1966 Ford Cortina GT - Cortinas 2 Cortina 2022

yep, i have been there in a blue MK2 Estate, will have to search my pics i took then, as most likely we have met already. i hope i can make it this year again (depending on how my pancreas behaves), as for me it´s just down the road actually (230miles). though i m still undecided which car i should take?

yes indeed, that was mine!

hi, had to find me one with the cable and as you can see, there is a slot near the mounting bracket.

Perfect consul315 - that explains it, there's no way I would have worked that out by myself!

So, Tuesday night, I got a bit of time on the car - having spent the day at my mum's putting up trellis and fence panels, I thought I would go for some easy wins.

First - change the rocker cover gasket. The engine has been covered in oil for some time and when I took it to Race Ltd the other week they suggested its likely to be the rocker cover gasket and suggested a Cometic replacement from Burtons, as it has a metal core, it is easier to keep it in place when fitting than a cork gasket which tends to squeeze out!

So off with the rocker cover -



the old gasket was pretty knackered.





shiny new gasket!





seems to fit





might be easier with the gasket on the rocker cover - held on with the bolts.

Next job - remove the handbrake lever 



So jump to today - I had a few minutes to see about getting the cable off the lever using consul315 's suggested method - all went well, I found there is a brass button you have to press to allow you to pull out the inner part of the mechanism:





So with the help of a pair of circlip pliers to pull the rubber gaiter apart enough to put the nipple through, I put it back together.



I thought I would test it before putting it back together - the inner slides in and out fine, but no clicking noise.  The ratchet seems to have stopped working.

Pulled it apart again, and the tiny spring (like a clothes peg spring only smaller - probably 0.5mm wire diameter) has broken so there is nothing to push the ratchet into the notches on the casing - the mechanism is held in with a metal pin, which seems to have been peened over to hold it in place.  



Ratchet being lifted up by the screwdriver - spring is underneath.



the pin which looks to have been peened over.

I suspect the springs are not obtainable (I will check though) and in any event, I will need to drill out the pin and replace it, in order to replace the spring.  So I have questions for the collective:

What spec of wire could one buy to remake the spring?  
What spec of steel rod for the pin and how do you go about peening it over using simple tools (read hammer and punch) 

cheers folks

Cortinaman

 got a little time on the Cortina and the Jag last night and over the weekend (don't ask about the Jag).

I thought I would go for the easy win and replace the throttle cable that has snapped (its got two so still works!). I got the old one out and had a fiddle around with the throttle pedal, only to find that it was flapping around!



See that rectangular block with the hold through it - well its supposed to be bolted to a captive nut on a plate welded to the bulkhead - it ain't!



A bit of good news however:

On the handbrake lever front, I popped into the local nuts and bolts place Margnor and got a couple of small set screws to replace the mangled pin which holds the spring and the pawl for the ratchet.



Made a replacement spring which sort of approximates the broken one, out of a miniature clothes peg spring.



Put it together the handbrake lever,



and broke out the trusty power file



to reduce the length and add a bit of heat to make peening over the end a bit easier.



not particularly neat, but it seems to be working (touch wood)



cable back in



Little spring steel thing with a button to go in the hole in the handle



Done! Just got to manipulate the rubber gaiter into position now.

cheers

Cortinaman

Yes exhaust joints should / need to be 'airtight' ... are you power bleeding the brakes or with someone pressing pedal etc ?

Try and get a pressure bleeder, you can get one that works off the tyre pressure ( don't forget to blow it up afterwards !)

link

I hope the trip goes well

Its sister museum in Sinsheim is equally brilliant.