Project 'Needs Minor work' - dull old British car nonsense

[garethj]

While you're mulling over brakes it's worth having a look at the master cylinder, dirt falls onto it from the floor and it's a swine to fill the reservoir so there's often spilled brake fluid there which eats the paint and lets rust have a big old party.

[Squire_Dawson]

M/cyl are usually quite hardy. How long has it been dry for (bone dry could be a problem) and what's it look like inside?

[Squire_Dawson]

I forgot to say, the replacement wheel cylinders will want taking apart and the bores/seals plastering with red rubber grease. This will greatly extend their life and prevent seizure over periods of disuse.

[barrett]

Progress has been slow on this but I'm bumping the topic so I can find it again. It's been up on axle stands all week as the front brakes have proved more trouble than anticipated, quelle surprise. The small bolts holding the cylinders in were so comprehensively fused solid that even though we eventually got them out it was felt prudent to replace them along with everything else. Hopefully tomorrow it will all go back together and we can have a test of the m/c and possibly even a little drive! So far it's been 90% Panhard Gary getting his hands dirty and 10% me looking over his shoulder and holding spanners etc, but at least now I have an idea of how Minor brakes go together.

 

One big Q for the experts: the springs between the shoes are 'handed', ie one half is longer than the other. We took it all apart without making a note of which way round they go and the workshop manual is not clear about this. I have guestimated the shorter side is on the bit of the shoe being pushed up or down by the cylinder as it presumably needs more pressure to pull this part back to the 'off' position. If any of that makes sense to anyone, does that seem right? I suppose we'll find out anyway when I first try and use the brakes, eh?

[Guest Hooli]

Any help?

https://goo.gl/images/PRZKtT

https://goo.gl/images/nUDhNS

[Asimo]

The spring pull is from one shoe to the other so the force is the same whichever way the spring is fitted BUT the spring is made like that to clear the cylinder. Just make sure the coil isn't rubbing on anything when the spring is fitted and the brakes operated.