Brake Feel

[mickeytwonames]

With a new master cylinder fitted and all brake cylinders and pipes in working order - What should the Brake pedal feel like when you depress it? Mine is slightly soft at the first depress but then goes hard (1956 split screen).

[charlie_morris_minor]

it should feel hard at the first press, i would suggest another round of bleeding might be in order

[bmcecosse]

Slightly long press first thing in the morning - and then virtually solid unless the car stands for any time. Another round of adjustment and bleeding required......

[MarkyB]

Hard, but very ineffective compared to a modern car!

[bmcecosse]

Not at all - they should lock the wheels - which is all a 'modern' car can do...... Difference is that the 'modern' can probably do it over and over again without fading, the Minor drums will start to fade after a few hard applications, but then - the performance of the car doesn't really encourage repetitive hard braking - just 'carry the speed' through the corners........
Unless of course you upgrade to the hard-to-find Wolseley 1500 front brakes.

[MarkyB]

The difference is the amount of effort you have to apply to the pedal to lock, or even operate, the brakes.

There is a noticeable difference between standard Minor brakes and modern brakes.

[David53]

Make sure you have the shoes adjusted right up to the drums - a very slight rubbing when the wheel is spun is ok but no more. If the shoes are too far from the drums it can cause the first push to be a little softer as this brings the shoes up to the drum, subsequent pushes are with the shoes hard up against the drum.

[mickeytwonames]

Thank guys so it under the car again. Is there a good bleeding process apart from furthest away from the M/Cylinder first? I've been doing it on my own with a one-way bleed valve but I'm going to try the old fashioned with someone pumping the brakes.

[mike.perry]

The two person method is the best, then you can watch the tube to make sure that there are no bubbles left

[bmcecosse]

My brake pedal is light and easy! But that's the advantage of nice big brakes. If you want a light pedal - fit a servo - because that's all that makes a 'modern' car have light brakes..... If you try coasting down a hill in a modern with the engine off - you will soon find out just how much servo help you are getting!!!!!!!!

[Trickydicky]

Hi,
After replacing my M/C last December I struggled to bleed the brakes so in the end I followed this method (taken from the Morris Minor Restoration Manual) and using the one man\one woman process.
Adjust the brakes as described in the manual. Then bleed the Front Drivers side, then the Front Passengers Side, then the Rear Drivers side and finally the Rear Passengers Side untill you get a flow of fluid from each wheel cylinder. Ignore the fact that at this stage the pedal may still have a lot of travel and feel soft.
After getting fluid to flow through each Bleed Nipple I then bled them as described in the Haynes manual (furthest away from the M/C first) untill I had fresh clean brake fluid from each nipple without any bubbles.
Since then the car has passed its MOT and not shown any signs of excessive brake pedal travel or sponginess.

Hope this helps

Richard

[MarkyB]

you will soon find out just how much servo help you are getting!!!!!!!!

Exactly! It's a lot, but that's what people get used to.

[bmcecosse]

I'm used to fingertip control vacuum brakes..........

[MarkyB]

On something rather heavier than a Minor at a guess.

[bmcecosse]

And with many more wheels doing the braking.........

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

What should the Brake pedal feel like when you depress it? Mine is slightly soft at the first depress but then goes hard (1956 split screen).

With exactly the same model year car, I can say that when I first press the pedal not a lot happens. On the second pump they are fine. It might just need a pump or two to get the pressure up, or the brake fluid is old and has absorbed too much water with the result that it isn't much good.

I must say however that if I do do an emergency stop or have to ram the pedal down on the first pump, then they are very effective.

It might just be my driving style, I plan ahead and brake lightly, trying to avoid the use of brakes altogether by adjusting my driving to the road conditions. So when I lightly press the brakes the first time nothing happens, there hasn't been enough pressure built up, which calls for a second pump.

[bmcecosse]

The brakes MUST be right at the first pump - double pumping is desperately wrong...... Wind up the adjusters and bleed all 4 points - urgently!!

[kennatt]

too right.no way I would drive a car with brakes I had to pump,needs to work first time.

[mickeytwonames]

I've steam to my wheels and my wheels is on the track
I'm heading South and I ain't comin' back

[bmcecosse]