Morris Minor Owners Club

hello,i am a new member to the m.m.o.c i have bought an1955 morris and i would be grateful for any help. the brakes are binding and the mixture is rich. starts first time but when driving is very sluggish, when you brake they just stick. any suggestions would be welcomed, thanks

Hi and welcome! Rich mixture could be caused by a dirty air filter.
Binding brakes normally caused by siezed/partially siezed wheel cylinders, jack up to determine which one(s) is/are at fault.
My thoughts are that if one or more is causing problems, while the fluid is out of the system it would be worth checking all cylinders renewing parts as required. Otherwise you will probably fix one only to be faced with another shortly afterwards!

Welcome!

The great thing about Moggies is the high quality of the materials that were used. So a careful dismantling and cleaning up of parts will sort out many problems.

The pistons in the brake cyclinders tend to start sticking very quickly if the car isn't used frequently, however. Luckily, the cost of a cyclinder with the piston is not very expensive at all. If you plan to keep the car, you might want to invest in a new set all round, and then keep up with the maintenance.

Having said that, you might be lucky and find they are just dirty. I believe replacement rubber seals are available, if the cyclinders and pistons are in good condition.

Once you get everything functioning properly, the Minor is easy to maintain - the maintenance needs to be regular though. It isn't like a modern car with a long service interval. The Minor has several grease points, so a lever-style grease gun is a good investment.

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