On Mon, 2 Jun 1997, derek evans wrote:
> i had my father help me replace the seals in the heralds' master
> cylinder...couldn't get the air out...drove the car using the hand brake
> to the local repco brake and clutch repair shop [who] said that the
> front slave cylinders were no good and would have to be
> replaced...picked the car up from their car park after hours...brakes
> very spongy...mechanic said they probably needed
> adjusting!...later...popped the bonnet and...found the front brake hoses
> had been rubbing on the wheels and were well and truely on their last
> legs...useless mechanics had replaced the old hoses with the 'kink'
> facing the wrong way...they generously offered to repair it
> free...picked the car...and yes, the brakes were soft and
> spongy...mechanic [said] they probably needed adjusting....
Gee, sounds like all the mistakes I made as a young, naive kid trying to
save money (even then not trusting the "professionals" available in my
area). Fortunately, I learned quickly! :-) Sad thing is that what you
described are mistakes that are inconceivable from a shop that supposedly
specializes in such work. A Herald's brake system is about as basic and
simple as you can get. Perhaps that was their problem: too simple and
obvious!?
Of course, going hand-in-hand with mechanical incompetency are the lack of
diagnostic ability and lack of attention to detail amongst so many of
these "professionals." Sounds as if this also was the case with your car.
No excuse for not testing the brakes after they serviced them, to make
sure they were adequate. If they'd done so, it seems obvious they would
have identified the need for adjustment. And, with the rather long front
brake hoses found on the Herald, it seems equally logical to expect that,
having replaced the cylinders, the mechanic would have quickly run the
steering from lock to lock to ensure that the hoses were correctly located
and would not rub the tires.
Most of us who have learned to do our own work have benefitted at some
point from one or several "mentors" who know what to look for and how to
repair or replace, but also can share with you some of the basic tricks
and nuances of repair that you don't always get from "book-learnin'"!
Those mentors seem to be fewer and farther between nowadays! Sigh....
--Andy
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