My brakes including the h/brake worked perfectly, the discs and pads looked like new, only done 12000 in the past 4 years. However my calipers were getting rusty and the flexible hoses looked original. So i decided to remove/ totally derust the calipers / carriers and fit stainless flexys, while there may as well fit new discs / pads..So i did the fronts but didnt want the car to be of the road any longer so decided to buy new pattern rear calipers as seen on ebay. I even bought new genuine h/brake cables which i havent fitted yet as my originals are easy to push the inner in and out. So bled them and did the 20 pumps and adjustment. So after spending 5 0r 6 hundred pounds i have brakes exactly as they were, which would be ok if true but i actually have no off side hand brake now. I will have to investigate if the little pin is properly located..
@105e My own experience of adjusting brakes is mainly historic, with drum brakes all round, however, this year I did a comprehensive refurb on my mr2 and with following all that I have read and learnt on here I did not have a problem with the handbrake.
Like yourself, I decided on replacement rear calipers, but I did check that the pistons were fully wound in an backed of around one turn/ sufficient to bring the groove in the piston crown to a vertical orientation.
Maybe that is where your problem is?
I also slackened the cable right off and followed the How To.
It can and does work.
I replaced the discs and pads on the front and rear and adjusted the handbrake - all work fine.
I did wind back the piston and line them up with the pads.