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Emergency brake boot repair

squeek

Hard-core CEG'er
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Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
1,136
Location
Blacksburg, VA
How To: Generalized procedure to reconnect the broken tabs on the emergency brake boot.

Parts & Tools Required: Center column, Emergency brake boot(new or used), a scrap piece of hard plastic, wood burning tool or an old soldering iron, Phillips screwdriver, and a five pound hand weight(will explain later).

Procedure:
1. Move the front passenger seat and driver seat forward for extra working room.
2. Just loosen the two screws located on the back edge of the center counsel. Remove you knob from the shifter along with the spring and the white spacer. Pull your emergency brake handle all the way up.
3. Grip the counsel evenly between the front and back. Lift slowly, slip the emergency boot along the handle while lifting.

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Like most of us you will have your boot and the counsel in two separate pieces. I forgot to take a picture but my front tab is broken down to just a nub.

4. With your iron heated up place your boot back into place lining up the tabs the best you can. This is where the weight comes in hand, place it on top of the boot to hold it down tight. Since it is so narrow and you will need both hands.
5. I started at the back, take your screw driver and press the white clip firmly into position. With your other hand take your iron and push through the center of the white clip. It will sizzle and stink. Maintain firm pressure with the screwdriver, while melting the white tab and the original post together. Remove your iron and continue to hold the tab down with the screwdriver, you need to give it adequate time to re-harden. If you release it to early you will see it pull apart and you will need to repeat for this post.
6. Repeat this same process for the remaining three posts. Take your iron and melt some additional plastic onto the top of each tab while gently touch the tab to soften it up a little so they bond together.

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Now as stated my front tab was broken, I used the piece of plastic and built it up on the post. Then melted the remaining tab with what I had built. Not pretty but does the job.

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Install in reverse order, allowing time for the plastic to harden.

2012-09-12_14-13-22_826.jpg


2012-09-12_14-22-16_757.jpg
 
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