Parking brake question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 2
From: colchester CT
Parking brake question
I just got a new parking brake and when I took out the old one, the bolt retainer/female end, must have gone down into the hole. what is it supposed to be? Is it one of those slide on clip or was it welded in. I am talking about the center bolt hole, it's for the longer of the 2 bolts. The hole is square. The other bolt hole has what looks like a permanently placed nut. Not sure how to proceed now. I guess I have to figure out a way to get something in that hole that will stay there and accept the bolt. any thoughts, anyone have this happen and how did you fix it. thanks
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 2
From: colchester CT
The only pic I could post would be of the square hole in the door sill. The parking brake assembly has 2 bolts that attach it to the door sill. The center bolt of the handle assembly goes into a threaded piece in the door sill. Whatever that threaded piece was has fallen into the door sill frame so that now there is just a square hole. I need to find something to put into that hole which I can then thread a torx bolt into to hold the assembly. I have no idea if it was some kind of clip or backing piece. I will post a pic when I get home. The other torx bolt goes into a threaded piece as well, which is still there in the hole. I just don't know if it is removable as it's in there pretty good and I don't want to lose that one as well. The only thing I can think to use is one of those slide on metal clips that accepts screws and bolts. The same ones that hold on all the trim pieces in corvettes. I just don't know if I can find one that will fit and if it would be strong enough. Hopefully, when I post the pics someone will have a solution. Thanks
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 2
From: colchester CT
[IMG]http://<a href="http://s924.photobucket.com/albums/ad85/Elrick1/?action=view&current=081-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad85/Elrick1/081-1.jpg" border="0" alt="parking brake"></a>[/IMG
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The square hole to the right is where the torx bolt connects through the center pivot point of the parking brake handle assembly. You can see where the other bolt goes, to the left and down. It is square also but you can see it still has the female piece in it. Even if I can use a magnet to get the piece out from inside the door sill, how can I connect it? I don't have a welder, thought maybe I could tack it in place or lay some metal over the hole and tack it and then tap it. The only other thought I had is to drill from the outside of the sill so that I can hold the nut in place with some needlenose and then screw in the bolt./ any thoughts would be appreciated. I went 4 years in my 86 without an e brake. Just got this 96 and of coarse the ebrake handle is broken, so I get a new one and then this. Maybe I am not meant to have a e-brake but this car is a manual so it would be a good thing. Thanks guys, hope this makes sense to someone out there
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The square hole to the right is where the torx bolt connects through the center pivot point of the parking brake handle assembly. You can see where the other bolt goes, to the left and down. It is square also but you can see it still has the female piece in it. Even if I can use a magnet to get the piece out from inside the door sill, how can I connect it? I don't have a welder, thought maybe I could tack it in place or lay some metal over the hole and tack it and then tap it. The only other thought I had is to drill from the outside of the sill so that I can hold the nut in place with some needlenose and then screw in the bolt./ any thoughts would be appreciated. I went 4 years in my 86 without an e brake. Just got this 96 and of coarse the ebrake handle is broken, so I get a new one and then this. Maybe I am not meant to have a e-brake but this car is a manual so it would be a good thing. Thanks guys, hope this makes sense to someone out there
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,082
Likes: 3
From: Conowingo Maryland
I have used nutserts in cases like this. Sometimes the nut sert flange is large enough to grasp the square hole though. You can also have someone tack a nut back on for you. Or you can get a peice of metal have some one tack a nut on it and then pop rivet everything on to the panel. I could come up with a few more but that should get you done.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 419
Likes: 1
From: Kelso WA
Looking at the picture, I would guess that there was a square nut tack welded there and the weld let loose. It's going to be difficult to find a square nut to replace it with, but if you can find one, take it to someone like a muffler shop or a welder, screw the bolt into the nut and hold it in place while tacking it. It will have to be a wire feed so as not to distort the nut with the heat. The only other alternative I can see is to drill a big enough hole on the seat side to slip your forefinger through and hold the nut up against the hole while you screw the bolt in.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 2
From: colchester CT
never thought about the pop rivet. I think that will be easiest. tired of little crap like this always happening. Last week I changed the heater core, which sucked, then I go to bleed the air out of the system and the head snaps right off of the air bleed screw on the thermostat housing. I have had this car for a month and it's been all apart for most of that time. Thanks for the advice guys.
