[Spridgets] Holy Sprite brakes

[Frank Clarici]

As some of you know, Fr Jack's brakes were giving us headaches the day 
he drove the car for the first time.
Stuck ON brakes meant no power on the road and really quick stops if you 
let off the gas.
I adjusted the master push rods 6 ways from Sunday and the brakes were 
good for a 1/2 mile then lock up.
I kept on adjusting, re-adjusting, and even switched rods all with weird 
results.
Yesterday we brought the Holy Sprite to my house, a journey of about 15 
miles and the first push on the pedal went almost to the floor, second 
push was fine, 3rd locked up the brakes and they would not release.
But they did release after a few miles only to lock up when I had to stop.
So today I replaced the master with a fresh rebuilt unit, I adjusted the 
rods by the book and the brakes are perfect.
No lock up, no to the floor, they are as they should be.
So I figured I messed up the first master when I rebuilt it, flipped 
seal, forgot the brake valve or stuck it in the clutch side, whatever, 
but something had to be wrong.
I tore apart the master and everything was fine, correct valve in 
correct bore, seals perfect, WTF?
Then I see something shiny in the master sitting in the brake side 
reservoir. It was a 1/2 x 1/4" piece of aluminum foil with plastic on 
it, sort of like a gum wrapper or something, just a scrap sitting 
between the cups of the piston blocking the fluid return hole.
First question was how on earth did it get there? Must have been the 
rebuilder (me) who never looked.
Now all those weird pedals and all those adjustments made perfect sense.
A movable blockage on the master will do this. In time the fluid weeped 
past the tin foil making the brakes work again.
All is well with the brakes now, next is the Holy Smokes engine which 
burned 2.5 qts in 118 miles of use.
I have the spare all rebuilt and ready to drop in right after the 
Newspaper does their interview and photo shoot
this Tuesday.

Just one more WEIRD problem that nobody would have ever figured out.
So keep the tin foil out of your master cylinders guys, it's a real PITA.
 

-- 
Frank Clarici
Toms River, NJ