Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there, just fitted new hand brake cable on the drivers side, and noticed fluid all over brake shoes and inside of hub, also the brake cylinder seems loose, and even with the new cable the handbrake doesn't catch, any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
many thanks.

Either hydraulic fluid from the brake or EP oil from the axle. Sniff it. If it smells like stale cat pee then it is axle oil.

Hydraulic leak means a new cylinder unless you want to save £5 and buy new seals and hone it out. Change both if able since the other one is likely to be the same age. New shoes since oil will have contaminated the friction material.
Diff oil (EP90) means that the hub has become a bit loose somehow. If it is leaking from the flange where the hub bolts onto the halfshaft via the wheelbolts and 2 screws then you might get away with a new paper gasket in there. If from the inboard end (ie about 4cm further inboard) then you might need some tools including a dirty great big specialist socket and a new seal/wheelbearing kit.
Wash the drums out with something petrol-like. Dry them off and veeeeery lightly scuff the surface over to get off any burnt oil.

Cylinder maybe £10 to £15?
Gasket maybe £2.50?
Bearing/seal kit maybe £20?
New shoes maybe £10 to £15

Someone will be along shortly with the socket size.

47mm or 1 inch and 7/8 iirc. there are two sizes knocking about! also, don't forget the passengers side hub nut is a left handed thread!

Left handed threads have USHMF or something similar stamped on them and normal direction nuts (wind them anticlockwise towards you to get them off, if you see what I mean) have MOWOG on them. Not sure if this feature was used throughout all Austin/Morris production.

Anyone want to guess at whether the nuts on JMASTER78s car have chisel marks on them already from a previous owner???

USHM is the designation code for a Series MM side valve engine.
Maybe the left hand thread has GOWOM stamped on it

Thanks for the answers, definitely brake fluid so will get new cylinders and shoes!