backing plate ebrake cable guide fixes

[hueyhoolihan]

anyone have an idea as how to go about fixing a worn out rear e-brake cable guide? it's the metal tube that passes through the rear brake backing plate. it's been cut through by the cable at one point in time and although i've got a new cable in there, i know it will fray in no time unless i can fix the tube.

can't find a replacement tube, if there is such a thing. only backing plates are used ones in poor condition on ebay. no reproductions that i can see. unless these would work...

https://cgfordparts.com/rear-backing...2-48-2213.html

i was thinking maybe soldering in liner or better yet, having someone weld in a new tube of similar dimensions. i'm hoping this is a common problem and people have found a work-a-round for it.

off the wall suggestions welcome.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by hueyhoolihan

anyone have an idea as how to go about fixing a worn out rear e-brake cable guide? it's the metal tube that passes through the rear brake backing plate. it's been cut through by the cable at one point in time and although i've got a new cable in there, i know it will fray in no time unless i can fix the tube.

can't find a replacement tube, if there is such a thing. only backing plates are used ones in poor condition on ebay. no reproductions that i can see. unless these would work...

https://cgfordparts.com/rear-backing...2-48-2213.html

i was thinking maybe soldering in liner or better yet, having someone weld in a new tube of similar dimensions. i'm hoping this is a common problem and people have found a work-a-round for it.

off the wall suggestions welcome.

McMaster-Carr sells the thin wall tubing in 3' lengths. You'll have to measure yours as I no longer recall the exact dimensions. Seems to me 1/2" OD. It's very reasonable and they ship in one day.
You can drill out the old guide and remove the two tack welds. Then, put the very small curve into the new tubing after you put a flare on one end. Insert through backing plate, tack weld and you're done.
I have done many of these.

[hueyhoolihan]

Originally Posted by Kube

McMaster-Carr sells the thin wall tubing in 3' lengths. You'll have to measure yours as I no longer recall the exact dimensions. Seems to me 1/2" OD. It's very reasonable and they ship in one day.
You can drill out the old guide and remove the two tack welds. Then, put the very small curve into the new tubing after you put a flare on one end. Insert through backing plate, tack weld and you're done.
I have done many of these.

thanks,

ya, it's beginning to look like i'm going to have to go back in and remove the left backing plate. hope it won't require me to bleed the brakes. i'm a one-man show here and don't want to have to buy a bunch of brake bleeding paraphernalia that i might not live long enough to ever use again.

boy! these old cars can really get butchered over the years...smh. the left rear woodruff key was put in backwards such that the end did not present a square surface for the washer to sit up against. so they left it off! then stripped the nut trying to tighten everything up. not to mention that one of the handbrake levers inside the hub was not properly fixed over its pivot pinion, making the whole mechanism completely useless.

of course the cable as it entered the backside of the backing plate on the other side with its rotted out cable routing tube was frayed to distraction and had a shim on the axle that had been turning with the hub and was in several pieces.

maybe it was a good thing that the car wasn't running when i bought it, i might have been tempted, considering how good it looked, to assume everything was in fine shape, and take a long trip and get stuck out in the middle of Area 51 somewhere.

[cas3]

I use hydraulic tubing out of the dumpster at hydraulic joints or the local tractor and equipment dealer.

[KiWinUS]

Easy fix. .065 wall tubing flare it with a tapered punch cut to length and weld in. Basic fab work.

[hueyhoolihan]

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Originally Posted by KiWinUS

Easy fix. .065 wall tubing flare it with a tapered punch cut to length and weld in. Basic fab work.

i agree, as was mentioned previously, but unfortunately i'm working in a 10x20 "Public Storage" unit with 2.5 ft on each side. but maybe when i go back in there and remove the plate, i'll think differently about making my own.

it's just that i don't really enjoy fiddling around making small stuff. i know i'll end up, after hours of research and waiting for a week for it to show up, it won't be right, then when i finally get the right stuff, i'll crack it when attempting the flare, have to start all over again and then i'll burn through it when attempting to fix it to the backing plate. each failed episode costing me a week of delay...i'm not that young!

ya, you laugh, but i KNOW it will happen!

[hueyhoolihan]

thanks guys...

i ended up buying a used left rear backing plate on ebay. some moderate rust but the handbrake tube is fully intact. i'll probably throw some primer and gloss black on it and call it good. hopefully it will stay intact until i'm long gone.

like i said, i'm praying for an installation that doesn't cause me to introduce air into the brake lines, forcing me to open up yet another can o' worms.

[Newc]

One man' bleeding can be accomplished with a vaccum bleed tool. Been doing that for years. Newc

[tubman]

Or, in the aternative, there are always Speed-Bleeders.

Seriously, you should check them out.

[rich b]

I saw you already ordered a used plate; but E-brake tubes are easy; don't sell yourself short on what you can do.

[Tim Ayers]

I agree with others above about making them, but if you want to buy them and are willing to wait, Boling Bros sells them, but they are out of stock at the moment,

https://www.bolingbrothers.com/emerg...le-guide-tube/

[19Fordy]

Easy to make your own.
Check this out.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...cy+brake+tubes