Rear brake adjustment - Cortina 2000 model 1981

[gouldsborough7]

Recently, my otherwise good hand-brake went on strike and failed to hold my Berli on a modest incline. Obviously, something had gone wrong and no prizes for guessing at a weeping slave cylinder & oily shoes on one drum (the second one I pulled off, of course!).

I obtained a pair of slave cylinders & a set of shoes without a lot of bother from my local car discount shop - Girling slaves (notable by having 2 threaded holes positioned horizontally), and 9 inch shoes per 2000cc pattern.

No particular problem in dismantling, cleaning drum & backplate, fitting the new slaves & reassembly with the new shoes. My problem, and hence my enquiry in this message, is that my old shoes did not have the auto-adjustment ratchet mechanism attached to the old shoes. (see copy of diagram in my Haynes manual). So without the auto bits, there are 2 ways of making an adjustment:-
1) the hand-brake lever connecting the 2 shoes next to the top spring, has a notched wheel that causes the lever to get 'longer' or 'shorter' when the wheel is levered using a screwdriver, and
2) the large adjusting nut on one of the handbrake cables under the car.

My first thought was to get the connecting lever inside the drum adjusted, but without a hole in the drum, I have to resort to removing/replacing the drum and adjusting the lever length by trial & error. Then once the drum rubs on the shoe-lining (probably will operate the hand & footbrake at intervals throughout) I would back off the adjustment a smidgen, and leave it with the drum freewheeling without hindrance. Once the second drum has had the same treatment, I would concentrate on adjusting the cable.

Anybody got any tips or different ideas?

Also, why haven't my rear brakes got auto adjusters per Haynes 1976 - 1982 - see Image 1 ? Did the original builder junk the adjusters, or what?

Cheers
Mike

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Rear brake adjustment - Cortina 2000 model 1981

try ebay ... item number 64276290 Brake Shoe Adjuster. HTH

[gouldsborough7]

Re: Rear brake adjustment - Cortina 2000 model 1981

Thanks Cameron
The eBay-style adjusters are on my car already. The ones shown in Haynes were of the automatic type, with snail-type ratchet mechanism, springs etc.

I think I will have to adjust the existing ones (like eBay) on a trial & error basis. Then finally use the cable adjuster. My aim will be to get the handbrake to work on first half-dozen clicks, and cause shoes in both drums to lock up at same time (while on jacks only of course). I will also check what happens when the wheels are a half-inch off the ground, in case the handbrake adjustment is set to near the knuckle & causes the linings to bind.
Cheers
Mike

[gouldsborough7]

Re: Rear brake adjustment - Cortina 2000 model 1981

Just to close off this item, I fitted the new shoes & slave cylinders without too much bother, and completed the exercise by replacing the hydraulic oil.

The adjustment of the rear shoes was by trial and error as anticipated. Several times, I removed the drums and levered the teeth on the hand-brake adjusters (between the shoes). Then when the drums did not go back on, I levered the teeth back the other way, until the drums slid on, and rotated with no more than a light rubbing between shoes & drums when re-assembled.

Cheers
Mike