Bleeding the bleeding brakes!

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ScratchyDom

ScratchyDom

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The brakes on Itchy (my '71 Series 2a 109) were a bit soft so I thought I would give 'em a bleed before the MOT (along with a multitude of other little jobs AND changing the timing chain, more on that elsewhere later).

I invested in a Sealey kit as I haven't got offspring / an other half to help pressing the pedal.

Started on rear PS and it was really bubbly, bled it until the brake fluid came through clear and it was still bubbling. It was then that I took the rear DS brake drum off and realised the wheel cylinder was leaking. Replacement ordered and fitted (along wiv a braded hose, might as well add a shiny but while I'm at it) this morning but still bubbly.

I thought I would try starting from front DS to see if it made a difference, sucked the mucky stuff through and that's bubbling too.

Reckon that must be the master cylinder gone, but there's no sign of any fluid escaping around there or by the pedal. Could it be letting air in but not fluid out..? And it looks like you have to take the pipe from the reservoir off to get to the inspection cover screw, which is a bit of a pita to say the least!
 
Good luck.

Ive been bleeding the brakes on my 109 ambulance for the last 6 months. 8 brake pipes, 1 master cylinder, 2 drums, 2 cylinders and converting the nipples from the bottom (front) to the top cylinder and Im still without a pedal.

sorry I cant help, because im stuck myself..... but I do feel and sympathise with your pain. :(
 
stevemanta said:
Good luck.

Ive been bleeding the brakes on my 109 ambulance for the last 6 months. 8 brake pipes, 1 master cylinder, 2 drums, 2 cylinders and converting the nipples from the bottom (front) to the top cylinder and Im still without a pedal.

sorry I cant help, because im stuck myself..... but I do feel and sympathise with your pain. :(
Click to expand...

make sure the drums are adjusted properly and the adjuster works
 
ScratchyDom said:
The brakes on Itchy (my '71 Series 2a 109) were a bit soft so I thought I would give 'em a bleed before the MOT (along with a multitude of other little jobs AND changing the timing chain, more on that elsewhere later).

I invested in a Sealey kit as I haven't got offspring / an other half to help pressing the pedal.

Started on rear PS and it was really bubbly, bled it until the brake fluid came through clear and it was still bubbling. It was then that I took the rear DS brake drum off and realised the wheel cylinder was leaking. Replacement ordered and fitted (along wiv a braded hose, might as well add a shiny but while I'm at it) this morning but still bubbly.

I thought I would try starting from front DS to see if it made a difference, sucked the mucky stuff through and that's bubbling too.

Reckon that must be the master cylinder gone, but there's no sign of any fluid escaping around there or by the pedal. Could it be letting air in but not fluid out..? And it looks like you have to take the pipe from the reservoir off to get to the inspection cover screw, which is a bit of a pita to say the least!
Click to expand...

is the sealey a vacuum kit? i'd double check it's not sucking air via the loose nipple if it is.
 
I changed all my drums, shoes, adjusters, and slave cylinders about 2 months ago. Bled the brakes and nothing. I thought I had the adjusters set right, but then my dad took a look (retired qualified mechanic) and he said I hadn't adjusted them up tight enough and I should feel the shoes dragging on the brake drum slightly. Adjusted them all round and only had to bleed each one once to get a peddal :)

I'd say you've got to much distance between your shoes and drums.
 
Turns out that that vacuum bleeder is a piece of crap! My much better half came round and I got her pumping until it went hard and it's coming through clear. Didn't help that I ran the reservoir dry and need to do it all again, but I think the brake system needed a flush through anyway.

Anyone want to buy a Sealey vacuum bleeder kit thingy..?
 
So, bled it through (went round twice and 1/2 a litre through the system) and the pedal is still soft! Gggrrrr. Basically goes to the floor, two pumps and it's half way up. I hate brakes and I always have (apart from when I need to stop). Time to admit defeat I think and ask my mechanicky mate from up the road to come have a look.
 
Have you been winding the shoes back in to minimise the volume in the slave cylinder before you bleed them? Have you wound the snail cams back out far enough after bleeding? Have you tried isolating bits of the system by pinching the flexi hoses to see where the problem is?

When I did mine I wound all the snail cams in, bled the system (used a lot of fluid to get all the bubbles out of the TLS front brakes) then wound each pair of shoes out an equal number of notches to get them somewhere close to the drums and then centred the shoes by pressing the brake pedal a couple of times. After that adjusted the snail cams in pairs by an equal number of notches and double checked the shoes were still centred by pumping the pedal a couple of times, repeat till you feel the road wheel lock up and then back off one notch. Repeat the adjustment for each drum.
 
Still having issues with the bleeding brakes. Have replaced the osr wheel cylinder and master cylinder now. No longer getting loads of bubbles coming out when bleeding just clear fluid. The pedal still goes to the floor but comes up with a couple of pumps. I've tried adjusting the cams (winding in until the brake binds than slackening off a couple of degrees). All to no avail.

Have I got a knackered wheel cylinder too..? And how come it wasn't a problem before I started all this. :confused:
 
In the past I have started at the back and taken off the hubs and used massive tie wraps to squeeze the shoes and slave cylinders back in, the logic being that the amount of space for air to sit in the cylinder is reduced. You can the work around the brakes in order (near side rear, off side rear, near side front, off side front).

Another trick is to block off sections of the system to pin down where the issue is (see post 9).

If you clamp off the rear flex and get a soft pedal the issue is in front of the clamp, if you get a firm pedal the issue is behind the clamp.
If the issue is at the front you can clamp either flexi of and use the same logic.


G
 
ScratchyDom said:
Turns out that that vacuum bleeder is a piece of crap! My much better half came round and I got her pumping until it went hard and it's coming through clear. Didn't help that I ran the reservoir dry and need to do it all again, but I think the brake system needed a flush through anyway.

Anyone want to buy a Sealey vacuum bleeder kit thingy..?
Click to expand...

:D fnar fnar
 
Just fitted new master cylinder so hope that's okay! Will check the lines again in daylight. Before changing the master cylinder loads of bubbles were coming out and kept coming out when bleeding. Changed master cylinder and the fluid coming out is clear of bubbles but the pedal still goes to the floor...
 
Have you set the master cylinder push rod correctly ? If it is very wrong it will do sod all.
 
I don't know: but we have been trying to get the brakes right on an 88" 2a or early S3 for two years.
Crap shoes, crap cylinders, crap drums.
Brit prat
 
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