So I screwed up and need help

[patrickth]

I was trying to see how much needed replacing versus a real thorough cleaning and treatment on emergency brakes. Wire brushing and engaged the ebrake. Now I can't release it. Its a 1971 El Camino. Any advise before I do something stupid?

[Loren]

Yikes...I'm guessing the fuse block is the next thing you'll be having trouble with...

Press on the pedal while you pull the release handle, you're supposed to anyhow although most people don't. WD-40 and prying on it with a screwdriver might be next. If all else fails you could get under the car and undo the screw adjuster.

[patrickth]

Thanks. The fuse block is a mess, bought an atc type kit to replace it but it is cleaning up so far with dremel. I will try your suggestion on e-brake.

[squirrel]

The brake could be stuck anywhere, and everywhere. Start disconnecting things (yes, I mean under the car) and see what you can get to move back to where it belongs.

[patrickth]

I tried first suggestion, no joy there. Will try under car in the morning. Brakes did all work fine before I stepped on pedal. Thank you.

[squirrel]

Probably has some rusty cables. I don't know how to fix them, but they can be replaced. We don't have that problem out here. It's real common in the rustbelt, I hear

[V12guy]

Here in the rust belt you either use the parking brake every day,every time, or never.
I recently had a problem with my GTO, "Inline tube" has all of the stuff you'll need.

[patrickth]

I buy a bunch of things from Inline Tube. Tomorrow I will put it up on jackstands and evaluate the whole system. When I put new tires and rims on last week, the brakes looked good all around but I guess that doesn't mean all that much It Irritates me, but just sent a whole new e bake mechanism to Roanoke to the guy that bought my Tempest Wagon. This thing came out of Eastern Washington, Usually just a lot of surface rust, but I think someone left the window down for awhile. Most of the problems are pretty much confined to that area.

[tardis454]

I live in the Rustbelt. You can free up the cables with Deep Creep, or Kroil.
Take the back wheels off, and beat on the drums until the shoes release.
Spray Deep Creep or Kroil on the e-brake mech, and cables back to front, let soak, repeat until they're free.
After that apply liberal amounts of Chain & Cable lubricant, and work the e-brake.

[patrickth]

Thanks.Never heard of the first two, will see if I can find them. I have been using PB Blaster on area in question. I have chain lube and will use that too.

[SuperBuickGuy]

More likely than not, the release on the e-brake mechanism (under the dash) is frozen. The best way to fix is to take the entire bit out and try to un-seize it (the release mechanism is on the kick-panel side). You can sometimes push that rectangle block to get it to move... if not, loosen the adjustment bolt under the car, unhook the front cable from the cable that goes to the Y, take the bolts out, and remove the release mechanism. On the opposite side of the rectangle block, is the offending bit... use a screwdriver to drive it back.... lube the snot out of it until it works correctly, then reassemble.

[patrickth]

Thanks. I was all hot to trot to get it done this morning, but that wind coming up off the bay is colder than hell. Maybe it will get better later today, but right now I am wussing out.