<VV> Changing out emergency brake cable on an early (Success!)

[JRVIDRINE@aol.com]

Folks,

Before Christmas I had posted a request for help in changing out the 
emergency brake cable on my 62 coupe.  I got several replies but nothing that really 
was very helpful.  The main show stopper is the horizontal nylon wheel mounted 
at the base of the steering column tube.  There is no (and I mean no space) to 
get your hands, much less tools in there.  There is a cotter pin that has to 
be removed and then the wheel can be lifted up enough to get it past the cable 
guide (keeper) and then place the cable around it, lower it down and replace 
the cotter pin.  Everything else is a breeze to get to.  

The only way that I could get the cotter pin out was to take a long flat 
screwdriver and work it slowly in straightening out the cotter pin.  In order to 
get my old carcass (6' tall) into a position  that I could work required 
removal of the passenger seat.  This gave me enough room to get up in amongst my 
work (I got some interesting views of under the dashboard).  I haven't contorted 
myself this much in many a year.  It was a very slow and time consuming job to 
work this screwdriver into straightening out the cotter-pin and then pushing 
slowly (every once and a while it would re-bend ---- then straighten it out 
again) until I got it to the point that both ends of the cotter pin were flush 
with the drilled hole.  I then got a very thin punch and tapped on it as much 
as I could.  The angle that I could work was encumbered by the brake lines and 
also the heater control cable.  This kept me from getting the punch in a 
straight line so I could completely push it out.  

Well, the best part of this is that my 15 year old son was out helping the 
old man.  He generally isn't thrilled about helping but then this isn't a 
democracy its a tyranny and I'm the tyrant.  He was keeping up with what I was doing 
and unlike my normal demeanor I was keeping very cool and explaining 
everything to him as I was doing it.  I got the cotter pin out as far as I could and 
then he told me "hold it, I have an idea, I'm going in the house and will be 
right out!"  Well, I was pretty pleased that he was hanging in with me so I said 
"O.K."  He came out with his mothers seam ripper.  For you who don't have a 
wife who sews, a seam ripper is a small tool with a plastic handle and a sharp 
pointed piece that has a sharp blade on the inside of the curved piece which 
has a blunt end with a plastic ball on the end of it.  The end essentially 
forms a U.  It is used to rip out seams when taking a seam apart.  Well, he took 
this tool, hooked the sharp end into the end of the cotter pin (which was to 
the inside of the fuse block and therefore in a tight spot) and slowly wiggled 
it sideways while pushing it out to the passenger door side of the car.  After 
a few seconds it came out.  Boy was I proud of him and his ingenuity.  He was 
proud of himself and I believe a little bit more interested in helping with 
mechanical chores.  

Instead of trying to put a cotter pin in, I bought some cloths pin clips from 
the FLAPS and inserted it quite easily from the passenger side.  I also put a 
loop of nylon twine inside the pin so it will be easy to pull out if ever 
necessary.  The rest was a breeze.  

I hope this is helpful, but unless someone knows a secret short cut to this, 
it is not an easy job.  There is no doubt that the cable was assembled onto 
the steering column before the column was placed into the car.  Ease of assembly 
you know.

Thanks to those who sent suggestions.
Randy Vidrine
62 Monza Coupe 
Branch, LA