Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm just replacing some very worn out brake pads. how do you create room to fit new pads? Is it just a case of loosening the bleed nipples and pushing in the piston?

No need to loosen the nipples, just undo the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and put a rag around it in case any spills out, then push the pistons in.

Incidently, I hope you are using Ferodo brakes now and supporting a 100+ year old British company based in Yorkshire!

Slackening off the nipples in turn and allowing any excess fluid to leak into a container through a tube would be preferable to letting it flow back to the reservoir and overflow from there. Less messy and confirms the bleed nipples are not blocked or rusted in.

Well, usually there is not that much fluid displaced. The rag is more of a preventitive measure, but bleeding a little of the fluid out can free the nipples up a bit, but be careful you don't get air in that way.

I wouldn't undo the nipples mate.

Unless you've filled the m/c since last replacing the pads thier shouldn't be too much fluid.

Paulk

I'll Pm the seat bracket stuff once I've fixed this @£%$!*&) PC

Yes, I must say I've never opened the bleed nipples when replacing pads/shoes. Just when bleeding the system to remove old fluid and/or air.

The M/C should have a big gap between max and min - this allows for the change in level as the pads wear. As mentioned already, you'll only get a problem if someone has topped it up in the mean time.
It's best not to stick an oily/dirty rag into the reservoir to remove fluid as you'll end up contaminating the remaining fluid, but other than that, it's best to avoid opening the bleen nipples unless you've got pressure in the system.

Well the wheel cylinder seems to be back as far as it will go (end cover plate won't go further) and it's not far enough. I'm sure the pads are lined up correctly and not offset.
Help!

What calipers have you got ? Any chance of a picture ? Sure you got the correct pads ? And don't undo the bleed nipple - but only do one pad at a time - then press the pedal down to take up the slack.

Well the wheel cylinder seems to be back as far as it will go (end cover plate won't go further) and it's not far enough.

That's not totally unheard of with aftermarket pads - they seem to make them bigger! I can remember many times having to use big levers just to get a caliper + new pads back onto the disk
From that I decided to avoid changing the disk at the same time as brake pads!

What calipers have you got

Ah, I think I may have used less popular terminology here (sorry force of habit). By pads I meant shoes. It's the standard Minor rear drums. The new shoes appear to be just too large to fit inside the drums even with the cylinder backed right in. the shoes are correctly located and the snail cam retracted.

I know it's stating the obvious but have you realeased the handbrake?

I once spent 2 hours trying to fit rear shoes to a Polo before i remembered i'd put the handbrake on

Paulk

Ah, now that sounds familiar. I remember having to change one rear brake shoe at a time or they wouldn't fit. I assume the handbrake is adjusted correctly and not affecting things?

yes handbrake is off and master cylinder cover has also been removed to allow the wheel cylinder to back up.

Hello Peetee,
the other thing is to get them concentric, helped by a gentle tap usually gets the drum on. Once on stand on the brake then adjust as necessary. Often the drum will be original bore at the inside but slightly larger with wear where the linings run. So even if slightly tight going on they should be OK once in place (Unless you have new drums as well)

Alec

master cylinder cover has also been removed to allow the wheel cylinder to back up.

The M/C cap has a bleed hole so won't need to be removed but as you are doing drums not disks the pistons should be fully home when the brakes aren't pressed.
Firstly if you've had to force the pistons back they are probably sticking (they should return home easily with just the springs).
As long as you are shure that the pistons are not sticking, the next thing to check is that there may be a lip built up un the open edge of the drum - if it is thick rust it may need chipping away with a small hammer. Then clean up the lip with emery back to the steel (prefferably not sanding away the braking surface).
If that doesn't fix it then you may need to file down the end of the brake shoe - either by deepening the groove where it sits on the snail cam or the opposite end where it sits on the backplate.

FFS! Drums - not disks. I was going to say that right back at the start - but there has been much chatter on here recently about discs on Minors. Your handbrake adjustment is probably pulled up too tight - slacken it right off. If they still don't fit - check they are the right size - 7" on the rear - still don't fit ? Then likely the cylinder - which has two pistons, one for handbrake and one for hydraulics) is stuck open. If it's this - get a new one.

Yeah, it was just 'chatter'...
a

bigginger wrote:Yeah, it was just 'chatter'...
a

Sounds like something's loose...

I know it sounds obvious but the shoes are the same type/size as the old ones ? and try one of the shoes into the drum of the car to make sure it all looks Ok.