[Healeys] Brakes

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Sat Jun 13 09:05:33 MDT 2020 

Perry pointed out to me that PBE also has a shop in Bell Gardens 
(Southern California).

Bob

On 6/12/2020 11:34 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:
> You could always try rebuilding the servo and, if it works, great, if 
> not, install the imposter.
>
> I did a lot of research before I rebuilt mine--OK, I read this list 
> and a couple forums--and it appeared the most common issue was with 
> the vacuum canister. Specifically, the rubber tube that is used to 
> backstop the leather seal in the canister was sold too 
> long--intentionally--and needed to be trimmed to an appropriate length 
> lest the piston get stuck in the canister. Also, the canister is lined 
> with a dry lubricant that wears, and I found a suitable replacement 
> (although in hindsight I think the original dry lubricant was still 
> serviceable).  It's been a while, maybe 10 years, but IIRC the 
> canister had about 150K miles on it, and both cylinders on the servo 
> body were in serviceable condition (no re-sleeving required). One 
> thing that's hard to replace--Fred, if you decide to buy new, I'll pay 
> for shipping if you'll send your valve to me--is the vacuum check 
> valve; it's been NLA forever (my car came with a plastic aftermarket 
> valve; which looked grossly out of place in my engine bay; I got a 
> good used one from BCS).
>
> Perry, I don't think PBE is a franchise; the one-and-only is in San 
> Jose, CA. I took the booster for my dad's '46 Chevy 2-ton truck there 
> a few years ago; great guys but the shop is an unholy mess (BF 
> everywhere). The Hispanic kid that worked on my dad's servo showed me 
> his work; he was very proud of it and had a Girling from a Jag apart 
> on the bench. The first time my dad tried out the booster he said the 
> brakes almost sent him through the windshield. I drove the truck today 
> and the brakes still work great. PBE stands behind--or in front?--of 
> their work; I got the impression they know that the failure rate is 
> not nonexistent.
>
> I haven't found DoT5 to be any more difficult to bleed than glycols, 
> but you have to be careful not to aerate it in the process. To be 
> sure, a bleeder on the servo would be helpful (as long as it's not 
> like the bleeder on the clutch slave).
>
> Bob
>
>
> On 6/12/2020 9:35 AM, Michael Salter wrote:
>> 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 
>> <mailto: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
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/healeys http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Healeys at autox.team.net
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/healeys
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/healeys/bspidell@comcast.net
>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/healeys/attachments/20200613/74eeb749/attachment.htm>

More information about the Healeys mailing list