Morris Minor Owners Club

my new 54 split has got disc brakes on her.

its still using the original master cylinder under the floor and no servo.
is this ok or should i change to a servo and extra filler container

what is the best way to do this what parts will i need etc.

thankyou

If the leg load is ok - don't worry about a servo. If you are prepared to keep an eye on the fluid level reasonably frequntly - don't worry about a remote reservoir. It's all a matter of personal choice and cost/affordability.

The servo is a matter of feel - can you easily press the pedal hard enough to lock the wheels on a dry road without one?

The remote reservoir is recommended for disc brakes because without it you can run out of fluid in the reservoir as the pads wear down. It also makes it easier to keep an eye on the level.

ok that seems fine then
it might pay me to spend £3o on a remote filler then

thanks for the info

You'd be mad not to, IMO.

I believe the remote reservoir is absolutely ESSENTIAL, and potentially dangerous not to have one.

The standard Minor master cylinder does not have the fluid capacity to allow the pads to move from new to fully worn, without ending up with the fluid way below the safe level for sure, and more likely run out and have no brakes.

Yes, you can top it up 'regularly', but what does that mean and how often should that be to be safe? If you add fluid to keep it at the correct level, what do you do with the excess next time you change the pads and there is now too much fluid in the master cylinder and it overflows into the chassis leg. Instant paint stripper and corrosion.

For £30 and a simple installation, you get safety from the increased fluid capacity, peace of mind and as a bonus a visible fluid level.

Moderators - can we please ensure that advice given has basic safety included?

Servo, yes a matter of personal choice, but jumping into the Minor from a 'modern' could give you a anxious moment or two without one!!

Which are my feelings in a nutshell, as I'm sick of saying every time the advice is given not to bother with one.

bigginger wrote:Which are my feelings in a nutshell, as I'm sick of saying every time the advice is given not to bother with one.

so are you saying this to the reservoir or the servo

if so whats the best servo to get ie whats available and how do i fit it.

thanks

You have several options for header tanks and the way in which they feed the m/c, the quality of these is variable so do your research well!!.
If going for a servo purchase one from one of the many specialists selling them as they have the correct boost ratio, they will come with fitting instructions as will the header tanks.
My advice to anyone contemplating fitting a disc kit and associated parts is to contact the specialists, there are several offering different kits of varying quality. Ask them your questions and go from there, as some advice on this topic is offered from a point of ignorance,or complete disregard for the professionals who have actually made the engineering effort to supply the Minor owners with well thought out and safe products.

steve4063 wrote:

bigginger wrote:Which are my feelings in a nutshell, as I'm sick of saying every time the advice is given not to bother with one.

so are you saying this to the reservoir or the servo

if so whats the best servo to get ie whats available and how do i fit it.

thanks

The reservoir. Now, the servo is something you don't NEED, but some prefer them. Fully agree with JLH too, btw - stick to the advice of professionals.

Moderators - can we please ensure that advice given has basic safety included?

We try to as a matter of course, and we often take some stick for it even though we try to do it for the owner/drivers own safety interests.

Kevin wrote:

Moderators - can we please ensure that advice given has basic safety included?

We try to as a matter of course, and we often take some stick for it even though we try to do it for the owner/drivers own safety interests.

Indeed, though it's a thankless task, we try to.

Well I for one appreciate the undertaking of all moderators, and the difficulties that they endure to form a level headed forum. Thankyou guy's.

It would be a dreary old forum if there was not a variety of opinions ! I believe a lot of Minor owners do so because they have limited budgets - and so cannot afford to just pay 'professionals' to do everything for them. With appropriate advice (ie " check often") there are many money saving tips and ideas around which all help to keep these cars on the road - and the owners mobile ! I never offer unsafe advice - any ideas or suggestions I put forward are tried and tested over many years - probably more years than many of the 'professionals' - and they WORK.

Nobody's suggesting getting the pros to do everything for you, just to take advice from them. Running disc brakes on a Minor without a fluid reservoir is contrary to that, contrary to common sense and potentially dangerous. I for one won't let it pass without saying so. Sorry.

I'm afraid to differ with you on some of your advice BM. I'm all for original thought and experimentation, but it needs to pass certain engineering hurdles before being offered as 'gospel' Individual experience can sometimes be put down to pure good fortune and luck rather than by engineering prudence.
One must in most cases regard the work of 'professionals' as just that. We as a trade are bound by both law and concience to advise or manufacture to safe standards. I'm all for the moderation of arguments which are only supported by conjecture and/or small mindedness