Re: Gearbox spares

I got one email from you a while ago which I replied to, didn't get any delivery failure messages so I'm not sure why you didn't get it.

I'm 25 miles from petersfield, currently broke :(

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Eh? Eyup Nige, you sat on a feather??

delivery failure messages so I'm not sure why you didn't get it.

Which direction from Petersfield? The parts won't be expensive, only the new 511189 (not a copy) which was about £18.50, the others are good condition s/hand. If I can remember what they were I'll sort a price out. As you say, no rush, my friend goes down your way quite often and I have plenty of gearsets.

Just a quick question to the assembled experts!

My daughter has a 1990 Fiat Tipo (no laughing at the back). She got it from Freecycle about 2 1/2 years ago and it has been a reliable little runner.

It has discs at the front, drums at the rear and is a single system that is servo assisted.

Last January I replaced the rear brake lines for the MOT and it has been fine. We are now finding that from time to time the brake pedal will go down a long way before braking effort appears, although there is braking effort at the bottom of the pedal. Also, if you restroke the pedal, the pedal operation returns to normal.

If this were air in the system I would suspect a spongy pedal all the time, so would a guess be seals going in the master cylinder, or something else?

Cheers

Peter

Is there much resistance to the pedal between the normal and lower positions where the brake operates? Is the brake pedal feel at the lower pedal position normal? Is the fluid level correct?

If the answers are not much, yes and yes then I'd be looking at the master cylinder for wear and/or stiff seals.

Not much, yes & yes!

Master cylinder re-build then!

Cheers

Peter

Replace it - just fitting new seals is likely to be unsatisfactory in the fairly short term.

Also, it may be an idea to check the adjusters on the rear brake drums. I've had similar problems with "self adjusting" drum brakes in the past.

Agreed, as this was as Freecycle car no doubt it has a good few miles under it's belt... You could just geta refurb kit but when you strip the old one an find it worn you may as well have bought a replacement.

Good call, again they may be worn and jumping back requiring a much further press of the pedal to take up the slack. Might be worth a quick look before attacking the master cyclinder?

South, right next to portsmouth. It was an input shaft/gear pair, a synchro hub, the transfer box rear drive flange and the 1st gear. Maybe next time he comes down, currently fighting with getting the parts I already have into the gearbox.

Thanks

Thanks for that. It's got a lot of age (20 years) but only 60k miles! A new master cylinder was only £30, so I've bought one.

When she got the car 2 years ago I replaced the front discs, one calliper, one rear wheel cylinder and all the pads/shoes.

It's 4 pipes and two bolts to remove to replace the master cylinder (it was a dual diagonal system, I was wrong), so apart from getting brake fluid everywhere and bleeding the car, it should be a simple job :-)

Cheers

Peter

You are forgetting salt and brake fluid spills and 20 years... I'd almost put money on the least accessable bolt or pipe being "as one" with everything around it.

Sounds just like a LR with wheel bearing problems, and disk brakes.

As the brakes "pump up" too, that's a posible scenario (wobbly wheel, pushing the pads back, it doesnt take much) as well as any drum iffy auto adjusters at the back.

Dave B.

UPDATE

I changed the master cylinder last night, it went so easily, all unions undid easily, no spillage of fluid, I thought that something must go wrong........

Yup, starting to bleed the brakes through - nearside front, no problem. Offside front, one pad down to the rivets and a scored disc. Other pad barely used. Is that the cause of the problem or the effect of the problem?

I removed the calliper, all seemed to move freely enough. Bled it through. Pumped it a few times, still seemed to work OK. Maybe there was some air in the line?

Anyway, managed to get the disc on the lathe and skim it. New pads on order.

Hopefully fit tonight and keep an eye on it.

Cheers

Peter

synchro hub, the transfer box rear drive flange and the 1st gear. Maybe next time he comes down, currently fighting with getting the parts I already have into the gearbox.

I take it the flange is the one that the handbrake drum mounts on?

Drum and propshaft IIRC

Ok then, gear 511189 £18.50, Input gear pair, synchro and flange, would you be happy with all the lot for about £45? The 1st gear is new, the input gears, 3rd/4th synchro and flange are s/hand. I could post them if you're in a hurry, but that might cost another tenner.