Am I right in thinking there are 2 types of caliper to the Barchetta? A small one and a larger one on later models ? Anyone have more details please?

front
small ones untill 98, afterwards bigger ones.

back:
iron ones until 98, afterwards aluminium

bollie69 said:

front
small ones untill 98, afterwards bigger ones.

back:
iron ones until 98, afterwards aluminium

Click to expand...

"back:
iron ones until 98, afterwards aluminium"

But still the same size? and equally useless for the handbrake?

I've only ever once had handbrake failure, but really don't think I pulled it up firmly and so luckily escaped damage when the B rolled down a hill and never hit anything.

I have since upgraded my early 95 iron calipers to the aly ones and also upgrading my discs to grooved ones, I used Ferodo Ds2000 pads and even some other cheaper brand from Cyprus and never had any handbrake issues.

Maybe the grooves help with the pads sticking, An easy enough fix.

i've upgaided too from steel to alloy.
Size is the same.

Before HB was really weak, close to none. Afterwards with the alloys its better.
I have a decent HB but not enough to make the car slip it's rear tires while driving.
Both with new hb cables.

My issue with a weak HB over 3 new rear pad sets & 6 discs + 8 cables over 4000 miles ish, has always been lack of further adjustment from day 1, bought it like that s/h too. Cables just seemed too long, initially I thought they'd aged & stretched. Replacements more n less the same. HB lever always pulled too high, a bit of give/stretch then VERY weak, no more adj. Maybe the ally calipers solve the problem. I even 'lifted' bent the HB body mech inside from the tunnel pulling too hard to get some bite on a MOT.

Hi all, thanks for the answers, but unfortunately nothing conclusive to fix my (our) constantly weak handbrakes. I can probably get the 16% required for MOT as i have done in previous years but still the HB won't be "usable". For a proper fix this is obviously going to need a little deeper effort to get to the bottom of.
So what i intend to do is
1/ Detach the HB cables and go for a drive to make sure the rear pads get a workout, firsly though i am going to put a cross with red marker pen across each pad to make sure all of the pad is making contact. Re-attach the HB cables and test.
Depending on the results of 1, happy or to step 2
2/ Detach the HB cables and make a tool to "operate" the HB mechanism directly at the caliper. With the car off the ground use the tool to push the HB mechanism to full on. Try and spin the wheel, if it is well locked then the mechanism within the caliper is fine.
This will totally eliminate the cables from the equation. If the wheel does not lock then the HB mech within the caliper is not working. If the wheel does lock then cables are at fault.
Update to follow...

Good luck, blackydog. I'll be watching your progress with interest, as my MOT's up in mid-August, so when I get back from my hols, I'll be tackling the handbrake job that I've been putting off since last summer! It only just squeaked through the test last time, and I doubt it'll pass again.

Had a rethink about my initial plan. I decided to instead try and operate the handbrake mechanism with the cables completely detached. I knocked up a lever (about 20cm long) on the HB mechanism and used it instead of the usual cable to operate the handbrake. Tried it myself and i couldn't turn the disk, but of course i had only one free hand. Got my wife to pull the lever and i could not turn the wheel which i put had back on to try and turn it. Removed the wheel again and loosely screwed in a wheel bolt next to one of the wheel locating pins to give myself a leverage point. I could not turn the wheel with a bar almost 1 metre long!!!!
Hence there is no fault with the calipers.
I now need to determine why the cables cannot apply the same pressure to the handbrake mechanism.
To be continued...

Just measured the cables i took off 2 years ago (and kept). They are 1545mm long, i am looking at some on ebay from PAGID and they are quoted as 1521mm, so by my reckoning thats 24mm difference or an inch in old money. Of course that only makes any difference if the inner cable is 24mm longer relative to the outer cable, which i won't know unless i buy them! Only £16.74 each though so may take a punt anyway.