Imp brake system - what is this

Gentlemen,

I have a 1975 Thiokol Imp, serial # 1041. In the picture is some sort of relay- it is in the right track brake line. The wire is just laying in the belly pan. There is nothing in the like this on the illustrated parts diagram. What is it and what should the wire be connected to ?

Looks like a brake switch for rear brake lights. May be to indicate a low fluid level.

I think the relay was added. Looks like the original line was cut and that thing scabbed in.

the picture isn't helping too much i have to wonder if its some kind of electroc actuated mico parking brake that was addedi would get rid of it.

snow dog said:

Gentlemen,

I have a 1975 Thiokol Imp, serial # 1041. In the picture is some sort of relay- it is in the right track brake line. The wire is just laying in the belly pan. There is nothing in the like this on the illustrated parts diagram. What is it and what should the wire be connected to ?View attachment 43194

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It is what appears to be a parking brake relay. You hit the switch, pull on the brake lever and it locks it. Should have one on both sides, but one would work. To release it, you take the power off and pull on the lever once. It acts like a check valve, but they do tend to bleed off and release after a short time, wouldn't trust it on a hill....

It is an aftermarket item. The parking brakes the Imps came with on the driveline system were good enough to stop you from going anywhere, I would assume that is missing or not operational if they have installed that... or repaired the parking brake and cut that wire....

Hell, then it could be a switch to turn on the parking brake lights, but you can't go fast enough to give the impressing you are moving anyway.... for the need to have brake lights...

Fogtender,

there is no parking brake on the driveline.

snow dog said:

Fogtender,

there is no parking brake on the driveline.

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That would be the reason for the micro switch then, some removed the Parking brake assembly.

My Imp didn't have any parking brake , either.

pixie said:

My Imp didn't have any parking brake , either.

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I have seen about five of them in person and they ranged from the sixties to the seventies models and all but one had manual parking brakes, and that one was removed for what ever reason.

Not a clue to why they would be missing unless someone kept driving with them on and kept burning out the rotor and pads...

Fogtender,
The switch is exactly as you described. I pull the left track brake, put power to the wire, release the brake- bit tension is still holding the brake locked on. Then remove power- pull left track lever and brake releases. Interesting

Thanks for the assistance

mico loc's are cool you see them on winch trucks and wreckers alot but because of a large number of accedents osha will not accept it as a substatute to a mechanical parking brake.

snow dog said:

Fogtender,
The switch is exactly as you described. I pull the left track brake, put power to the wire, release the brake- bit tension is still holding the brake locked on. Then remove power- pull left track lever and brake releases. Interesting

Thanks for the assistance

Click to expand...

Well for an emergeny parking brake they are ok, but I wouldn't use them for anything other than a short term, they may tend to bleed off and release...

If you need to be stopped somewhere on a hill, just put it in low and shut the engine off.... the engine will hold it pretty well.