Jam Mad Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 the brakes on my 1700 x flow are a bit too spongey for my liking.. i think my last trackday is principally to blame. the brake pads are fine; discs at front and drums at back.... any ideas ? does it mean that i need to bleed them ? or is there a simpler solution ? cheers all, j ps tappets this weekend !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashaughnessy Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 Sponginess is the symptom usually associated with air in the fluid, therefore indicating bleeding is required. However, I've never seen a definition of sponginess so I honestly wouldn't know if my brakes felt spongy. Instead of spongy, would you say simply that there is more travel than there used to be? This might be expected after a track day due to wear in the rear brakes. Adjusting the rears is much cheaper and easier than changing or bleeding the fluid, so start with that. If you're not sure of the procedure, jack car up, remove both rear wheels. Tighten adjuster nut (the square nut on the backplate in the twelve o'clock position) until the drum is locked solid (use a lever on the wheel studs to try and turn the wheel). Then back off until the wheel turns without any binding. When tightening and backing off, count how many positions you turn in each direction (the adjuster moves in 90 degree increments which you can feel). Then you can confirm how much adjustment you're making. If you can make some adjustment (even just one position) you'll probably feel it in the pedal as less travel. In theory, you could get the same symptom from the fronts if the pistons are being either knocked back or pulled back into the cylinders by the rubber seals. If you want to know how to identify this and fix it, I can tell you but it's probably less likely to be the cause. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted May 22, 2002 Author Share Posted May 22, 2002 cheers anthony.. i'll give it a go this w/e.. gotta do my a-frame bushes so i might as well kill two birds with one stone so to speak. you've helped me before but we have never met.. where are you based ? were you at curborough and will you be at the august one ? j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casbar Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 Just been around this merry go round. Spongy brakes can be caused by several things, in my case, I bled the brakes, then thorougly cleaned the rear drums. Took the rear pads out, cleaned etc. Check that the rear pistons are moving, the rear piston is designed to move on its plate, these quite often seize up, so check that the piston housing can move a few mil. If not, take it out, clean and copper grease (it slides on a couple of plates). If it won't move, you will only be using one side of the brake shoes. Re assemble shoes, copper grease the backs that slide against the back plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashaughnessy Posted May 22, 2002 Share Posted May 22, 2002 Jam, I live in Leeds. I wasn't at Curborough. Might be at the August one depending on what my other half has planned (yes, that is a thumb print on top of my head). It would be nice to meet you. My Seven isn't running at the moment due to the engine being rebuilt. It's amazing the things you can get at with the engine and gearbox out of the car. If you're going to do all the things that Casbar suggests, which all sound excellent, I'd add one more thing - check that the piston hasn't seized in the cylinder. Get someone to press *very lightly and very slowly* on the brake pedal while you watch the brake cylinder. My rear brake cylinders haven't lasted all that long (I've had to replace mine a couple of times on the seven, and replaced plenty on my old mini) and when they seize you don't really notice it that strongly. Make sure your assistant doesn't press too much or the piston will pop out of the cylinder. You could use a couple of big screwdrivers held against the shoes to prevent this. Or even simpler, check this before removing the drum. See how hard they have to press before the drum is locked solid. I think quite a light pressure should lock the drum enough that you can't turn it by hand. ...and make sure you don't get copper grease on the friction surfaces. Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted May 22, 2002 Author Share Posted May 22, 2002 great, i've got quite a list of things to do now... tappets, brakes, fit rear fog, trunnions, a frame bushes, fix heater, fix left sidelight... better get going before these pile up any more !!! teeth.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted June 10, 2002 Author Share Posted June 10, 2002 sterling advice. tightened rear drums with drum spanner, a square spanner head, and voila ! lovely brake pedal in time for brands hatch in two weeks' time.. cheers all, j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DohNut Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 But what about the tappets Aframe bushes,fog light..... Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam Mad Posted June 10, 2002 Author Share Posted June 10, 2002 alright already ! wink.gif also did a frame bushes, and sidelight. need a cordless drill for the foglight. forgot the trunnions completely, and since i've never delved into an engine before, despite being confident that i know what i'm doing i'm going to wait for a mate to give me a bit of moral support for the clearances. then my spare wheel carrier thing broke ! the thread that the carrier screws into has come away, so it'll be back on the axle stands tonight for a good rummage to see how easy it is to fix... easy i'm sure... i did also give the car a good ol' clean and wax... always satisfying. see ya', j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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