Excess brake pedal travel

Test whether the rears are the problem by clamping the flexible hose to each wheel.

The pistons will normally not retract themselves, there is a small spring in between the pistons. (spring could be missing)

Do the pistons stay out ok with the master cylinder cap off? (could be a blocked breather hole on the cap.)

New cylinders are very cheap (6pounds), so are worth changing if there is any doubt.

mrcheerful

The message from snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (SteveStallion2) contains these words:

Normally the self adjusters take up the slack. They may not be working - they often don't.

That was my first thought (well, actually it was probably yours) when I first posted here a month or so ago with this problem. The self adjusters I'm certain are now working fine (you have never seen better cleaned and lubricated adjusters!). When I remove the drums, the shoes are very snug inside also proving that all seems OK there.

What a great idea. Wish I'd thought of that! I need to wait for a helper to do it properly so I can release the clamp while my foot is on the brake to see the effect. It's really hard to judge whether it's better or worse when you have to climb out of the car in between clamping!

I think it was a red herring. The pistons were probably retracted because I'd accidentally pushed them back while wiggling the drum to get it off. :-(

I dont think this is now the problem, but there does happen to be 20 years of crud on the cap!

Now I dont think it's the rear cylinder I'm a bit stuck :-(. Think I'll go and bleed them as I have no other ideas. But I'm sure the problem only arose after fitting the handbrake cable which is nothing to do with the fluid side. Although it may be that I just didn't notice before. This is my spare car that I don't drive very often. There is a chance it may have always been like that... it's only now I have a silly new car to compare to that it 'seems' there is a problem...

I'll be back after the bleeding has failed...

For all the following: Engine off and press the brake pedal a few times to exhaust the servo (if you have one) It is fairly easy to measure from the edge of the steering wheel to the face of the brake pedal and measure how far the pedal moves, do it a few times to establish how hard you press, you will soon get the idea of how hard to press for consistent results, then put the clamps on, (one to each and every wheel if possible) then measure pedal travel, then remove one clamp and remeasure , etc. Each wheel should give roughly the same amount of extra travel on the pedal. All clamped should give an almost solid pedal, as you release each clamp the travel will increase by about 5 mm. If you have a dodgy caliper or excess movement somewhere this will show it up well.

mrcheerful

It failed! Both rear bleed nipples are siezed and now rounded off. One of the fronts was seized and is now sheared off! The other front bleeded fine, but no bubbles came out :-(

And I noticed the pads need changing... Can open, worms everywhere!

I only have one clamp at the mo but it showed that both sides of the car were equal. Clamping each front gave more firmness than the rears, but both sides were equal, front and back. So maybe that's the way it's always been? (It's not I'm sure! Until 4 months ago I'd driven that car daily for 15 years!)

I'm going to give up on it. It's not a big enough problem to really matter. If Mr MOT gets upset then I'll have to think again. But I think there will be enough other things to distract him! ;-)

Ta for all your help Steve

Good luck, sounds like the regular maintenance has really paid off this time :)

mrcheerful

LOL. Ouch! But you're quite correct. My policy is "if it aint broke, dont fix it, if it is broke, bodge it..."

It's hardly ever let me down though in 150k miles. However the final test is yet to come. If I get a place, I'm taking it to Dakar in the Plymouth to Dakar rally...

Heh - doesn't that actually end in serrekunda?

I think you are right. But it's all irrelevant...

1) I prob wont get a place 2) I'm unlikely to make it all the way! I think neither Dakar nor Surrekunda will see my poor car!

Best thing to find would be a 190E if you want to do it, Gambians have loads of them so they stay in use over there - and it should make it all the way. Finding one for 100quid might be hard...

Yes, that would be very sensible... ...But part of the attraction of this ridiculous idea is a 'final flourish' for my treasured car. I'm so attached to it, I need something major to make me part with it!

The 100quid limit is quite a laugh. Mine's been worth less than that for about

5-10 years now!

Tim S Kemp ( snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karoo.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Let's put it this way.... I'm not sure I've ever been to Plymouth, and I know I've never been to Dakar. But I definitely did the Plymouth-Dakar last year...

You want logic from an event like that? Do me a favour!