Goodday gentlemen,

Yesterday a had a frightening evening, my Coupe almost went up in flames!!!

I was working on the car, disconnected the battery and took it out because I needed room to replace the slave-clutch-cilinder.
After replacing it I took a look outside and saw that rain was approaching.
So I reconnected the battery in a hurry so I could take the car for a testdrive before it started to rain.
I pushed it outside my garage, started it and began to drive.
I smelled something funny but thought that it probably was clutch-fluid on my exhaust.
After een few hundred meters it started to have hickups, and when I looked behind me I saw smoke coming out of the enginebay.
Holy Toffee!!!!

I stopped really quickly, got out of the car and opened the hood.
Then I saw the problem, my handbrakecable which goes over the engine, had made contact with the postitive batterypole and was glowing red. A fire was starting where the cable touched the polyester.
I quickly pulled the batterycable loose (Ouch, hot!!!) and started blowing out the fire, which just succeeded.
A Lucky man I am, it almost went up in flames, no fire-extinguisher in the car...

After letting the cable cool off and reconnecting the battery I could drive it home.
At home I took a look at he damage done.
It seems that only the handbrakecable and battey-cable have serious damage.
I think the inner and outer cable are welded together...
A firemark on the polyester inside the enginebay does no harm.

A few questions I have now.
Does anybody know what handbrakecables will fit?
What diameter is best for the battery-cable?
If I want a contact-breaker near my battery, do I have to put it on the negative or positive pole?

Never will the handbrakecable be near the batterypole again !!!
What a terrifying evening... will cost me a few years of my life...
Never be in too much hurry...

Greets from Holland.
Harold

Hi Harold you were more lucky than me when mine went up in smoke, 25lt of petrol was not nice in my case the original cables were standard Mini, I don't know if there is anything that could work better after all these years.
John

More then lucky indeed, still sweating...

Standard mini, really?
How do they go?
Mine now are through the tunnel and then over the engine, the mini ones are under the car right?
Are there any pics around of how they should go?

Later cables were special ones made for the GTM.
They use the outer sheath to push on the brake levers on the hubs rather than the inner cables pulling.
The inner cable is anchored to the backplate for the brake drums.

If you do not leave enough slack in the cable run, the handbrake can activate the brakes when you go over a bump in the road.

Another thing to watch out for if you're using original GTM non pvc covered cables is the live terminal from the battery on the starter motor. When I was building mine I was lucky enough (!) to burn my arm on the red hot cable and move it before it set the car on fire

Harold needs a cable supplier, any offers of a company name or you have spare cables hiding in the shed
John

Harold needs a solution, preferably simple, and effective

Yesterday I placed new battery-cables and put a circuit-breaker inside the car.
Hopefully that solves my after-fire electrical issues.

Next weekend the IMM is taking place in Lommel Belgium, that's not far from where I live in Holland.
I will go there on saturday in the GTM, hopefully it won't burn down...
Is anybody else going?
A friend of mine with a Mini Pick-up and an other one with his Mini Estate will join me.

After or during next weekend I will take a look under the car and see if I can trace how the handbrake-cable should go.
I'd like it if a standard mini cable would fit.
A few days without handbrake won't harm.

Greets from Holland
Harold

Its been on here somewhere before but I think Harold needs some Morris Minor cables -- usually around £10-15 a pair on e-Bay. They come with that weird "block with a bolt sticking out". Depending on the exact specification of the rear upright they may need modifying at the wheel end to take a cable nipple. there's more info somewhere on the site.

Steve

Not too many steep hill in your part of Holland
John

@John: Hills?? What are those things?

@Steve: I will have a look around, thanks

@Steve: This is the only topic I can find about a Morris Minor handbrake cable, the reply form Ibrook"s, and that is about MGF rear callipers.

converting-a-gtm-rear-drums-to-8-4-standaard-discs-t2438.html?hilit=handbrake minor

Sounds like a close call! I think I have my cables somewhere as I'll be upgrading my brakes if they are any good to you?

@Starmag: Was a close call indeed, got me sharp again.
What kind of cables do you have and can you tell me how they have run?
PM me your price including transport to Holland please.

Cheers
Harold

Harold,

If the cables you source are the old style ones with a metal outer then its a good idea to sleeve then with some rubber tubing like heater hose. The new Minor cables -- there are lots on e-Bay -- seem to have a plastic outer sleeve. If you buy them they will need to be modified -- possibly for length and if your uprights have the small "claw" fixing then will need a nipple fitting on the brake end.

If Starmag has genuine cables then they are your best bet as they won't need modifying.

Steve

I do have Morris Minor cables on the MGF brakes but they were fitted to the car before I started messing with the brakes - I just modified them for my purposes.

"the weird block with the bolt sticking out" do you mean the grease nipple partway along their length? One of their better features in my opinion.

Iain