Thread: Series 2a brake problems... Again

We used to have to bleed Wolseley 24/80 brakes that way. . Let the adjusters fully back , use a pressure bleeder, remove one brake drum at a time & hold the shoes in with tyre leavers so pistons stayed at the bottom of cylinders with the bleeder open on that wheel & hose into bottle ,while some one slowly pumped the peddle. They were like LR brakes you could bleed them all day for no result . Doing then this way you got brakes first time. They also had Girling brakes. Ford Zephyr we would bleed the brakes then let them sit over night & they would have brakes the next morning

Interestingly, I have never had any issues bleeding brakes on a Landrover. Clutches, yes, but not brakes.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Interestingly, I have never had any issues bleeding brakes on a Landrover. Clutches, yes, but not brakes.

Similarly, no problem bleeding any of the fleet but did experience problems getting a firm pedal on the Series I as explained in post #19.
Once the shoes were filed to match the drums the problem was resolved.

In post #9 jessec96 mentions good pedal when fronts clamped off so rears are OK and either air still trapped in the front somewhere or similar problem to what I experienced.


Colin

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Interestingly, I have never had any issues bleeding brakes on a Landrover. Clutches, yes, but not brakes.

Ditto , even Series ones with Master Cylinder under the floor have never been a problem.

I expected problems with my '49 Dodge after retrofitting disc brakes and a Dual Circuit Celica master cylinder in place of the original under the floor. Two pumps and the pedal came up . T

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Interestingly, I have never had any issues bleeding brakes on a Landrover. Clutches, yes, but not brakes.

With everything in good condition (including paying attention to the drum/shoe sizing...), I have found much the same. I just do that little trick with the clamps as it gives good resistance with no chance of any pressure being "soaked up" elsewhere and drives the fluid firmly out through the bleed valve.

Righteo, I put through an order the other day for the correct size front cylinders and a new master cylinder (found a tiny bit of fluid behind the boot so I thought I’d just replace).
Got to fitting them up last night, installed new master cylinder and bleed up with same issue. So installed correct wheel cylinders and sanded the front shoes to better contact the drums. Re adjusted all snail cams until wheels were hard to turn, re bled system.... I know have a pedal that is firm halfway down in travel, locks up front brakes while reversing in and out of shed and stomping on the pedal so 100% better then before I know have brakes!

Although to me the pedal still seems a little low at half travel, all brakes are adjusted up and all shoes have good contact patterns, pedal is firm and doesn’t feel spongey, how much travel should there be on a series 2 single circuit system? I might be being to picky with the old girl now!

With the caution that mine is a lwb not a swb, so in a sense we are comparing apples to oranges, mine has about an inch movement to solid pedal, so significantly less than you are reporting. Check that the free play before the master cylinder piston moves is correct, and that you don't have free play on either the pedal pivot or the trunnion on the pushrod.

Originally Posted by jessec96

Righteo, I put through an order the other day for the correct size front cylinders and a new master cylinder (found a tiny bit of fluid behind the boot so I thought I’d just replace).
Got to fitting them up last night, installed new master cylinder and bleed up with same issue. So installed correct wheel cylinders and sanded the front shoes to better contact the drums. Re adjusted all snail cams until wheels were hard to turn, re bled system.... I know have a pedal that is firm halfway down in travel, locks up front brakes while reversing in and out of shed and stomping on the pedal so 100% better then before I know have brakes!

Although to me the pedal still seems a little low at half travel, all brakes are adjusted up and all shoes have good contact patterns, pedal is firm and doesn’t feel spongey, how much travel should there be on a series 2 single circuit system? I might be being to picky with the old girl now!

Great to hear that at least you have a 'good pedal' now.
Doesn't a Series II shorty have adjusters on just one brake shoe on each wheel ? If so the travel could also be due to the shoes without adjusters moving away from the drums so every time you press the pedal those shoes have to move a bit before they are in contact with the drum.

The fact that the brake shoes don't float on the pivot pin like a LWB is why you end up having to file the lining to match the drum. I'm not familiar with the 80" Series I brakes but I remember my father-in-law telling me there were no adjusters, when the head of the brake pedal left an indentation in the floor it was time to re-line the brakes !!

Colin