[Healeys] Bad Brakes - Now Good Brakes

[Quinn, Patrick]

G'day

Perhaps you might recall a few months back I asked for the collective wisdom
concerning the brakes on the BN3?

I replaced the linings on the front shoes and while I had excellent pedal it
just wouldn't stop. I received great advice as to brakes hoses, skimming drums
and so on.

Well I can report that they are now working as well as they did before. I
borrowed a set of shoes, both front and back from a A90 sedan with slightly
softer lining material and while there was better braking overall, there was
still some room for improvement. Next I had the original shoes front and rear
relined again with the softest lining material available. I also changed the
rear brake hose.

During the reassembly it was noticed that while the closeness was correctly
adjusted the whole of each rear shoe was not running parallel with the drum.
There is that small adjusting screw that when moved alters the lateral
movement of each shoe. With a little deft movement with a spanner and
screwdriver that was put to right.

The front hoses were to be changed, but we found out that the new hoses were
too short. So on refitting the old hoses, the thread on one of the front
cylinders was stripped. On checking it was three-quarter stuffed to begin
with. Anyway on checking the casting number we managed to find another wheel
cylinder in amongst a dusty box and after a little honing and cleaning it was
as good as new.

Except that it was 1 inch diameter while those fitted to the BN3 are 7/8 inch.
Same casting number, but different diameter. Can someone tell me please what
the standard inside diameter of the front wheel cylinders of the BN1, BN2, BN4
and BN6 please?

Excuse my ignorance of hydraulic science, but I am told that by increasing the
front cylinders from 7/8 inch to 1 inch it will improve the brake performance
considerably. The brakes are not boosted and the car is fitted with a standard
AH100 brake master cylinder.

Hoo Roo

Patrick Quinn
Sydney, Australia


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