FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Can anyone post pics or offer advice on how to setup the handbrake cable for a red/trimatic conversion.
The tranny is in the way of where the original bracketery should go.
My guess at the moment is to delete all the bracketery stuff and connect the cables directly?

I think the lever and fulcrum bracket is essential to getting a workable hand-brake arrangement.  Delete it and you'll have a hand-brake with a half-inch of travel from off to fully on and no simple means of adjustment.

One of the usual suspects (Dellow, Pat Gardiner, CRS) I'm sure had an off-the-shelf adaptor for this.  I've had a Datsun 1600 four-speed, a Powerglide and a Trimatic in Faecal, and the modified hand-brake adaptor for the Datto box has worked fine for all the subsequent conversions.  I'm pretty sure it's a modification of the original that can be mounted so as not to foul the gear-box.

I'll try and remember to take a photo of it when I get home if you like.

cheers
RET

A photo would be great RET, I tried the "deleted" setup and there is no way this will work.

OK, remembered to take a few photos last night.  Hope this makes things clearer.

Firstly, here is the stock setup we are trying to emulate (sorry, very difficult to get a decent photo under the stockie at the moment):

The theory is that the lever provides mechanical advantage in just the same way one uses a long wheelbrace rather than a 8" spanner to remove stubborn wheel-nuts.  That's my degree in Backyard Engineering showing ::)  Now for the practical element (also very much Backyard: be warned, this is not pretty.  Faecal's a daily driver, not a show car.)

I led you astray saying that the adaptor from the days of the four-speed was still in use.  It must have got the flick when I put the 'glide in (more than 10 years ago).  What I have now is a massive rear gear-box support with a hole drilled in it as the pivot point for the central handbrake lever (as it shall now be named...)

Here's a view from the driver's side:

As you can see, moving this aft has meant the stock front hand-brake cable is now too short.  When it needs to be replaced, I will look into obtaining something marginally longer.

And from the passenger's side:

With the adjustment available at both the front and rear cable, you've got some margin of error getting the lever angle correct.  And as you can see, my setup is functional if unlikely to win any awards.  I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something with equal utility but far more attractive.

Hope all that's some help.  If anyone has any suggestions on getting my speedo reconnected and accurate with stock speedo head, trimatic and 13" wheels, I'm all ears.

cheers
RET

RET

CRS used to do an adaptor with a reduction drive to correct speedo readings.  This was used in conjunction with a custom speedo cable with stock head to suit the original speedo.  General Auto Instruments/Auto Cables in Lidcombe were also able to do the same at one stage.

Chuck

Thanks RET, now to plan it out, the complicating factor for me is the CRS Chassis kit and tailshaft loop.
I reckon I might be able to use most of the original "central hanbrake lever" setup if I am careful.

Here is my setup using a modified HR crossmember with stock HR handbrake mechanism.  You can see the end of the threaded s/s tube I used to lengthen the front handbrake cable, whilst the rear cable has been shortened about 150 mm.  Very compact and protected behind the crossmember which helps when the car is lowered.  This would adapt readily to any sort of crossmember.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/mcl1959/IMG_0168.jpg)

Ken

Thanks RET, Ken and Gary Stevens who emailed pics of a setup that snaked around a CRS chassis kit.