Morris Minor Owners Club

can someone help please, i had a new break master cylinder fitted, together with wheel cylinders and shoes.
and each time i break it squeaks really loud. took it back to the garage and they said that with constant use it will get quieter.
is this true? i don't really take her out much as it can get embarrassing as everyone looks when i break.

Someone's gotta be the spelling nazi - it's BRAKES

But that's just me being cheeky.

New pads do take a bit to bed in sometimes, though I'm not aware of squealing being part of it. I've just fitted new shoes and drums and got some vibration to start with. Just take her for a good drive with lots of braking and see what happens. I think you'll find they'll settle down and if not, you've at least got something to tell the workshop.

Incidentally, fixing a car by taking it for a flog in the hills is called an 'Italian tune up' - often the best sort.

Actually - the original speling of the items that slow down vehicles of all sorts were known as BREAKS. Over time this changed to BRAKE as we use it now.... For the problem here I can only suggest the time honoured method of filing a chamfer on the leading edge of each shoe - and then take it for a good run using the brakes hard - over and over till they smell and start to fade. It used to be fairly normal practice to bed-in new brakes, but of course modern disc brakes don't need that to the same extent. You will then likely need to tweak up the adjustments as the 'high spots' will have worn off the shoes. It may of course be cheap/nasty/camel dung brake shoes causing the problem - did you fit the 'good' Mintex shoes?

crackers wrote:Someone's gotta be the spelling nazi - it's BRAKES

Crackers - you can't be that much of a spelling Nazi - you didn't mention 'squeaky'!!!

des1957 - totally agree with the previous comments re brakes, but if the problem continues, it might be worth finding out what brand of shoes were fitted. i found personally that the cheaper ones can sqeal like nobody's business - I cured it on my car (eventually) by fitting some 'Mintex' shoes.

Just confirm that you do have drum brakes all round and that a previous owner has not converted to front discs - the latter can squeek terribly if they aren't fitted with a little (emphasise little) bit of copper slip on the edges of the pads and/or the anti-rattle shims are not fitted. If you do have drums, then suggestions as above.

thanks for pulling me up on my spelling mistakes, i just blame the computer. lol
maybe i should take Morris out more often using the brakes a lot, hopefully it might wear out a little.
I have now come up with another problem when ever i brake to a halt she now cuts out, and is loosing power quite lazy.

Your 'breaks' was not a spelling mistake -as I pointed out before. You would be better to start a new thread on the cutting out - but at least your breaks/brakes seem to be working now! Meantime - lift the idle speed slightly to see if that helps the cutting out.

Thanks Bmcecosse, for your support on my correct spelling
as you suggested i turned the idle speed a bit but it still keeps cutting out as soon as i stop. the engine seams to be misfiring
and sluggish the AA guy said it could be the vacuum something i don't know what he means. she starts fine and engine runs when stationary.

Maybe the float chamber is overflowing due to leaking valve - this would not affect running since the fuel is then used -but at idle it could be send a small wave of petrol into the carb causing it to falter. Meantime - do a plug colour check - pull over after a good run (so no traffic/idling) and pop out a plug to see the colour. Should be 'digestive biscuit'.

had a mechanic take a look at it and he took each plug out while it was running, and said that it is only firing on 2 cylinders.
he needs to take the head off and replace some valves.
so got onto ebay and found one that's been reconditioned hopefully it will run like it just came out of the factory.
thanks for all your advice.

Back on the subject of brakes, I recently fitted a new set of 7in front shoes and they screeched with a metal to metal sound every time with I touched the brake pedal. They were so bad that I had to change them for another set, what a difference, completely silent, firm pedal and pulled up strongly

Might be helpful to tell us which makes Mike.....

I was looking at the workshop Manual last night and stumbled on the section of Brakes than squeal. It suggest cutting into the shoes up to the first hole which, presumably allows some flexibility and thus reduces squeal.
Seems a bit radical to me but I no nuffink.

what I do know is engl grammar, most things anyway

"......and each time i break it squeaks really loud. took ...."

May I lament on the amount of americanisms being introduced into british english. (most problably due to the abundance of US TV programmes or the Default spelling set on engl.USA )

for me it should read "..sqeaks really loudly...". IN US engl, Adverbs and adjectives are the same (just like in German)

Gramma, you can't even speel nufink right, it's one L not to

fayled again

The reliable/good shoes appear to be by MINTEX - anything else seems to be a gamble. I believe all later shoes come with the 'cut' mentioned in the Manual already in place.

I do not know what brake shoe's they are. i bought them of e/bay probably not by mintex.
i am going to replace them with mintex shoes, as the sound is getting worse.
thanks for all the advice.

Might be worthwile considering the modification in the Brake Section M17 in the manual in relation to squealing.
Bob