I'll add that the current Phil Wood folks will not tell you a thing about these brakes. This reeks of lawsuits, settlement agreements etc.
I'll keep the even clunkier than Arai Shimano disk brake on my tandem please.
Joe Bender-Zanoni "I dared to sell one with full disclaimer"
> Tom Sanders wrote about some Assenmacher tandems for sale, one of which
has a Phil brake.
>
> I would consider the Phil brake to be on-topic, but not a wise choice. It
is an elegant design, beautifully machined. However, it has a fatal flaw:
All but the very last (year or so?) have a composition disk (actually more
like a clutch on a car) that spline-fits to a male fitting screwed to the
bub. These fail by shearing the splines on the disk; I know of no
replacements for survivors. I actually destroyed one myself, stoking for a
buddy (stoker-operated brake). The late models had a disk reinforced with a
steel (?) center. The only one of these I ever saw was post-destruction:
scorched and destroyed by friends on a long descent or something.
Fortunately, the clunky but effective Arai is widely available and not
terribly expensive.
>
> We still have one on our tandem, but use it rarely and cautiously, mostly
as a "retard" in wet conditions. It was also available on Paramount tandems
(and Santanas?) for a few years.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++==
> I can't remember just who they were (Jerry?) but I have been asked a few
> times in the last year or two to keep my eyes open for Assenmacher tandems
> by various folks. I have just located three of them.
> The first one , blue, a 23/20" model w/ Phil hubs and 27" wheels. $1100
> Next is one I believe is on consignment, green, 23/22" started out at
$2000,
> but Matt thinks the owner will take less at this point...1500???
> Last one is another blue one 24/23" w/ 27" wheels and some kind of special
> Phil brake on it for $1300
> I think the prices might be open to discussion but none of them mine.
They
> reside in the basement of Matt Assenmacher's shop and any interested folks
> might call 810-635-7844 and talk to Matt or Steve. They are all road
> tandems.
> I have to go back there to pick up a bike next week and for anyone who is
> seriously interested, I'll take my digital camera along and shoot you a
> couple of pics if you have been in negotiation with these two guys. I
> expect a great burger at Cirque for repayment... or perhaps some
Greensboro
> Barbecue for the favor, though. Gawd, I'm a cheap date!
> Tom Sanders
> Lansing, Mi