[T3] be-brake bracket problem

[Soren Jacobsen]

> On Jun 29, 2018, at 8:37 AM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
> 
> On 27 Jun 2018 at 14:36, Earl Schamehorn wrote:
> 
>> Has anyone replaced or repaired their e-brake bracket? The hole on the left
>> side of the bracket has become elongated.

I haven't undertaken the repair yet, but I've thought about this problem from time to time over the last few years.  My 1963 Bug's hand brake bracket is worn out, and it annoys me every time I drive the car.

> That sounds like a hard thing to repair. Welding a washer there seems like it 
> might work, but you'd want to put the pin and lever in place while welding to 
> make SURE you got it in the right place. Once you're done, you'd probably 
> have to make a new pin, because the old one will probably be too short by 
> the thickness of the washer.

Yeah, I think if any sort of washer/bushing type solution is used, you'd definitely need a longer pin.  I think any solution of this sort will be more hassle than it's worth, though.  The main issue is that the lever is a snug fit in the bracket, which really limits your options.

> Is that whole bracket one piece, welded to the top of the tunnel? If so, the 
> easiest solution would be to cut the welds on one at a junkyard and weld it 
> onto your tunnel.

Yep.  And I think this is really the best approach.  Note that there are at least two different styles of brackets, though, so if you're buying one from someone online, make sure you get the right type.

I took pictures of the brackets on the two type 3 pans I have handy.

1965: http://blef.org/vw/t3/handbrakebracket_1965.jpg
1968: http://blef.org/vw/t3/handbrakebracket_1968.jpg

> The nice thing about this approach is that Beetles probably used the same
> bracket - easier to find at the junkyard.

It never occurred to me that they might be a shared piece, but I went out and compared my 1963 Bug to my 1965 Variant and at least those two brackets appear to be the same.

> I checked the parts book to see if that bracket was sold separately, and,
> oddly, it was not.

Weird that they sold the shift rod hanger separately, though.  You'd think they'd be more concerned about wear in the hand brake bracket, given the greater forces at play and the fact that it doesn't have any sort of bushing.  Then again, I've had to replace a broken shift rod hanger, so...

Soren