Morris Minor Owners Club

No - fit washers...

There are two washers in the handbrake tube.
No: 1..............Pt No: ACA5417 (MOSS) which fits below/inner end of the spring and which the spring responds against to engage the pawl and MUST be fitted otherwise the pawl will not be or engaged with the ratchet.

No: 2..............Pt No: 21G5042 (MOSS) which is the felt anti-rattle washer and which fits between the spring and the knob ratchet release. That washer can be left out without detriment to the operation of the handbrake but the knob will tend to rattle in the handbrake tube - so better if included/fitted

I have just stripped a Minor handbrake and found a nut screwed on the outer end of the rod ratchet release between the spring and the knob.
This nut is not listed or shown in the MOSS parts list. If the knob comes loose and disengages from the rod ratchet release the nut still retains the pressure on the spring so still engaging the pawl against the ratchet.

Many thanks.

So No: 1 must still be in my handbrake but I will check. No:2, I will need a new one, along with the knob.

So just to confirm, there isn't a star clip as seen in Wares's diagram (HBK150)?

I have not seen the Ware parts list so cannot comment on the part No/Item No.
Below is the parts list from the current MOSS parts list and the washers referred to above are:-

Washer No: 1 (as quoted above) part item No: 116 (MOSS) is the steel washer.

Washer No: 2 (as quoted above) part item No: 114 (MOSS) is the felt washer.[frame][/frame]

Both the handbrake fitted to my Minor and the spare that I dismantled conform to the specification in the MOSS diagram (except the spare has a extra nut between the spring (item No: 115) and the release button (item No: 113).
You do not have to remove the handbrake pivot pin (Item No: 122) to remove the pawl operating rod only the pawl pivot pin (item No: 119) which as a clevis pin is secured by a split pin. The pawl and rod can then be removed forward through the handbrake lever tube.
The washer (item No: 116) buts up against two indents in the handbrake lever tube and may still be there.
If I remember correctly some later BMC handbrake levers used two star washers to retain the trunnion pin (item No: 124).

The washers give the spring something to act against - and I suppose the felt washer stops it rattling!