Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi Folks

Whinge time here!
Lat week, MOT failed due to brakes pulling to one side. (What a shame one isn't allowed to road test for the MOT without an MOT certificate!)
Brand new everything, except for shoes & drums. It transpired that the front nearside QH wheel cylinders were duff - both leaking fluid in copious amounts from the seals.
Decided to get rid of all the QH - don't trust them at all now! Nice new set of Lockheed cylinders fitted. I've spent virtually the entire weekend trying to bleed the system.
Still air getting in and fluid getting out. The latest leak I found seems to be in the NSF (again) - this time the bleed nipple. All of the nipples I've received with both Lockheed & QH seem to be somewhat crude. Lots of score marks from turning on the conical ends. This can't make for a good seal! (Better than the first one though which actually collapsed in on itself at scarcely more than finger tight! Obviously drilled too deeply.)
My question: Is it acceptable practice to mount them in a pillar drill and carefully file them smooth with a very fine file?
If I'd realised what a nightmareish job the brakes were, I think I'd have just bought a pair of roller skates instead!

Dom

I HAVE FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NEW BLEED NIPPLES, SO I PUT THE OLD ONES BACK IN

if you are talking about the walls of the cylinders, you clean them up with a hone. available from any descent hardware/automotive store

No Morrisman, new cylinders all round, no honing needed (I hope!)
It's the bleedin' bleed nipples that are driving me into a rage!

I would have used the old ones, had they been in a fit state. A front one had been jammed in to a rear banjo (It sealed though, so I shouldn't complain!) It was probably the crud of decades that was creating the seal!

Yes it is acceptable to put them in a drill and clean the surface up, however they should been supplied as fit for purpose
If you clean them up, you will remove all the plating and they'll corrode quickly where they are in contact with the soft metal cylinder.

Therefore try hassling the supplier to send you some that ARE fit for purpose - this way the manufacturer gets to hear that their rubbish parts were not acceptable...

Most of us put up with shoddy parts as it's less effort than hassling the supplier (I'm guilty of that) especially when you are up against time pressure to get the job done.

I assume you do know that front bleeders are 3/8"unf thread, and rears are 3/8" bsf thread - a coarser thread. The two don't mix well! Yes - tidy them if you must - but i've never had any such problems. Any slight 'ridge' would surely help to make a thin perfect seal in the taper bore ? There should be NO difficulty bleeding the brakes - it can be done by gravity! If the old cylinders have leaked oil on the shoes - you now need new shoes, and the drums must be cleaned very thoroughly to remove all traces.

There should be NO difficulty bleeding the brakes - it can be done by gravity!

Difficulty bleeding Minor brakes is well known, but not guaranteed.
Success at gravity bleeding is usually non existant.

Never had any problems - and gravity works for me! Maybe it's stronger up in Ecosseland ?
Of course - i'm not messing about with servos or discs!
Except - on my Minis and TR7 I AM - and it still works perfectly there too!

bmcecosse wrote:Maybe it's stronger up in Ecosseland ?

Been meaning to ask for years - (ever since I was a kid in my parent's Hillman Imp) why do people from North of the border refer to their wonderful country with the French translation of the name? I remember seeing oval plates on cars with "Ecosse" over the St Andrew's cross.
Just curious is all.............

Back to topic, the slaves were all replaced, with Lockheeds all round. Drums thoroughly cleaned out with brake cleaner too.

I'll be putting in a complaint with the suppliers re the defective nipples - but need to crack on with the car as the 2 week's grace wont last forever for a free retest! (and yes, well aware of difference front to rear, thanks )

I thought you were - hence your 'crammed in' etc. I mentioned it to highlight for others.
French connection is down to the Auld Alliance against the hated English!

French connection is down to the Auld Alliance against the hated English!

Hmmm - we English didn't exactly make ourselves overly popular in the past.......
("we" to be taken very loosely - am something of a mongrel - 1/8 Scottish, similar Hungarian Romany - the other 55 varieties Heinz maybe?)