I have uploaded some pictures for you to look at, my brother and I have spent two and a half Saturdays refurbing the rear brakes on my Rover and I thought you might like to see how over engineered it can get. Not all of the parts are on show but the major components are here. Twenty eight parts including eleven seals make up one calliper and not including the pads, to remove the callipers we had to drop the rear axle to gain space to take them off the vehicle. All because of a weak hand brake during the MOT
Dad had a P6 2000 for some years in the 1970's and ISTR the handbrake was always a favorite mot problem - inboard discs on that sliding De-Dion tube rear end isn't it? Interesting to note that Rover reverted to a live axle (and drums?) on the SD1.
Having had a P6 for many years I did this job a couple of times. I was told the P6 police cars actually had a panel under the fuel tank in the boot as it was easier to take the tank out and come in from above (and I damned near did it myself in frustration). However once you know all the parts and how they come apart it isn't all that bad. I still have a dismantled rear caliper off a P6 I stripped for spares in the garage. I stripped and greased it and put to one side in case it was needed (and that was easily 10 years ago). I am open for offers, but would have to check what side it is and how well it has survived storage.
I replaced the P6 (which had done about 230,000 miles by then) with an XJS and had a problem with the rear caliper sticking on that. I can assure you that the handbrake pads and brake calipers on the Jaguar IRS are MUCH trickier to fit without dropping the axle. Any experienced mechanic will beg you to GO AWAY rather than take on a job like that. Anyone who thinks it is OK has clearly never done one before !
Trust me, once you know the P6 calipers and what size allen key goes in the hidden hole, then it is not so bad. The fact you can't see what you are up to isn't a problem if you know what you up to. On the XJS, even knowing what you are up to still leaves you with an impossible juggling act (especially without a car lift or a pit - neither of which I had in either case).
Incidentally I have about a dozen years of P6 owners club mags from almost the first edition (maybe mag no 4 - I forget exactly), with tons of hints and tips on such things (if you haven't been put off the idea of keeping it).
If I remember right, after all the assembly and bleeding the 'acid' test is whether you can hear a tiny click-click as the handbrake actuates the self-adjuster. This is tricky if you are on your own unless you do it on a still night when no-one is around ! Of course you don't need to do this, but once you have seen the mechanism I found it quite a compulsion.
Anyway - not so bad when you know how it works - much easier next time.
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.