Joel Butera wrote: Hi all
I am trying to put a Phil wood Tandem Disc Brake on and missing the cable barrels
That fit into the actuators on the brake one is a adjustor the other a termination end
Can anyone help or steer me in the right direction.
=========== My salvage box of hub brakes has 3 Phils in it -- but NONE of the adjustors or terminators. Bummer. What I do have is a copy of the Phil instructions, which I can copy and mail to anyone who sends a SSAE. I can also take a picture of the fittings on our Cannondale tandem, which still uses a Phil.
Please remember that all but the very last of the Phil brakes used an unreinforced fibre disk. I've been on one tandem with the earlier brake, when the splines gave way on a hard downhill. A bit disconcerting, but the rim brakes worked. I also have one of the last series, with a metal-reinforced disk -- completely fried by friends.
Sooo, to me the Morals are pretty simple: The Phil is elegantly designed and made, more like a clutch and pressure plate assembly from a car than a customary disk brake. It must be treated gently, and should not be relied on for more than light drag applications. It is extinct, and I suspect that parts are all-but-unavailable. Peter Jon White had one of the last batch of 8 ever made. Besides that, it is the only "disk" type brake that I have ever used that was as awkward as a drum. Modern disks, and the old Shimano E, left all the adjustable thingees on the frame, and just the disk dropped out with the wheel. Be careful for what you wish for: I wanted a Phil brake for years, and have not been as pleased as with their other products.
harvey sachs
mcLean VA.