Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all! So I've just bought a 1967 Traveller (I have put up a post with a photo in the general discussion section) which came with marina disc brakes and a servo. However, the pedal is almost at the floor before the brakes engage and even then they are very poor- any ideas? I am a novice with this sort of stuff and am eager to learn, so the more info the better!

Most likely air in the system or rear shoes need adjustment. Brakes are safety critical, so it is essential that you resolve the issue. If necessary, seek help from a competent person; but we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

Turn the front wheels to full lock. You should be able to see the brake pads in the calipers. Do they have plenty of friction material, or are they very thin? Is the disc at least 6mm thick, or has that worn thin?

Look under the bonnet. Has it got a remote reservoir for the brake fluid? If yes, is there plenty of fluid in it? If no, then it should have been fitted when the discs were added, but if it has not been fitted, then check the fluid level in the master cylinder under the driver's foot. When removing the cap, make sure that yo dou not get any dirt into the system.

Does the hand brake work OK? If not, then adjust the rear brakes in accordance with the manual.

Does pumping the brake pedal make it any better? If yes, then the brakes need bleeding.

Report back on what you find and more advice will follow.

Thank you very much for the swift response, I really appreciate it! I will have a look this evening when I'm home from work and get back to you!

A very simple, quick and easy test, for rear shoe adjustment check, is pumping the pedal, and then checking travel, while the hand brake is fully on. If it is now hard and short travel, you know it is rear shoe adjustment. If still spongy (after taking up the slack), it is likely air in the system.

RAB

Edited to add that if the master cylinder is the old, smaller bore version, brakes will likely be on a longer pedal travel due to the larger displacement volume for the caliper pistons, I would think.

if the master cylinder is the old, smaller bore version

The earlier master cylinder for the 7" front brakes (803-948 engines) has a 7/8" bore and the later m/c for the 8" (1098 engine) brakes has a 13/16" bore. It is the later m/c cylinder that has the smaller bore.

The fluid displacement with discs is very small; if there is any pedal play, it will either be the pushrod adjustment (rare), rear shoe adjustment (common) or air/bleeding (also common).

Or perhaps wobbly discs (worn hubs?) causing pad push back..... Check for that is - car not moving, pump up the pedal - then release for a few seconds - now press again - is it now good, or does it sink?

Thanks all for the responses- after looking into it further (and being the eejit that I am), it was a simple case of the carpet building up under the pedal and preventing the pedal from going very far. Although I feel a right fool, at least it was an easy fix(!)

Can I suggest that the Master Cylinder is Toast, you mention that its an "old small bore one" too? How old is old?

I think the cylinder bore is worn for 90% of its stroke and your only getting "some" pressure towards the end of the pedal travel.

Steve