Squidey brakes , Servo stupidity???
Discussion
Hi Guys!
My '71 B GT has a remote servo, and over the last couple of days the brakes have started squishing all the way to the bottom of their travel before finally working.
I've had the car the best part of a year and done well over 5,000 miles with no issues until the last few days. With pumping the pressure comes back but dies off again as soon as I take my foot off the pedal.
I've checked the brake fluid reservoir which is a little low but nothing to worry about, and there is no sign of leakage at the wheel cylinders, in fact the theres no loose fluid anywhere I can see.
I've consulted the MGCC and Experience forums which both say in this situation the it can be that the fluid is leaking into the servo, but when this happens it gets sucked down the vacuum hose and goes though the engine. I loosened the vac' hose at the intake manifold and it's dry.
So then I looked and the Haynes and BMC Workshop manuals and was intrigued that the Lockheed Type 6 has a bypass tube across it's top. I checked some photo's of other peoples' cars on Google and I am now convinced the servo in my car is fitted upside down! The guy I bought the car from made a big deal about having put the thing on the car, looks like he did it wrong.
Now my question.
As the servo is pretty much self bleeding, is it possible that being fitted the wrong way up will cause it to gulp air back into the system and if it is refitted back the right way up (after being emptied of collected brake fuild of course) it will not be damaged and might start to behave its self again.
This is all doubley irritating as the car flew through it's MOT last week, and brake fluid through intake would have failed the car on visible smoke.
Fingers X'ed as this is my daily driver and I could do without being without brakes!
Cheers in advance guys!
Mouse
My '71 B GT has a remote servo, and over the last couple of days the brakes have started squishing all the way to the bottom of their travel before finally working.
I've had the car the best part of a year and done well over 5,000 miles with no issues until the last few days. With pumping the pressure comes back but dies off again as soon as I take my foot off the pedal.
I've checked the brake fluid reservoir which is a little low but nothing to worry about, and there is no sign of leakage at the wheel cylinders, in fact the theres no loose fluid anywhere I can see.
I've consulted the MGCC and Experience forums which both say in this situation the it can be that the fluid is leaking into the servo, but when this happens it gets sucked down the vacuum hose and goes though the engine. I loosened the vac' hose at the intake manifold and it's dry.
So then I looked and the Haynes and BMC Workshop manuals and was intrigued that the Lockheed Type 6 has a bypass tube across it's top. I checked some photo's of other peoples' cars on Google and I am now convinced the servo in my car is fitted upside down! The guy I bought the car from made a big deal about having put the thing on the car, looks like he did it wrong.
Now my question.
As the servo is pretty much self bleeding, is it possible that being fitted the wrong way up will cause it to gulp air back into the system and if it is refitted back the right way up (after being emptied of collected brake fuild of course) it will not be damaged and might start to behave its self again. This is all doubley irritating as the car flew through it's MOT last week, and brake fluid through intake would have failed the car on visible smoke.
Fingers X'ed as this is my daily driver and I could do without being without brakes!
Cheers in advance guys!
Mouse
Edited by danger mouse on Thursday 29th July 10:30
Mmm, I remember a time when...
Ah sod it, won't moan.
I've spun the servo over, and found the link pipe was a cacky seal at both ends, so I've gently clamped the pipe with a couple of jubilee clips, which has stopped a mystery hissing I hadn't even noticed before.
It probaly explains the carb balancing issues I've been having too.
While the servo was off I cracked it apart and checked the innards which were all like new and no collected fluid, so the fluid must be elsewhere in the system.
Next stop: adjust the rear brakes and a full-on brake bleed. Neither will do any harm either way.
Probably just talking to myself here but if there is anyone around who knows a thing of two about 'B's and wants to chime in I'll keep watching the thread.
I need to get this sorted as I'm booked up for Oulton Part in a few weeks for the car MGCC Debut.
Cheers again,
Mouse.
Ah sod it, won't moan.
I've spun the servo over, and found the link pipe was a cacky seal at both ends, so I've gently clamped the pipe with a couple of jubilee clips, which has stopped a mystery hissing I hadn't even noticed before.
It probaly explains the carb balancing issues I've been having too.
While the servo was off I cracked it apart and checked the innards which were all like new and no collected fluid, so the fluid must be elsewhere in the system.
Next stop: adjust the rear brakes and a full-on brake bleed. Neither will do any harm either way.
Probably just talking to myself here but if there is anyone around who knows a thing of two about 'B's and wants to chime in I'll keep watching the thread.
I need to get this sorted as I'm booked up for Oulton Part in a few weeks for the car MGCC Debut.
Cheers again,
Mouse.
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