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    Automatic Parking Brake Release Valve

    Just thought I would throw this little write up in here. No pics, but everything is easily visible. This procedure wasn't in the FSM. Took me an hourish trying to find the right combo of extensions and wobbly joints that would work and I needed none of them. Should take 20min with this guide

    The parking brake release valve/switch is right above the column on the shift rod next to the firewall. It is white and crescent shaped. It is the typical failure mode for the automatic parking brake release system, assuming you don't have other vacuum issues.
    PN is E45Y-2B623-AA and was made as late as 2007 going by the part I bought on Ebay. This is going by Motorcraft/Ford production, I don't like using repop parts as they never fit as nice. I bought mine a week ago on Ebay for $18 so they are affordable.
    Note that earlier ones may use the A rev as opposed to the AA rev. I think this was a change in the adjustment slots so that it only releases the brake in forward gears as per my later edition of the Service Manual. My EVTM is earlier and says the brake should release in Reverse, this is not possible unless you modify the slots on the AA rev valve.

    Remove the vacuum hoses on the valve, the supply hose from the firewall goes to the smaller port, they should be pokey oked unless someone has replaced a hose with generic hose.

    Keep the vehicle in park for now.

    Remove the 2 screws holding the valve to the column/shift rod/bracket. They are a 1/4" head, not metric, very shallow heads. The lower one is easy to get to, the top one is on the top left corner, a bit challenging to get to. I was able to get both with a 1/4 drive ratchet and standard height socket.

    With the screws off the valve can be removed.

    The new valve should have a red indexing pin sticking out of it. Looks sort of like a golf tee. This pin holds the valve at it's release point. Do not remove it yet.

    Set your parking brake and shift the vehicle into OD, or whichever forward gear you want the brake to release in (might be able to work it in Neutral if you want to)

    Shut the vehicle off

    The valve has a socket on the back that will slide over the pin that is now visible with the old valve removed. This is what actually moves the valve. It is attached to the shift rod and rotates as gears are shifted. If this is unclear, look at where the valve was installed and shift through a couple gears.

    Slide the new valve onto this pin without removing the red indexing pin. The screw holes on the bracket should line up somewhere in the 2 slots now.

    Put the 2 screws back in and snug them down.

    Remove the red indexing pin only once the screws are tight.
    If you need to realign the valve, loosen the screws and shift the vehicle into whatever gear you want as the release. Now slide the valve along the slots until the hole at the top is open and the red pin can be reinserted
    (you should have a mirror on a stick for this) Then retighten the screws.
    A mirror on a stick can also be used to verify that the shift pin is actually in the slot and not stuck on either side of the socket.

    Plug the hoses onto the ports, supply from firewall to the smaller diameter port.

    Start the vehicle and check for function.
    1986 Country Squire
    1969 Mercury Cougar
    1960 Land Rover Series II 88"

    #2
    For testing your current system, get a vacuum pump and some adapters. The valve should hold vacuum in Park, Reverse, and Neutral. It should pass vacuum in OD, Drive, and 1st.

    If the valve checks out alright, stick your pump on the hose to the vacuum servo that does the actual releasing of the brake. Set the parking brake and pump it up until it releases the brake. Ford spec says at least 10inHg should release the brake, mine popped it a little faster than that. Despite how stiff the manual release is, the vacuum servo doesn't take much to release.
    1986 Country Squire
    1969 Mercury Cougar
    1960 Land Rover Series II 88"

    Comment


      #3
      great writeup! I just bought a NOS ford valve and was planning to install it, so this is great timing. Thanks for writing it up
      -Phil

      sigpic

      +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

      +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

      Comment


        #4
        its that upper screw that makes it a real chore. I don't fit under the dash so good.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          The valve is a cakewalk compared to the actuator.

          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
          Originally posted by gadget73
          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
          Originally posted by dmccaig
          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by sly View Post
            The valve is a cakewalk compared to the actuator.
            Well that’s good to know, I replaced mine because it got a pinhole in the metal years ago
            -Phil

            sigpic

            +1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.

            +2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speed

            Comment

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