Adjustment of most British brake systems is a simple operation which should be done regularly. The general method is to turn the adjusters clockwise until the shoe comes up against the drum, ‘clicking back’ until the wheel turns free. Most manuals recommend one click to free the drum, but two or more are usually needed….
I’ve never seen it recorded before, but it is a very common fault to find brake bleed nipples over-tightened (sometimes to the point where they shear or crack the alloy casting). Girling states that “a torque of 4 to 6 lb. ft. should be applied, which is sufficient to lock the bleed screws up without…
Brake Diagnostic Tips Symptom: Excessive Travel of Brake Pedal Problem Possible Cure Insufficient brake fluid in reservoir Top up Air in hydraulic system Bleed brakes Brakes out of adjustment Adjust Excessive lining wear Adjust or refit new Leaks at pipe unions Locate and rectify Leakage past seals in master cylinder, caliper or wheel cylinders…
When was the last time you changed your brake fluid? Yes, that’s right, your brake fluid. Not just topped it off, but changed it? If you answer “never” or “years ago”, you may wish to consider that failure to do so every couple of years can be an expensive oversight! The problem is twofold: conventional…
Restoring The Brake Servo Unit Vacuum Cylinder By Richard Strunk The internal surface of the brake servo vacuum cylinder is coated with a dry film lubricant that can wear off with age. This prevents the vacuum piston from moving freely resulting in erratic brake action. I suffered through several problems trying to restore the brake…
The Real Story: Conventional vs Silicone Brake Fluid Today’s current Lockheed “Universal”, Girling “LMA”, and silicone brake fluids are so vastly superior to the old Girling “Green” and “Crimson”, and Lockheed “Heavy Duty” fluids originally specified for most of our older British sports cars, that it would make no sense to use the older types…
