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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Twin cam Handbrake lever photo wanted

can anyone email me a clear photo/photos or a drawing of the rear handbrake lever that attaches to the caliper? I am trying to finish off a rear disc conversion and need a image to be able to make one (I dont have this part) to fit to my calipers. Also any image of the handbrake lever in situ would be appreciated. My email is mark.mathiesen@deta.qld.gov.au
regards
mark
Mark Mathiesen

Probably the best drawing that you will get is in the factory produced Service Parts List. However, this is not realy sufficient to make the item. I will email that page anyway.
It is not clear if you mean the "lever attached to the caliper" or the lever which attaches to the cable. There are two side levers and one operating lever per caliper.
There are photos on pages 74 and 75 of the book "Original MGA" by Anders Clausager, but again not sufficient to manufacture a lever.
Someone may have the parts removed from a car and can take detailed photos.
I would watch Ebay or contact Jim Alcorn in California or Bob West in the UK.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Hi Mark,

There is one for sale on Ebay now. One side only.

http://www.ebay.com

Item 330090528870



Mick

Mick Anderson

Or find a Jag MK2, same cylinder is used
dominic clancy

I will never buy anything from that seller no matter how badly I need it.
Steve Simmons

Hi Mark,

I suppose that you should heed Steve's warning. The parts offered as mga twin cam brake components could be the more common Jaguar items. As Dominic says, the cylinder blocks from a Jaguar might be similar, but there are considerable differences with the handbrake, which you require.
I have a set of Jaguar E-Type rear Dunlop disc brakes that I am presently working on and they are different from the MGA Twin Cam.
The handbrake levers and the pads are very different.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Thanks for all the advce guys. Just one question I cannot figure out from your emails and images I can find (I have all the books you mention) and that is where does the little spring and square nut go? In the Haynes manual it shows a drawing of the spring sitting inside the small square cage with the pivot polt going through both the spring and the cage. If this is the case I assume the spring goes right through to the other side of the outer caliper and pushes against the lever somehow (how?) thus forcing it away from the caliper when the hadbrake is not engaged. Is this right? Otherwise if the spring sits inside the cage and does not pass through the outer caliper what is its purpose? I cannot figure out what the spring or square nut do.If I can then copying the setup wont be too hard.
Life is so hard when you have to try to visualise something from some old drawings/photos...I remember back in the early 70s when my local MG dealer would have just gone into he back room and brought one out for me to see..or buy for a few dollars...aah for the good old days!! regards
mark
Mark Mathiesen

Mark:

If you don't belong to the MGA Twin Cam & Deluxe BBS perhaps you should. It's geared for those specific cars.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/mgatwincam

Regards,
Blake
Bullwinkle

Mark:

I emailed you pictures of a twin cam set up.

Concerning the rear twin cam brake set on ebay. The parking brake pad backing levers don't look the same as the ones on my twin cam. It may be from a Jag.

Regards,
Blake
Bullwinkle

Mark Mathiesen from AU,

Mick Anderson, also from AU, has sent me some photos and notes to explain the Twin Cam hand brake operation. I have posted this on a new web page. See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/twincam/tc207a.htm
Barney Gaylord

I happen to have a mk2 Jaguar as my daily driver and the handbrake is the later slack adjusting type (not like either the eBay item or the twin cam).

However the photo's on Barneys site looks exactly like the Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 (known as the mk1) units introduced in 1957 together with the optional disc brake. I believe that this was carried over onto the early mk2 vehicles, before being replaced (possibly by the eBay type) and subsequently by the slack adjusting type.

May or may not be useful to provide a part source?

ATB Neil
Neil McGurk

Not to be confused with MK1 and MK2 Jaguars, but Dunlop also called their disc brakes MK1 and MK2.
The MGA Twin Cam has the Dunlop MK2 hydraulic part for the disc brakes, but retains the Dunlop MK1 handbrake.
The Dunlop MK1 hydraulic wheel units have two retractor pins, which are visible, protruding through the units. The MK2 units, as fitted on the MGA Twin Cam, have a single central retractor pin not visible from outside the units.
The MK1 and early MK2 handbrakes are not self adjusting, and this is what is on the MGA Twin Cam. Later cars (e.g. Jaguar) have the later MK2 self adjusting handbrake.

Mick
Mick Anderson

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2007 and 01/03/2007

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.