I just purchased an 84 camaro and the e-brake doesn't work, it doesn't seem to go all the way up either. Can this only be linkage/adjustment problems or can it be worst?

 

Most likely the cable is rusted out and needs replacing,

 

i have the same problem. if i want mine to work, i have to pump the brake to the floor 3 times and hold it, and pull it up really high. i have new end cables and calipers, just not the peice between the handle and the split

 

That is the piece that rusts out. You can try some penetrating oil on the ends and move it back & forth, hoping that the oil will work itself in.

 

Get some of that super penetrant from any home store. Take off the rear drums. Get under the car and spray the **** out of every cable. Pay attention to the part where the cable goes into the sleeve at the halfway point and again where it enters the backing plate. Work it back and forth till it all breaks free. It might take some muscle, but eventually it will loosen up. What will happen ( I warn you) is you will apply the brakes and then they wont come off again. Thats why I told you to pull off the drums. You can pull on that end to free it up. After a few minutes of really working, pulling and swearing, it will free up. Make sure you use the brake at least once a week to keep it from seizing again.

 

Hoping it's just the cable. I checked in the haynes manual and it saidthe e-brakeshould go up at least 14 clicks, mine goes up about 6 then stops, don't know if that narrows it down. Scott, car has 4 wheel disk brake, no drums on the back, i'm not sure if that makes a difference.

 

Parking brake is still a mechanical lever that closes the calipers. (As opposed to the hydraulic operation of the foot brake) Those 6 clicks are you taking the slack out of the cables until you hit the rusted spots. Im tellin ya, soak her good and pull the cables from both ends. You can, of course, just replace the cables but for all the work you gotta go thru to remove them you might as well save a buck and make your current ones work.

 

check your drums and brake shoes for wear and tear, and if thats not the problem, you can get to the e brake cable from under your center console. it takes a while to get it out and its a pain in the *** but its the best way to lube up your cable rather than gettin under your car and gettin dirty. plus if you keep working the brake itll goto the spot that is over your driveshaft. if its still seized up, then theres a part of the cable where it splits into 2 and the lube will easily go into there.

 

if its the screw style emergency brake then what happened is that the screw is too far out and its gonna be a huge pain in the *** to get it back out any shop manual will tell you how to do it but that is why mine doesnt work