Help needed

Hi all.... I am busy finishing the brake system of my Firefly and am just making a new brake adjust lever to replace the corroded one seen here.  The lever has a groove for a ball bearing to stop it turning with vibration.... I have a new ball bearing and spring, BUT cannot see how to hold it into the hole.... visible in the second photo...... anybody know how it works?   PS there is no thread in the hole! Posted by FLYJCW 15/05/2017 11:47:37

John,  Attached is a photo. from my 1932 Firefly. Some observations: My adjustment wheel has the right 'feel' with the ball being on the inboard side. Rather than your hollow cylinder, there is a solid plug which would of course retain a spring and ball. There is a hole on the top of the lever which looks as if it has something to do with retaining the plug but none of the three options I can think of (grub screw, Allen key or split pin) seem to apply. Very odd!  This is my first attempt at 'image attachment' so let me know if it has failed and I will try something else.  Tim    [attachment=0:3tjc28uk]<!-- ia0 -->DSC00031.jpg<!-- ia0 -->[/attachment:3tjc28uk] Posted by tedmunds 17/05/2017 10:36:09

Thanks Tim...... you are right...... I found out 5 minutes ago..... before I read your post, when showing an engineering friend my quandary..... the ball bearing dropped down the hole through into the &quot;blind side&quot; which I hadn't spotted existed..... I put a spring and the ball in and carefully screwed the adjuster in...... click click click .....hooray it works.... I have been pondering this for weeks.  My adjuster is very corroded so I have made a new one and just need to zinc plate it before i can reassemble the braking system..... thanks for your confirmation..... best wishes.  P.S excellent attachment photo......John Posted by FLYJCW 17/05/2017 16:50:30

Well progress is made, I have repaired the adjuster rod fitted a bit too modern knob and popped them in the plating bath.... Oh and I added a grease nipple to the adjuster collar.... no seizing up in future. Now all greased up and ready to reassemble.  I will soon have brakes! Posted by FLYJCW 20/05/2017 11:52:31