Overhauling drum brakes, or getting discs fitted?!!?!

[muhnkee_2]

Hey folks,
Thanks to the people who have already answered my beginner questions on the forum - much appreciated!
I am making good progress to get "Morri" my 1956 minor back on the road, with the electrics mostly sorted and a new exhaust fitted. The next step is getting the brakes overhauled as i currently have very little in the way of brakes.
Can anyone tell me what i am likely to be charged for an overhaul of the drum brakes (the car has been off the road for 30 years), or would i be better going getting a set of discs installed instead of fiddling with the drums?
Also, does anyone know of a garage in west London who would take on the challenge of overhauling minor brakes? I have a feeling that Kwikfit would either run a mile, or steal my wallet!
Any wisdom greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg

[bmcecosse]

Fitting discs is way overkill for a standard 56 car - and will certainly 'steal your wallet' to the tune of ~ £1000...... Can you not overhaul the drum brakes yourself? It's very straightforward. The key to economic Minor ownership is DIY ! If the original brakes are completely seized/rusted - then an upgrade to the later 8" front drums would be worthwhile (readily available secondhand - ask in the 'wanted' section) - but not by any means essential for a standard car - and will be very much less expensive. But I agree - avoid Quack Fut - I'm sure someone local to you will come back with a 'good reliable' garage recommendation if you really can't tackle the job yourself.

[blues2rock]

As per BMC above. The standard setup is perfectly adequate if it is properly set up with good quality, branded linings being most important.

As a matter of interest a period road test recorded the brake efficiency as greater than 90%. That's as good as you get with a 'modern' (non abs) it's just that you have to push the pedal harder to achieve it!

Hopefully someone local will be able to recommend a classic friendly garage in due course.

[Chipper]

There is a Minor specialist in Chertsey, Surrey:

http://www.chertseyminors.co.uk/

As said by bmcecosse, overhauling the Minor's brakes is fairly straightforward as a DIY proposition. Just take your time, and follow the manual and you can't go too far wrong. It should only take a day or two at the most.

[muhnkee_2]

thanks folks, you have inspired me to have a go myself!!
lets see how long a day or two really is!

[bmcecosse]

Budget for all new wheel cylinders front and rear ,and don't be tempted by non-genuine - they are less expensive for a reason..... And buy quality brand shoes for the front. You may well be able to reuse some of the front shoes on the rear. Come back on here for advise/help when you get down to the job. Meantime - Google for a Morris Minor Workshop Manual - they are available as a download online - FREE. There is every hope that the master cylinder will be ok. Grease the handbrake cables and check they are free moving - and slacken off the adjustments when refitting - then adjust up the brakes - and only then retighten the cable adjustments to put the handle where you want it.

[les]

thanks folks, you have inspired me to have a go myself!!
lets see how long a day or two really is!

A day or two or three, glad you've been inspired, plenty of help here and you'll still have your wallet!

[muhnkee_2]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.
On Saturday i tried to get the "minor" task of getting the rear lights working so i could take Morri out on the road. Four hours and one minor fire later i have decided to replace the whole wiring loom, the wiring has more patches and holes and Worzel Gummage!
So i have ordered a new wiring loom from Bull Motif and will start with that next weekend!
I found that the brake light switch was really busted (perhaps not even holding pressure)?, so that may explain the lack of brake response.
So apart from replacing the switch, the brakes overhaul will have to wait a wee bit longer......
Thanks for all the support.
Any top tips on swapping wiring looms in and out greatly appreciated....
Greg

[aupickup]

hi
keep the old speedo panel lights etc wiring as you may need to use these as the new bulb holders are not very good

[bmcecosse]

It's a pretty major job changing a wiring loom......not one I would be taking on too readily..... What could be wrong with the old one?

[alexmcguffie]

HI Greg,
When you get your new loom, lay it out on the floor in the house where its nice and clean and warm. Make sure you have a corresponding circuit diagram for your car and a reel of masking tape. Mark up the end of every wire so you know where it goes to and where it should connect. This will make life much easier when you come to fit it to the car and should also show up any problems with the new loom before you potentially get it dirty while fitting it.

Before removing the old loom, take photos of how it routes and where everything connects. Once its out, they'll be the best reference you have!

When you connect up new connectors, put a smear of silicone grease on each one. This will help prevent corrosion in the future. Depending on condition, it might also be worth replacing the female bullet connectors.

Before connecting the battery for the first time, check everything through with a multimeter. Time consuming but worth the effort!

Hope this helps,
Alex