Hey, Guys,
At last we solved the mystery of the soft MGA brake pedal.
Remember, after a total brake system overhaul of my buddy`s 57 A that had
sat for 10 years, try as we may, we couldn`t get a proper pedal--about1/3, and
soft at that. Symptoms were like air in system; but even with various bleeding
gadgets, and rechecking evreything several times, none could be found.
Eventually, by pinching off the rubber hoses, we isolated the trouble to
the rear. That hose shut off, the pedal became rock hard. Everything back
there looked Ok, though. So to identify the bad wheel, we disconnected the
lines at the three-way one at a time, plugging the hole with a bleeder screw.
This done at the RR, we got instant good pedal, so good that my impatient
buddy put the wheels back on and drove the car around for a week with three
active brakes...
Anyway, when we originally did the overhaul, we got aftermarket
(imposter) R cylinders from Moss, which were not as cheap as they seemed, it
turned out.No way the LR was going to fit in the backplate at all. It was
exchanged for a Delphi. Despite my misgivings, I managed to grind down the RR
enough to get in in the slot.
The MGA system is pretty much like the Bugeye, same parts, I think.
Now, only this afternoon, with no other suspects, we replaced that
cylinder. After months of messing with this blasted thing, that operation took
all of 20 minutes, and we got Normal Pedal.
Considering Biff`s suggestion about worn drums and excessive shoe travel,
I suppose the poor quality cylinder was too tight or undersized at the slot
and not floating as it should in the backplate. As a result, one of the shoes
was making inadequate contact, so the MC could not pump enough fluid on one
press to get a pedal. In any case, the thing works. And I`m done with it.
This could easily happen to a Bugeye. Let that be a lesson to me and my
penny-pinching friend.
Bert Shirey
60 Bugeye
66 Midget II
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