Re: brakes. it's not that, so what is it?

Twas Mon, 13 Sep 2004 21:01:42 +0100 when Tom Woods put finger to keyboard producing:

there is a warning light on the brake junction gadget, it comes un unless I pum a couple of times which to me means rear-end failure, the front brakes work fine on the first pump but are not enough to stop me as quickly as I'd like.

My mind is currently convinced it's that rubber bit of pipe..

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

On a series LR, with drums all round, you can wind the adjusters all the way out (so that the pads are stuck on), and then see how far the pedal moves. It should be pretty solid, and if not then you have play/air somewhere else.

You could try clamping the flexy pipes off one at a time, or in pairs, and this might give you an diea of where abouts your problem lays.

Cylinder on Percy sucked air in past the seal but wouldn't blow fluid past, that was a mother to find.

My advice is to go down to a test centre (if it's safe enough to) and run it on there rollers. This should give an indication as to where the fault lies. Try it on one pump test... then leave a while then two pumps to see which corner is showing the greater improvement on the second pump. Also another good indicator is if it's pulling to one side or another... usually indicates air in the opposite side.

The shuttle valve shows loss of pressure to the front and to the rear.. not just rear only so if it is illuminating (only one I've known to actually work!) then could be the front.

Brakes are a ****ing nightmare .... after 6 frost bitten nights I sent my

101 in to be fixed. First time I've given up in years. Turned out to be multiple issues of air hear , leaks there and a adjuster that had gone slack. Painful but the best £380 I ever spent ... I think.

If the Brakes were ok before then leave the push rod adjuster well alone.

Lee D

Twas Mon, 13 Sep 2004 23:39:11 GMT when "Lee_D" put finger to keyboard producing:

Always feels to brake in a straight line.

front brakes work fine on first pump, it takes extra pumping to get the rear to play along.

I'm going to sit the wife in it pumping the brakes while I hunt around for balooning hoses underneath.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

bleed them more , put a pint or so of fluid thru the brakes , bleed with engine running and servo on .

if they are new drums and shoes they will need bedding in for a week or so before they lock up nicely, they will be soft beforehand for a time . .

hold brake pedal down under pressure and see if it slowly moves to floor, if so perhaps theres a seal leaking in master cylinder and fluid is going between sections in cylinder rather than out of it , thus a master cyl repair kit or replacement cylinder reqd ..

check rear wheel cylinders to see if any are seized up , you may have adjusted the brakes but do the cylinders work ok.

i doubt it will be brake hoses causing the problem if they are in good condition .

they are double lined and if the inner is split youll see a small lump appear somewhere along them when brakes are under pressure, just run fingers along the hoses carefully to check them when someone else has applied brakes for you .

Twas 14 Sep 2004 18:21:32 GMT when snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (M0bcg) put finger to keyboard producing:

The shoes and drums are as found, seem ok. rear brakes do work with a couple of pumps so the cylinders are doing their job. I'll bleed them with a pint or so and see if that does anything to help.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

It does sound like the rear brakes are out of adjustment or have air in them. The other possibility is that the drums have been machined oversize and have standard shoes fitted.

It does sound like the rear brakes are out of adjustment or have air in them. The other possibility is that the drums have been machined oversize and have standard shoes fitted.

I'd go with the sticking slave theory on the rear.. or sucking air in. For all the faffing probably worth replacing both the rear cylinders.

Lee D

Twas Wed, 15 Sep 2004 09:11:45 +1200 when EMB put finger to keyboard producing:

machined drums, I never thought of that, but I can make the pads hold the drums on the cam adjuster so I think the cylinders should be able to push that far.

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

Twas Tue, 14 Sep 2004 21:22:33 GMT when "Lee_D" put finger to keyboard producing:

I have one new (britpart) cylinder laid around here, I may get another and fit both before I bleed the system, actually I may replace the rubber hose(s) also if they are cheap, price anyone?

Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)

If the drums and shoes aren't the same radius they will only touch in a small area, which is enough to lock them up on the adjusters, but when the full pressure of the hydraulics acts on them the shoes twist & deform giving a useless brake pedal. It's probably well worth popping the shoes off and checking that they actually contact full length in the drums.