missing
> or broken or the fastener at the front end of the sheath which is loose,
> thus allowing the sheath to move with the core cable. Of course, also
> check the attachment of the cable to the equaliser bar under the rear
> console - clean part of the job.:-)
>
> When you jacked it up to check, was there no noticeable drag at all? I
> once had a car which had very poor e-brake action on one side - if I let
> the car drift backwards down the driveway and pulled up on the emergency
> brake, I could feel a big difference between the two sides... felt like
> there was nothing on that side. It turned out to be a leaking slave
> cylinder which was providing just enough lubrication effect from a few
> drops of brake fluid - no noticeable drop in reservoir level.
>
> Rgds, George Macdonald

I crept under the car and saw no defect in the cable assembly or
attchement points. Last month I opened up the drums and saw clean
internals, no rust, or brake fluid residue. So I assume everything is in
good shape. I have not inspected the equalizer bar behind the eBrake
lever, so I'll do that next.

I jacked the rear up again yesterday and compared the clamping power of
the two rears. There is braking applied to the right, just not as much
as the left. So eBraking has bias towards driver side. A couple months
ago, I confirmed this by pulling eBrake on a dirt road at low speed and
say only skid marks on driver side. I think I couldn't make the right
rear to lock up under eBrake :(

Does rolling back on an incline, then applying eBrake, activiate a self
adjustment? Or is my best bet at the ends of the cable (equalizer bar,
or attachment to backing plate)?

Thanks!

Re: eBrake Anomoly: '99 Civic EX Coupe
 

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 07:46:43 -0400, VelociRacer <VelociRacer@ThePodium.org>
wrote:

>George Macdonald wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 08:57:41 -0400, VelociRacer <VelociRacer@ThePodium.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I have rear drum brakes, and the shoes are wearing out evenly after
>> >68,000 miles (still factory pads and shoes with lots more left!). When I
>> >apply the eBrake, I can distinctly feel the right rear not doing any
>> >braking nearly at all. jacking up the car confirms the lack of eBrake
>> >action on right rear. What could possible be the cause? Cable dislodged
>> >from one of it's guides? I am changing my oil today and will creep
>> >underbody and look around.
>>
>> Four years seems early for corrosion of the cable/sheath or the internal
>> parts in the backplate/shoe assembly but that'd be one suspicion. It could
>> also be the clip which anchors the sheath at the backplate which is missing
>> or broken or the fastener at the front end of the sheath which is loose,
>> thus allowing the sheath to move with the core cable. Of course, also
>> check the attachment of the cable to the equaliser bar under the rear
>> console - clean part of the job.:-)
>>
>> When you jacked it up to check, was there no noticeable drag at all? I
>> once had a car which had very poor e-brake action on one side - if I let
>> the car drift backwards down the driveway and pulled up on the emergency
>> brake, I could feel a big difference between the two sides... felt like
>> there was nothing on that side. It turned out to be a leaking slave
>> cylinder which was providing just enough lubrication effect from a few
>> drops of brake fluid - no noticeable drop in reservoir level.
>>
>> Rgds, George Macdonald
>
>I crept under the car and saw no defect in the cable assembly or
>attchement points. Last month I opened up the drums and saw clean
>internals, no rust, or brake fluid residue. So I assume everything is in
>good shape. I have not inspected the equalizer bar behind the eBrake
>lever, so I'll do that next.

In Hondas I've seen, there's only one adjustment at the equalizer bar - IOW
it adjust the position of the middle of the bar on the handbrake mechanism
and therefore adjusts both cables. You'll be able to see if the equalizer
bar is cocked to one side though - it's rarely exactly balanced.

>I jacked the rear up again yesterday and compared the clamping power of
>the two rears. There is braking applied to the right, just not as much
>as the left. So eBraking has bias towards driver side. A couple months
>ago, I confirmed this by pulling eBrake on a dirt road at low speed and
>say only skid marks on driver side. I think I couldn't make the right
>rear to lock up under eBrake :(
>
>Does rolling back on an incline, then applying eBrake, activiate a self
>adjustment? Or is my best bet at the ends of the cable (equalizer bar,
>or attachment to backing plate)?

I have no experience with or manuals for your car but on other Honda
manuals I have, you set the self-adjustment by pressing the brake pedal a
few times. If you can't find anything else, it's possible that the
self-adjustment mechanism is not turning properly, either because the
adjuster is tight or not lubed enough in the threads of the clevis rod or
the adjusting lever is not hitting the rachet teeth properly. Possibly the
rachet teeth on the adjuster are damaged or worn.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

Re: eBrake Anomoly: '99 Civic EX Coupe
 

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 07:46:43 -0400, VelociRacer <VelociRacer@ThePodium.org>
wrote:

>George Macdonald wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 08:57:41 -0400, VelociRacer <VelociRacer@ThePodium.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I have rear drum brakes, and the shoes are wearing out evenly after
>> >68,000 miles (still factory pads and shoes with lots more left!). When I
>> >apply the eBrake, I can distinctly feel the right rear not doing any
>> >braking nearly at all. jacking up the car confirms the lack of eBrake
>> >action on right rear. What could possible be the cause? Cable dislodged
>> >from one of it's guides? I am changing my oil today and will creep
>> >underbody and look around.
>>
>> Four years seems early for corrosion of the cable/sheath or the internal
>> parts in the backplate/shoe assembly but that'd be one suspicion. It could
>> also be the clip which anchors the sheath at the backplate which is missing
>> or broken or the fastener at the front end of the sheath which is loose,
>> thus allowing the sheath to move with the core cable. Of course, also
>> check the attachment of the cable to the equaliser bar under the rear
>> console - clean part of the job.:-)
>>
>> When you jacked it up to check, was there no noticeable drag at all? I
>> once had a car which had very poor e-brake action on one side - if I let
>> the car drift backwards down the driveway and pulled up on the emergency
>> brake, I could feel a big difference between the two sides... felt like
>> there was nothing on that side. It turned out to be a leaking slave
>> cylinder which was providing just enough lubrication effect from a few
>> drops of brake fluid - no noticeable drop in reservoir level.
>>
>> Rgds, George Macdonald
>
>I crept under the car and saw no defect in the cable assembly or
>attchement points. Last month I opened up the drums and saw clean
>internals, no rust, or brake fluid residue. So I assume everything is in
>good shape. I have not inspected the equalizer bar behind the eBrake
>lever, so I'll do that next.

In Hondas I've seen, there's only one adjustment at the equalizer bar - IOW
it adjust the position of the middle of the bar on the handbrake mechanism
and therefore adjusts both cables. You'll be able to see if the equalizer
bar is cocked to one side though - it's rarely exactly balanced.

>I jacked the rear up again yesterday and compared the clamping power of
>the two rears. There is braking applied to the right, just not as much
>as the left. So eBraking has bias towards driver side. A couple months
>ago, I confirmed this by pulling eBrake on a dirt road at low speed and
>say only skid marks on driver side. I think I couldn't make the right
>rear to lock up under eBrake :(
>
>Does rolling back on an incline, then applying eBrake, activiate a self
>adjustment? Or is my best bet at the ends of the cable (equalizer bar,
>or attachment to backing plate)?

I have no experience with or manuals for your car but on other Honda
manuals I have, you set the self-adjustment by pressing the brake pedal a
few times. If you can't find anything else, it's possible that the
self-adjustment mechanism is not turning properly, either because the
adjuster is tight or not lubed enough in the threads of the clevis rod or
the adjusting lever is not hitting the rachet teeth properly. Possibly the
rachet teeth on the adjuster are damaged or worn.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??