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Re: Front Brake Problem (locking up)

To: john@triumphspitfire.com, spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Front Brake Problem (locking up)
From: Douglas Braun & Nadia Papakonstantinou <doug@dougbraun.com>
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 10:00:02 -0400
I bet I know what happened.  The piston of your brake master cylinder
does not return all the way, and it does not open the "tipping valve"
that allows fluid to flow to and from the main reservoir.  Thus,
the front hydraulic system remains totally sealed, and as the fluid
warms and expands, it naturally tries to lock the brakes.

I had the exact same problem once.  It turned out that the culprit
was a mis-adjusted brake light switch that was preventing the
pedal from returning all the way.

It happened on the highway, and I did a limp-home fix by momentarily cracking
open one of the fittings to relieve the pressure.

Doug Braun
'72 Spit

At 09:26 AM 6/1/01 , john@triumphspitfire.com wrote:
>I give up...I'm going to ask advise.
>
>I recently got my car out of storage. I did all the usual maintenance
>(bleeding, rebuilt mastercylinder due to leaks, etc.) and took the car out
>for a test. After about 1 mile the front calipers gradually locked up, it
>was as if I had one foot on the brakes and the longer I would drive the
>harder I would push. Car got harder and harder to keep up to speed and now
>smoke coming from left front. Let it sit for about a half hour (let them
>cool) and they worked as before.

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