My hand brake wont hold at all. I bought the car this way. I guess someone drove it with the brake on. It's a 5 speed and we live on a hill. I've adjusted the cable all the way and the star wheels all the way and can't even get the little shoes spread enough to even make contact. I'm trying to take the rotors off to get to the brake shoes. My Haynes manual says to unscrew the allen screw that holds the disk on and even shows a picture. My '84 does not have this screw. It says if the rotor is tight hit it from behind with a plastic hammer. I'm ready to get out the 10 lb sledge. Have already heated it up with mapp gas and it wont budge. Any ideas? Mike

MRB, use a wire brush to clean the area where the rotor fits over the hub. Then spray some rust cutter or WD40 on that area and let it soak in for 15 minutes or so. Install one of the lug bolts a few turns then place a 2 x 4 against the back of the rotor and give it a few wacks with the 10lb sledge. The rotor should break loose. Before reinstalling apply a light coat of never seize on the lip of the hub to prevent future rusting.

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Fred Hoelzle

Thanks for the tips! I did get the rotor off pretty much as you described. Then I found the problem with the hand brake. I was turning the star wheel in the direction that the Haynes manual said which is to move the screwdriver handle in the down direction to expand the shoes. (ON the right wheel.) This was actually bringing the shoes closer together. So either the last guy that did the brakes put the star wheel on backwards or the Haynes manual has it wrong. All works fine now!