Replacing Radiator And Handbrake Assembly Of Lancer Wagon

GAPAUTO · December 23, 2015

Hi i own a 1978 Lancer Station Wagon which i'm in the process of restoring parts since it has lot of worn out parts. One of the two things that i;m looking right now is the radiator and the handbrake mechanism inside the rear drums.

The radiator is having a small leaks which started few days back and i had this problem twice within a year. Now i just want to go for a permanent solution without soldering the same radiator again and again. So i was hoping whether i can find a after market radiator (not a recondition one). When i called the radiator house they told me to visit there branches so they can see what can be done. So i just want to know whether i can get a after market radiator from recognized place like radiator house or any other known place. Otherwise i will be soldering this twice per year on my whole life since i'm not in a mood get rid of this car .

The second part i'm looking for is the hand brake assembly which is in the read drum. The teeth in the mechanisms are worn out so bad the handbrake doesn't get applied properly. Is it possible to buy a new shoe with this assembly as a whole unit ? For this also i prefer to go for a new one because junk yard stuff are also half way worn out.

GAP

Davy · December 23, 2015

Hi GAPAUTO,

Been seeing a lot of new topics by you about your A72 recently. Appreciate if you can start a restoration thread and share your project details and ask all your questions in that. Also, both questions you have asked have been discussed before. The radiator issue is a general problem while the handbrake self-adjusting mechanism is a known issue.

I'll leave you to search (here's how) about the radiator problem, but you should go for a newly fabricated copper radiator from a place like Radiator House. That will last a lifetime. The radiator I had on my A27 was a newly fabricated one and I got it done from Radiator House as well. Got it done in 2003 or so, not a single leak until 2013 when I had to part with the car.

As for the handbrake self-adjusting mechanism, this is a known issue for which there is no straightforward solution. I doubt you will find a used kit in good condition with all the bits and pieces in working order, because I did a clean sweep of Panchikawatte and even a bit of Kurunegala and Wadduwa etc. (back in 2010 or so), but I couldn't find one.

In the end, this is what I tried:

- Fill and cut (machine) the grooves in the handbrake mechanism so that the teeth would not slip (worked for a while, but not successful since it snapped and settled in the fully retracted position which made the rear brakes weaker)

- Permanently weld the two halves together with a small welding tack in the middle position (worked for a quite a number of years. the only issue was that the handbrake lever needed to be pulled higher and higher as the liners wore out)

- Replace the entire rear brakes with one from a Lancer Box (ultimate solution. Existing brake cylinders were used because The Box had smaller cylinders due to having disk brakes in the front.)

My recommendation would be for you to go for a Lancer Box brake mechanism (dial and everything). If you can't find one, you can try the first option of filling the grooves and cutting them. The guy who did mine messed it up, otherwise I think it would have worked for a long time.

Oh and no, brake shoes are sold on their own and doesn't come with the adjustment mechanism.

Read more in the following posts:

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15985-my-a72-build/page-3#entry262900

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15272-disk-brake-conversion/#entry243056

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/13719-1979-lancer-a72-restoration/page-4#entry213864

Edited December 23, 2015 by Davy

GAPAUTO · December 24, 2015

Thanks Davy,

Great explanation and This was what i was looking for, Sure i will try to start a new restoration thread and post everything there.

GAP

Hi GAPAUTO,
Been seeing a lot of new topics by you about your A72 recently. Appreciate if you can start a restoration thread and share your project details and ask all your questions in that. Also, both questions you have asked have been discussed before. The radiator issue is a general problem while the handbrake self-adjusting mechanism is a known issue.

I'll leave you to search (here's how) about the radiator problem, but you should go for a newly fabricated copper radiator from a place like Radiator House. That will last a lifetime. The radiator I had on my A27 was a newly fabricated one and I got it done from Radiator House as well. Got it done in 2003 or so, not a single leak until 2013 when I had to part with the car.

As for the handbrake self-adjusting mechanism, this is a known issue for which there is no straightforward solution. I doubt you will find a used kit in good condition with all the bits and pieces in working order, because I did a clean sweep of Panchikawatte and even a bit of Kurunegala and Wadduwa etc. (back in 2010 or so), but I couldn't find one.

In the end, this is what I tried:

- Fill and cut (machine) the grooves in the handbrake mechanism so that the teeth would not slip (worked for a while, but not successful since it snapped and settled in the fully retracted position which made the rear brakes weaker)

- Permanently weld the two halves together with a small welding tack in the middle position (worked for a quite a number of years. the only issue was that the handbrake lever needed to be pulled higher and higher as the liners wore out)

- Replace the entire rear brakes with one from a Lancer Box (ultimate solution. Existing brake cylinders were used because The Box had smaller cylinders due to having disk brakes in the front.)

My recommendation would be for you to go for a Lancer Box brake mechanism (dial and everything). If you can't find one, you can try the first option of filling the grooves and cutting them. The guy who did mine messed it up, otherwise I think it would have worked for a long time.

Oh and no, brake shoes are sold on their own and doesn't come with the adjustment mechanism.

Read more in the following posts:

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15985-my-a72-build/page-3#entry262900

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/15272-disk-brake-conversion/#entry243056

- http://forum.autolanka.com/topic/13719-1979-lancer-a72-restoration/page-4#entry213864