the Vanagon brake hydraulic is set up differently.
1/2 of MC is for fronts etc.

As noted in Bentley (and previously missed by me), and as you obviously know,
if shoes are set properly, e-brake cables are ok, then the gap between
each e-brake lever on shoe is properly eliminated via adjustment at
e-brake equalizer bar, the e-brake works just fine. That said, since
I'd backed off the nut at equalizer bar quite far (in a somewhat
ignorant effort to take those parts out of shoe adjustment situation),
I had to "mess around" with the e-brake cables to ensure that the
noted gap was taken up properly. i.e. I found that even after gap was
eliminated, if I levered slightly on the shoe at lever, thus pulling
on the cable, this would cause a small amount of gap to reappear.
Thinking now, doing this on one cable/lever may simply have pulled on
the other thus causing a gap between lever and adjuster bar??

For others who may have been in this position (not understanding
e-brake / shoe adjustment relationship), I think of these two systems
as separate things, even though they are obviously related. i.e.
properly adjusted and functioning shoes should work fine in spite
of slack e-brake cables. This is why one sets shoe adjustment, then
e-brake. AND,
the e-brake once adjusted, should not affect brake shoe position, at rest.
As has been noted already by folks far more knowledgable than me!

Neil.

On 6/26/15, sailingfc @dslextreme.com <sailingfc@dslextreme.com> wrote:

> If you are not getting a firm pedal, l would say you are not getting
> effective braking from the calipers. I don't know if our vans have a
> diagonal hydraulic circuit like the old Rabbits/Sciroccos did, where the
> you had one front and the diagonal rear brake on the same circuit in case
> of a failure..
>
> My current parking brake shoes are adjusted to the point I get slight drag
> when I spin the wheels and at one click of the parking lever, it will hold
> in my slightly inclined driveway.

--
Neil n

Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>

1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>

1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>

Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>