wufibug Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) The forward cable for the parking brake that attaches to the ratchet pedal lost its head. Looking back at the service records of the PO, I see the dealer replaced that cable within the car's first 5 years of life. Anyway, I noted that back in 2016 uwcharliet posted the following, but never got an answer: "Help! The top of the ratchet, (where the end of the cable is withheld) is sprung. What I mean is there is a two prong fork which is supposed to grab the end of the cable, but the cable pulls through. Not much more than a spot weld will fix the problem, but the difficulty is HOW IN THE HELL do you remove the ratchet? It appears to be completely disconnected (I have a factory diagram), but my mechanic cannot get it out... It is like the frame was built AROUND the ratcheting device. HELP! What are we doing wrong, Even removing part of the dash won't release it. The "book" at the local Buick Dealership calls for 2.7 hours labor, but I cannot find a copy of the procedure to get the damn ratchet out. " You have to be a less than 3' tall to even get a good look at the ratchet pedal and how the cable fits on it. It appears you have to remove the ratchet mechanism to replace the cable. Has anyone ever done this? Did you hire a contortionist to do the job for you. Is there some simple way of doing it that I am, as usual, missing? Why bother, you ask? Because I'm not big on using the parking pawl to keep my car from rolling on hills. So to second uwcharliet, "Help!" Edited June 21, 2019 by wufibug (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) Looking at the '89 service manual it appears there are three nuts that holds the complete pedal and ratchet assembly in place. Is that what you are trying to remove? Maybe your '90 is different. Edited June 21, 2019 by Ronnie (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I cannot offer any help as I have never replaced mine as I never broke one. I do not use the emergency brake other then when I had a different car that I used to tow my boat. Always used it when at the boat ramp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wufibug Posted July 3, 2019 Author Share Posted July 3, 2019 Ronnie, I think you're right. Now if I can just find a elf who can handle a ratchet . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now