A couple of Mysteries

[bagh33ra]

Hi folks,

I wanted to get these pics up while I was I having some coffee this morning, so sorry for lack of info. Going to head out later and take a closer look at both of these.

Pics are from my 1982 bj42.

First, I can't figure out what this box is/does. It sits approximately under the left hand (passenger) seat. The soft lines pictured connect to some hard lines near the bottom of the firewall, but I haven't traced their path in the engine bay yet.






Next, my parking brake handle looks like this, with extra cable sticking out. Anyone have this happen? Does it mean my brakes are dragging, or just that the cable is sticking somewhere?

Apparently I lost the pictures for that, but basically the cable dangles a couple inches above the handle when the handle is pressed towards the floor (released). Parking brake otherwise seems to work fine, although I noticed the other day that it started to slip slightly on a steep incline.

[american psycho]

Originally Posted by bagh33ra

First, I can't figure out what this box is/does. It sits approximately under the left hand (passenger) seat.

That'd be the vacuum reservoir that's fed from the pump on the back of your alternator and feeds the brake booster

Originally Posted by bagh33ra

Next, my parking brake handle looks like this, with extra cable sticking out. Anyone have this happen?

Need to shorten-adjust the cable, it sounds like. not sure how to do it, though.

[lostmarbles]

Originally Posted by american psycho

That'd be the vacuum reservoir that's fed from the pump on the back of your alternator and feeds the brake booster ....

x 2

..Need to shorten-adjust the cable, it sounds like. not sure how to do it, though....

Hmmmm. I can't see any photo connected with this question but Psycho is probably right again.





Trust us (Psycho ... and myself ). I'm sure the pseudonyms we've chosen inspire confidence?

[ohrly?]

Yeah,

I thought that was a fuel water seperator, and mine isnt hooked up - should it be connected?

[lostmarbles]

Originally Posted by ohrly?

..... mine isnt hooked up - should it be connected?

Well it gives you "a reserve of vacuum" so you won't immediately lose your "brake boost" should your engine stall. (Then again - petrol-powered cruisers don't have these separate reservoirs. -- But then perhaps their "vacuum reserve" is "built into the booser body" because the boosters on most petrol models seem to be massive compared to mine.)

And if you go "deep wading" and happen to apply the brakes while doing so, the reservoir (if connected) would tend to act as an "accumulator to store water" and thus prevent it going straight into your vacuum pump (and possibly smashing the carbon paddles there).

(When you apply your brakes, air is sucked into the booster via those "air intake holes" in the rubber boot around the pushrod behind your brake pedal.)

So it is entirely up to you whether you reconnect your reservoir. Personally, I prefer to have my vehicle standard - unless changing gives me clear advantages. Here I see only disadvantages in disconnecting the reservoir - Although I admit they don't appear to be BIG disadvantages.

[bagh33ra]

Well, that solves one question. I'll try to look those up for some more info. If it can also accumulate, should it be periodically drained?

Originally Posted by american psycho

Need to shorten-adjust the cable, it sounds like. not sure how to do it, though.

Hmm, never heard of that, but it would make sense.

Weird thing is it used to sit flush to the handle (the little nub at the end of the cable) and one day when I released the brake it just stopped following the handle all the way down.

Sorry, should have edited that post better, I didn't find the photo I snapped of it, but might take another one if my "shorten adjust" search doesn't help.

Could something like this be causing brake drag in the drums in back? (80% sure the parking brake connects there on this truck).

[lostmarbles]

Originally Posted by bagh33ra

.... If it can also accumulate, should it be periodically drained?...

The vacuum should ensure that any water that gets to the reservoir doesn't stay there. - Because this low pressure (vacuum) will tend to "boil off" the water so the vacuum pump then sucks it out as "vapour".

[bagh33ra]

Originally Posted by lostmarbles

The vacuum should ensure that any water that gets to the reservoir doesn't stay there. - Because this low pressure (vacuum) will tend to "boil off" the water so the vacuum pump then sucks it out as "vapour".

Ah, that makes sense. Thx.

Fresh pic of the brake lever and cable:

[american psycho]

i'd have to crawl under the truck to check, but i bet there's a clamp that fixes the cable-housing to the body somewhere near to underneath the lever. the cable likely has slipped through this clamp and let the cable and housing pull up a bit.

you might find this clamp is now holding the cable firmly with the remnants of the plastic housing that was stripped off when the whole thing slipped.

pure speculation, but you'll find that most cable-based systems work similar.

[lostmarbles]

There should be some sort of "return spring" to ensure the brakes don't stay "engaged" and I would expect this spring
(or "springs" - plural) to also prevent the adjustment knob from being able to pop up like that.

So I would check at the other end of the cable to see if the spring(s) is broken or if the mechansim there has seized up to cause a similar effect.


Cheers

PS. My e-brake acts on the driveshaft so I am not really familiar with those that act on the rear drums.

[crushers]

does the e/brake work at all?

the e/brake is one of the biggest POS toyota ever invented (right up there with the 2LTE head design). once again designed by an engineer that had no sense of reality.

i would check the towers at the backing plates where the cable attaches to the steel lever going through the aluminum towers into the rear drum housing. these are notorious for siezing up.

steel/aluminum/water... some smart engineer designed that one.

[bagh33ra]

Originally Posted by crushers

does the e/brake work at all?

the e/brake is one of the biggest POS toyota ever invented (right up there with the 2LTE head design). once again designed by an engineer that had no sense of reality.

Yeah, it still works. Although a couple weeks ago I noticed it slip on an incline for the first time.

The dude I bought it from recommended not trusting the e-brake in older LCs, but it seemed alright for a long time. Like I said, the cable just suddenly did that after I released the ebrake one day. Had been on the freeway for a bit, stopped at a campsite ranger gate, engaged brake, sat there, released, and then the problem started.

Originally Posted by crushers

i would check the towers at the backing plates where the cable attaches to the steel lever going through the aluminum towers into the rear drum housing. these are notorious for siezing up.

steel/aluminum/water... some smart engineer designed that one.

So, found the cable body under the truck and followed it, the housing all looks in tact and it doesn't appear to be snagged on anything.

At the drum housing, I am not entirely certain what I am looking for. It appears that the springs might be a little stretched and maybe not returning all the way.

The position of the arms moves only minimaly when engaging/disengaging the ebrake.

I'll try to get some measurements and pics, but it looks like my problem may be where Crushers mentioned?

If so, any suggestions on un-sticking them without replacing?

Is changing to a different ebrake style a big job? Would like to go to rear discs in the next year or two.

Thanks again for the help!