MAIN
Braking System
Previous Page | Next Page
I rebuild mine and consider myself a C- mechanic. After jacking up the R side, it is accessed thru the large rubber plug on the R side of the tunnel. For me it was just time consuming since you'll have to bleed afterwards. One trick I used was to put a piece of plastic wrap (rubber banded) around the top of the master before you open the bleed nipple on the slave, as this will keep most of the fluid in the system instead of on your garage floor. You will still have to bleed the system, but at... MORE
I was a member over a year ago and had to drop out. Well I'm back and this time I need to seel my 1973 Midget. If anyone is close to Las Vegas and wants it, it's going cheap at $750. I need to sell it due to my retiring from the Air Force and moving back to Louisiana. Here is what I have in it: It runs good (28+ miles per gallon in town) 5 new tires with less than 2000 miles 3 year old top no broken glass Vynil coverd seats Cassete radio (not installed) Weber carb... MORE
RBH, You are a master of explanations as well as BE crazy. My rubber bumper car was converted to disc wheels and no bumpers at all. The rear end IS the tricky part. I considered two approaches:1) Have a body shop do it or 2)take a mold of my buddy's RWA section under the tail lights and make up a fiberglass piece to replace the flattened area. Use the folded over metal in the flat area to secure the new pieces and bondo 'em in. There isn't as much material removed on the rubber bumper cars as it appears... MORE
Hi all Need some help on where to find and what to ask for. Broke the line from the clutch m/c to slave on a '67 Midget. Seems like 5/16" standard flare. But all the ones I have found at the auto stores will not fit into the adapter piece. Is it a special fitting? metric? It does not have the British bubble flare on the tube like the brake side which made me think it was just done that way so you could fit a standard steel line and fitting. Will be thankful for any help with this..... MORE
Bob, My Mini is RHD, and it really is no problem driving on the "wrong side" of the car. Shifting with your left hand is easy to get used to, say about half an hour and you'll have it down. Minis and Spridgets are small enough that there isn't much change in perspective being another foot or two to the right. If you are used to moving about in your lane (my primary commuter is my motorcycle), lane position won't be an issue. I guess drive-thrus and toll booths could be a bit tricky, depending on how often you... MORE
LHD & RHD pedals are the same. "beckers" 35762... MORE
G'day Tom The LHD and RHD Bugeye body shells are identical. All you need to convert your car are: a.. RHD steering rack b.. RHD dashboard c.. new clutch and brake lines from the master cylinder across to the right side of the car d.. new (longer) wires from the headlight dip switch across to the right side of the car And that's it. avagoodday Colin "Colin Dodds" 35747... MORE
Sure a cold box is worth fitting, Jens. Not a new car out there that hasn't got one. Jacques LaClainche's website shows his BE with a cold air box. Looks like a sealed "mailbox" with holes cut in the appropriate place for the carbs and a "heater" hose ducted to the front by the grille (but on the carb. side). Very practical, very functional. For cold wx, you'd just leave the hose IN the engine compartment, short of it's duct in the grille area. Cap'n Bob '60 Frog "Robert E. Shlafer" 35679... MORE
As I measure it, a dime is more like 50 thou unless my digital caliper is off. Nelson Mk 2 Sprite in pieces "Nelson Wittstock" 35596... MORE
Jeff Boatright is correctomundo on wider spark plug gaps (PerTronix) "taking out" the next weakest link in the ignition system with respect to some Lucas rotors...BTDT. As I recall, anything over .028 "zapped" the normal Lucas rotor(s) without fail. The heftier, better quality rotors I got from Peter C. solved the problem....I am holding one in my hand as we speak....i t's a wop item...."Made in Italy" it says. Far as I know, Pete carries 'em for both 23/25 or 43/45 dizzies. Cap'n Bob '60 Frog "Robert E. Shlafer" 35588... MORE
Ken, If you use a catch can, and run any hoses up vertically for any distance at all, I don't think you need any baffles. Any oil that pukes out will end up on the sides of the hose and run back down into the crankcase unless there is such a rush of air out of there to carry it into the tank. I think don't worry about it. Bob "Robert D. Gardner" 35534... MORE
Easy. the drum brake sub axels have 4 bolts holding the backplate on. the disc brake ones only have three. Two large ones holding the caliper on and a smaller one on the opposite side halfway down holding the dust shield on. And no the stub axel is of not interchangeable, however the king pin would appear to be so, as I used a set from moss on my old Austin A40 Farina Mk1 which had the drum brake setup on the front. In fact the whole reason I bought my now nearly finished 1500 RB midget was to... MORE
G'day Guy Many cars in the BMC range had a common bolt pattern for the front brake backing plates. Not too surprising when you think they could have been drawn up by the same designer or draftsman. Larger cars had (wait for it) larger brakes. Disc brakes were quite rare and, in the 1950's and early 1960's, only used on expensive up-market cars, such as Jaguar. The Austin A40 Farina had 8" drum brakes, deemed necessary to slow down it's heavier sedan body shell. The Morris Major (also badge engineered as Austin Lancer, Wolseley 1500, Riley 1500) had 1500cc... MORE
Thanks Colin. Since I don't want to re-use the brake assemblies - I am more than happy with the discs that I have! - The real issue is to try and identify if the stub axle / kingpin unit is compatable with the disc set up. I understand there were changes between the original early drum brake stub axles and the later disc brake ones. So how do I tell if these are early drum brake variety or the disc brake version? Under the crud they look the same as my existing, but the difference, if it exists, may... MORE
of course, drum brakes can still be found on some serious performance machinery..... http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/mg_x15/02/ though I suppose these only have to work once then a long time before they're needed again unlike everyday cars. David "David Jacobs" 33636... MORE
I now have these hybrid front drum brakes and hubs. The drums are twin leading shoe 8" drums, fitted to what appear to be standard hubs. An odd combination. I cannot see why someone would fit drums in place of discs on a later bodied car and what the 8" drums are from! Guy "Guy Weller" 33616... MORE
Doesn't make any difference. You'll push fluid completely through the system anyway. the fluid path is the same, power boost or not. "joe blxfstz" 33599... MORE
This stand for HUGE American Car. I'm going to change the brake fluid on the 70 Impala, as it has no viscosity, and is black as swamp water. After I drain the master with a turkey baister, and add the new fluid, I will go for the wheel cylinders. The car has power brakes, so my question is, while bleeding the wheel cylinders, car running, or not running? TIA, Brad Brad Fornal 33595... MORE
Hi, I'm currently in the middle of stripping the rear axle on my '76 1500 midget. The brake drums are off, as are the shoes, slave cylinder and the half-shafts are out, im trying to get the bearing/hub section off so that I can get the backing plate from the brakes off the axle to clean it up and replace the bolts. What is the best way of doing this? Do I just need a 1" 7/8 spanner and just undo it or is there an easier way that I just haven't worked out yet? Thanks in advance Damien... MORE
Thanks Guy. In that case I cannot think why someone would change from discs to drum! Maybe it was just a parts car! Guy "Guy Weller" 33473... MORE
David, You wrote that the switch itself, the plastic switch, is leaking. Hate to tell you, but it should not have any brake fluid getting to it and it is not designed to hold brake fluid. Those seals should prevent fluid from getting to the switch. If the switch is leaking, the seals aren't working. Get the right parts, for safety's sake. It's ONLY brakes. Peter C. "Peter C." 33471... MORE
Ed.... Were the back brakes working at all? Old (internally collapsed) rubber brake lines back there, maybe? Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 33470... MORE
A Spridget bodyshell has appeared in the local scrapyard. Very little left of it but enugh to identify it as a wind-down window model. But it has Drum front brakes? It has been used for autocrossing. Would drum brakes be less liable to wet and mud when autocrossing? Perhaps they have been retro-fitted Anyway, the front kingpins and shockers seem to have been replaced recently and are probably worth getting. Are the front swivel hubs the same on drum and disk brake set-ups? Guy "Guy Weller" 33454... MORE
Hi David, This is the type of rubber in o-rings needed for brake fluid applications: Ethylen propylene rubber (EPDM) Likely what you got was a butyl type. That won't resist brake fluid. Try going to a place that does air/oil cylinder servicing or an o-ring house. They're in big cities. Try the yellow pages. Might be a minimum sale problem or they may give it to you to get rid of you!!! Paul A "Paul Asgeirsson" 33455... MORE
Hi, Colin.... The early Rivergate kits required the body mod you speak of. Today's Rivergate kit does not. No modification was required to my current BE to drop in the Rivergate engine/Datsun 5 speed "combo" which took the place of the stock 1098/ribcase gearbox the car came with. As I understand it..... the Rivergate clutch disc is a Datsun unit modified to match the stock (or upgraded?) Spridget Borg & Beck pressure plates. As I understand it.... the gearboxes used and rebuilt/sold commercially by Rivergate are those sourced from Datsun 210 TRUCKS. Not sure of their torque or HP... MORE
