At 05:08 AM 3/10/99 +0000, swos1 wrote:
>As a new member of this newsgroup I'm not completely sure
>how it works but here goes!!
>I have recently been left a Silver Shadow Mk.1 in a state
>of disrepair. I am having problems bleeding the brake
>section. Has anyone got any hints or tips?
First off, it's a mailing list, not a newsgroup. With mailing lists you
send email to the list address (rolls-bentley@autox.team.net for this one)
and all the subscribers get a copy in their in-box.
As for Shadow brakes: been there, had my garageman do that. Shadow brakes
are notoriously complex but wonderfully effective when in working fettle.
I would recommend NOT attempting to bleed them yourself unless you have the
shop manuals OR Cal West's clear directions in "From the Shadow's Corner",
a collection of his Flying Lady articles available from the RROC.
(www.rroc.org). RREC may have it too.
Shadow brakes must be maintained by the book or you can have a dreadfully
expensive screwup. In particular, NEVER EVER EVER put ANY brake fluid
EXCEPT Castrol RR-363 in. "Normal" brake fluids are not engineered for the
high pressure (2500 PSI) found in "modern" RR cars.
You said that the car was in a "state of disrepair". You will then
probably need to replace the high pressure hoses (recommended every 50,000
miles anyway), service the reservoir to remove accumulated crud, possibly
rebuild the calipers and height control rams. When I purchased my T-Series
I had all this done as the brakes were in fact already dismantled. I had a
well-regarded specialist here in California do the work since it was in my
purchase budget and I could look forward to the certainty that it was all
"correct". After all, it's a matter of your own personal safety, innit?
If you go this route, look to spend on the order of 4 or 5 thousand pounds
on the brakes. Yes, thousand. The parts are not cheap and there are no
alternate sources.
If you do it yourself, I STRONGLY urge you to join the RREC and get
competant technical advice from them -- which they are quite willing to give.
Good luck with your car; they are worth the effort.
--berry
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