[Healeys] Brakes

[Michael Salter]

I would agree with Bob that the most likely problem is the servo.
You can check this fairly easily by loosening off the lower 10/32 nuts and
screws on the servo chest and gently prying it open a little.
If the servo is leaking fluid will run out.
IMHO Bob's  50/50 success rate for rebuilds is a little optimistic 🙄🙄.
Unless you are fairly skilled you are unlikely to succeed on your first few
attempts.
Commercially I gave up rebuilding them many years ago because of the dismal
success rate and started installing PBR VH44 servos, possibly still
available from Healey Surgeons, which require different mount brackets and
fluid lines. We never had a VH44 come-back.
M

On Fri., Jun. 12, 2020, 12:19 p.m. Bob Spidell, <bspidell at comcast.net>
wrote:

> If a significant amount of brake fluid is leaking into the servo you
> will get white smoke out of the tailpipes (under most running
> conditions). This is because the engine will suck fluid into the intake
> manifold through the vacuum hose. The most likely cause of this is the
> 'gland' seal; which seals the vacuum piston--the large canister on the
> servo--from the servo's hydraulics (it has two pistons; one is activated
> by pedal pressure to gate air at ambient pressure into the canister to
> assist a second 'master' cylinder, which powers the slave cyls).
>
> You can rebuild the servo yourself; I've done it once successfully,
> others report 50-50 success. I've not heard overwhelming stories of
> success with aftermarket (Lockheed, or an Australian equivalent)
> replacements, but some like them. They aren't apparently, a 'drop in'
> replacement without some fiddling, and hearsay says they're not as
> effective as the Girling (putting my Nomex suit on). The hydraulic
> section of the servos is not much different from ordinary brake
> cylinders. The shop manual has an excellent explanation of the theory
> and workings of the servos; it took me several reads and some cogitating
> to grok it all, but they are pretty ingenious.
>
> If you're not getting any white smoke, your guess is as good as mine; I
> have the same problem--although I haven't pulled the drums to check the
> rear slave cylinders (fronts are not leaking)--but since I had bled them
> before the problem occurred I'm thinking I screwed the pooch somehow on
> the bleed.
>
> Bob
>
>
> On 6/12/2020 8:46 AM, Fred Wescoe wrote:
> > I am having issues with the brakes on my 66 BJ8.  I am new to this BJ8
> > with boosted brakes, but I have owned a BJ7 for many years.  I don't
> > find any clues in the shop manual or in Norm Nock's tech talk manual.
> >
> > When I press the brake pedal, it slowly goes to the floor. I am losing
> > hydraulic fluid in the reservoir but there are no apparent leaks that
> > I can see.  There are no fluid spots on the garage floor at each wheel
> > and no evidence of brake fluid on the wire wheels which would indicate
> > a leak.  I have pulled each wheel and I do not see brake fluid anywhere.
> >
> > Is it possible that the fluid is leaking into the brake booster?  How
> > am I able to check that out?  If this is the case, can the booster be
> > repaired by me or someone else, if so, who.  If fluid is leaking into
> > the booster, is it  better to simply replace the booster and who is a
> > good source?
> >
> > Something always happens before what promises to be a great sunny
> weekend.
> >
> > Thanks for any help,
> >
> > Fred
> >
> >
> >
>
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