Morris Minor Owners Club

A change this morning as on returning from a road test when the brakes are fine, I come back and find that all 4 wheels are now seized on when before it was just the front wheels. I've had to real struggle to get the car into the garage and I'm wondering if it is mastercylinder?
Definitely 2 wheels stuck previously and now all 4.

Well we've been several days discussing this and I think it would take about an hour to get the floor up, see what the pedal is doing and see if the Push Rod is loose because the Piston is not up against it...

It may well be that there are several issues with the brakes that are interacting with each other, like collapsed hoses and a stuck Master Cylinder.
Just get in there and look at that MC for a start.

The very first post in reply to your problem asked if you had the correct free travel at the pedal?
You haven't answered that yet.........

I had the same issue, not on a minor though.
I was messing with the master cylinder trying to get less pedal travel. After driving a few miles the car come to a stop with a pressurised system and solid pedal, readjusting to give some pedal free play released the pressure and normal braking returned.
Might be worth checking before you condemn the master cylinder.

Regards John

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:22 am The very first post in reply to your problem asked if you had the correct free travel at the pedal?
You haven't answered that yet.........

My first post staites that there is no pedal travel whatsoever so ...no free travel

StillGotMy1stCar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:36 am I had the same issue, not on a minor though.
I was messing with the master cylinder trying to get less pedal travel. After driving a few miles the car come to a stop with a pressurised system and solid pedal, readjusting to give some pedal free play released the pressure and normal braking returned.
Might be worth checking before you condemn the master cylinder.

Regards John

Exactly the same symptoms as mine John.
Ive been in that garage now for a couple of hours and the brakes appear to be freeing off a little in this time because with the brakes stuck on I never put the handbrake on and whilst I have been working the car crept forward a little. My car is on a slope.
Ive also looked at the master cylinder and there is no movement whatsoever in the pushrod.

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:22 am The very first post in reply to your problem asked if you had the correct free travel at the pedal?
You haven't answered that yet.........

The symptoms complained of are exactly the same as sitting with one’s foot, still firmly on the brake pedal, after one uses them for the purpose for which they were designed - the brakes stay on, stay pressurised, with the brake light switch energised. If they slowly free off, there must be leakage in the system somewhere.

I was surprised this thread actually started, …. but if did.

The lack of free play continues to be mentioned but never addressed. It can only be the master cylinder preventing the release of the residual pressure with the symptoms reported. The floor cover over the master cylinder must be removed. The push rod must move a bit before contacting the piston. You can feel the contact point when pushing on the pedal with your hand. Removing the fill cap will allow you to see the piston move.

jaekl wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:11 pm The lack of free play continues to be mentioned but never addressed. It can only be the master cylinder preventing the release of the residual pressure with the symptoms reported. The floor cover over the master cylinder must be removed. The push rod must move a bit before contacting the piston. You can feel the contact point when pushing on the pedal with your hand. Removing the fill cap will allow you to see the piston move.

That was exactly my problem after I did my LHD conversion. Not perhaps relevant however to this case, I had to drill new holes in the chassis leg for the new clutch/ brake assembly and, true to form with my inherant incompetence, the holes were not precise enough. After having brass bushes made and installed I refitted the brake master cylinder and after the first push on the brake pedal, the whole system was jammed solid. I had two options , either to remove and refit the brass bushes ca 5mm forward or cut the piston to the master cylinder by 5mm. This I opted for and no trouble since.

I can only suggest that our friend obtains a workshop manual, reads it and understands how the braking system is designed to operate before either driving the car again or attempting to work on the brakes.
A car with a known fault in the braking system simply shouldn't be driven on the road until the fault is sorted out by somebody with some knowledge and experience.
Several people have given suggestions of what might be wrong and how to tackle it but we just seem to be told that the car has been driven again and the problem is still there!

I would like to thank everybody who have sent constructive and helpful advice on my brake issues and I can now report that the fault has been rectified.
I found that the previous owner had stripped the thread on the master cylinder adjusting rod and to make matters worse,had put a spot weld on the adjusting nut to stop any further adjustment for some reason?? I ordered a new rod,nut and connecting piece and after fitting with the correct adjustment, I now have brakes working as they should.

I have found the odd comment on here uncalled for with ignorant these should not have to be tolerated as surely the purpose of the forum is to share suggestions with the aim of helping like minded enthusiasts.

I have been a supportive member of the owners club (always fully paid up too) for some 9 years, owning several minors and I have never received petty comments like this.

My aim as a member and somebody who suffers from mental health issues is to meet like minded friendly enthusiasts and be able to assist aswell as be assisted with issues to keep our fabulous cars on the road within budgets allowed to do so.
I hope this will be the case for future membership.

cococola wrote: ↑Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:45 am

Your comments are noted, including that we rarely know what personal issues other people writing here may have; all of which goes both ways of course...

You never answered the question about free play on the Brake Pedal, the very first question that you were asked.
The 1st suggestion to look at the Master Cylinder (MC) was also made the same day, last Thursday.
Subsequent to that you looked at the wheels, even went for anther test drive, all the while people were saying to look at the MC and they were no doubt becoming frustrated that their advice was being ignored, at least as far as your responses went.
There was also concern expressed that you were test driving the car with such a problem, even if that just meant along your own quiet residential road, all without going near the Pedal or MC.

Now we find that it was a bodged Push Rod Assembly at the MC...

Thank you for letting everyone know the results.