Heh guys. I took my ole girl for a big run yesterday on the Highway.

I notice that when I brake medium - hard she will pull to the right (my car is RH drive).

I don't really notice it much in suburbia when I am only braking at slower speeds.

I guess cause it is F=M*A right?

Could this indicate I need a wheel alignment?

I was jacking up my car the other day working on my Speedo Transducer, could I have caused this "pulling right" issue by jacking up my front end the incorrect way?

Thanks in advance

 

Hi Bro.

Oh Nooooooooooooo!

At first I was thinking ABS

But then I remembered your Car is a Lucas, so you dodged a Bullet there!

What makes you think you Jacked her up wrong, how did you go about it?

I doubt if its anything serious, it could be a Sticking Brake Pad, so there's only one way to find out.

Jack her up, and support her (but not financially Lol) and then remove the Road Wheel and take out the little hair clip pins of the round locking bars of the Brake Pads and pull them out.

Then using a pair of Pliers on the metal part of the Brake Pads

Try and pull the Brake Pads out, one at a time with a pair of Pliers.

If they don't slide out nice and easy then that could be the problem, so whenever I fit Brake Pads regardless of whether they are Old or New, I always get the Sander and Skim a few thou off, until they do and also clean the locking pins or fit new ones.

With just a little dab of Copper Grease.

When you pull a Brake Pad out, put a piece of wood in the Space, so the Caliper Piston doesn't fall out and in any event just do them one at a time.



When this Brake Pad was New it Slid in easy but not any more it just jams.
So after I got out the Sander and Skimmed a few thou off it slid in without any problem.



After Sanding a couple of thou off the Top and Bottom of the Metal part of the Pad it went in easy.
Don't let the Brake Cleaner anywhere near the Rubber Pistons on the Caliper, just in case it makes them soft or melts them.

It could also be a Stuck Caliper but lets hope not, so try the Skimming Trick on the Brake Pad first.

 

Paul,

As Alex has mentioned.

Also "lack of use" will be in the mix here.

I suggest a brake fluid change. As in, syringe out the container, refill with fresh fluid, bleed the brakes, LHR, RHR, LHF, RHF.

Bleed the LHR until the NEW fluid is visible, then carry on the same.

DO NOT PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. Place a lump of wood, BFH, whatever, under the brake pedal, so you can ONLY get 1/2+ pedal travel. The bottom of the master cylinder is where any pitting will be, the place the pedal NEVER goes, and if you go there during bleeding, you could damage the seals and be up for a master cylinder.

My thinking is a sticking piston, and the fronts have 4 each side.

99% of the time fresh fluid sorts it.

I use Dot4 fluid. Brand???????, who cares.

If that fails, there is step 2,3,4,etc.

 

Cheers guys, sounds like my thinking was off on a tangent!

They were only bled I guess maybe a year ago but then again she was sitting for a long time whilst I built the EFI harness (maybe 3-4 months of no use at all).

So, the only thing is I have only assisted bleeding the brakes (pretty much watched over 34by151's shoulder and pumped the pedal). Haven't really done it myself but I guess it is about time I did

So I recall James mentioned you have to be careful to keep fluid in the reservoir at all times and make sure it doesn't empty else she will suck air in. Also he taught me about keep going until you can see the clean fluid and there are no longer air bubbles in the line.

My only small problem is that I don't have the kit at home to bleed them myself. Repco or some other place sell little hand pump kits yeah?

Ok so sorry for the green questions but firstly:

I jack up the rear and tackle the two rear inboard first?

I slide underneath and open up that little fitting and put the bleed pipe on there.

Now, I syringe out a good chunk of it from the reservoir, but not let it get down to empty. I place some new DOT 4 in the reservoir.

Then I place a chuck of wood behind the brake pedal so I will not go fully all the way down at risk of damaging my master cyclinder.

Then I get an assistant to pump the brake pedal whilst I watch the pipe and see the old fluid come out and the new fluid come through....and make sure all the air bubbles are gone. Once complete I tighten back up the little bleed nipple.

I do the same to the other rear.


Let her down, jack up the front and do the exact same process.

Then make sure the fluid reservoir is about full to where it normally sits.

Go for a spin and she should be apples.



Is this about right? Have I missed anything?

O.B and WoOz many thanks

 

Hi Bro

This is how I Bled the Brakes Single Handed, with nothing more than just a piece of Polythene Tube.

The one thing you need to remember is to have the Polythene Tube about 3ft away from the Wheel (in a 'U' Shape) but make sure that the part of the Tube on the outside Leg of the ('U' Shape) is pointing UP HILL.

With the rest of the Surplus Tubing, kept well away from the Car (so that it cannot squirt any Brake Fluid all over the Car)

All the Magic Happens in the 'U' Shape you Form in the Tube because Two Things are happening Simultaneously.

(1) The Air is trying to get out as you Pump the Pedal, which is easy as the bubbles such as there may be just float upwards.

(2) At the Same time Gravity is pushing the Brake Fluid back down Towards the Caliper, which Automatically Prevents any Air getting into the Caliper around the Threads of The Bleed Nipple (WHY?) Because while the Brake Fluid is Trying to Leak out of the Threads round The Bleed Nipple, AIR CANNOT GET IN. (The Brake Fluid ALWAYS WINS!)

This is 'Rocket Science Bro' 'Bite it and Believe it!'

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...122634/page25/

 

Cheers bro....I just checked out your thread. That was awesome.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...myself-172598/

Grant do you know if you need to turn on the ignition to activate the pump to do the rears or is that just for ABS models?

I wonder where I can get the right size tubing in Oz?

Heh where do you dump the old stuff?( over the neighbours fence?)

 

Hi Bro

Noooooooo! I wouldn't do that if I were you, they might decide to take revenge dump some on your Car.

 

Well I went out and tried to get some of that plastic pipe to do the PTSJ/OB method.

It would seem I found the piping in this little kit for $13.50 so bought it and also the guy threw in some more piping he had . Sweet:


Sweet. I jacked the rear of the car up to access the situation and begin...


Checked on that bleed nipple...and the bloody pipe I got is waaay to small to fit over the nozzle!



Crap! The packet even says "fits all brake sizes". My foot!



Does anybody know what size plastic pipe I need to fit over those bleed nozzles and where you might get it from in Oz?

Alternately am I doing something wrong?

It came with adapter pieces but they just seem to make different lengths of the same pipe. All 3 small pipe pieces are the same size.

Edit:
I found a small piece of pipe that came with a fluid extractor syringe. It fits the nozzle no probs. I can bring that down for sizing purposes at least now:

See how much bigger it is than the one that came with the "bleeder" kit?

 

Paul
I have yet to find a bleeding system that is better than Madame on the pedal and me at the messy end. I do however use one of these:
Motorcycle Car Brake / Clutch Bleeder Bleed One Way Valve & Tube Tool Kit Set
Dirst cheap and all the motorbike guys use them, still need Madame on the pedal though. As to the brakes, might be worth whipping out the front pads and ensuring they are not jamming in the caliper.
Greg

 

Can't offer any practical help, but just wanted to say that's a great shot of the inboard rear brakes. Very clear. Interesting to note how the drive shaft isn't actually in the middle - it seems to enter the diff a little off-centre.

 

Cheers Greg. Yes nothing wrong with getting Madam involved or the young lads for that matter!

S.D.S.D....that is actually a really good observation!

 

Hi Bro

I've used those Brake Bleeder Kits before and couldn't get on with them either but you have done everything right so far, as far as Jacking her up is concerned and also making her Safe so She can't fall.

But I won't be taking you Shopping with me, as you go to all the Wrong places doh!

You don't want a Car Accessory Shop, you want a Hardware Store, where they have reels and reels of this stuff in all different sizes, at a ballpark figure of 20p a Meter in the (UK)

People use this for all sorts of things, like putting into Fish Tanks or Fixing Garden Sprayers, so they will almost certainly have the size you need.

And if you ask them nicely, will chop you off some Samples so that you can do a trial fit, which does need to be very snug, so that it doesn't come off.

If its too tight then warm the end of the Tube in a Cup of Hot Water, or give it a blast with your heat gun although hot water works best.

 

Paul,

Whilst bleeding the brakes have one of the lads watch the reservoir, as it will go down quicker than you think.

I have never used one of those kits, or a hose. I simly loosen the bleed nipple, then the apprentice does the pumping whilst I get "down and dirty". After many years, you learn to get your face to one side, so the drips go on your shirt (which goes in the bin when done). You will get the hang of it.

My method is:

Loosen the nipple, call out "down" at which point the pumper person presses the brake pedal down and HOLDS it down, and you nip that nipple back up, then you call out UP, and they oblige, then repeat, until the new fluid arrives.

DONT forget to watch that fluid level.

NO pump to activate, the Goose NO GOT ABS, or any other silly stuff, just a SIMPLE car.

 

The proshaft does, there is a pinion in there which drives a huge ring gear (the crown wheel) which is one side of the bulbous bit, so the casing is not symmetrical for that reason. The driveshafts (ie the things that drive the wheels that come out each side of the diff) are equal length though.
Greg

 

Thanks again guys. I really appreciate it. I just have a few questions:

Grant, I am assuming at no point we take away the big lump of wood or BFH when we go full down stroke yes. Well....except when we want to drive away ha ha ha.

O.B. using your method (ie. having gravity push back down the fluid in the pipe) do you still cut off your bleed nipple on the up stroke each time?

And finally, so I don't round out the bloody nipple, an 11m spanner seems to fit ok. Is that the correct size?

Oh, and I also just learn't if you open a bottle of Brake Fluid you are supposed to discard it after 3 days. Bugger I have had some DOT 3 left over I was going to use but I guess I have to buy a new one now.

Grant you originally told me with the Goose DOT 3 or 4 is ok. This still stands correct?

Now off to the hardware store or pet store today to see if I can get some of this pipe, then out the rest of the day so it will be tomorrow I will attack these brakes and hopefully report good news!

 

Hi Bro

Yes! an 11mm Spanner is the right size (a ring spanner works best and a short one at that)

Before you Start just crack the Screw in Nipples on both of the rear Calipers, so when it comes to doing the Job, you won't have to faf around when the Tube is on, so that you can undo them easy peasey.

Using my newly discovered method, you don't have to screw down the nipple before the 'up-stroke' of the Brake Pedal, as long as the Pipe is high enough for gravity to push the Brake Fluid Down, so no Air can get in, as fluid tries to leak out round the threads of the Bleed Nipple.

Having said that, if you have got an assistant then nothing to lose by tightening up the Bleed Nipple before you let the Brake Pedal come up.

But you will soon know if you've got it right, by getting the nice firm Pedal that you are after.

 

Quick Update!

Bro

If the Caliper Bleed Nipples have not been undone for a while, to avoid rounding them off if they are tight.

Put a Ring Spanner on it and then Tap the Spanner with a Small Hammer (not a FBH) they come undone much better with shock treatment, than just trying to undo them in the normal way.

 

Alex has nailed it.

11mm, and they should be OK, as I did them about a year before you took over.

DO NOT tighten them stupid tight. Just firm, coz (A) they snap off, (B) you wil swear next time and blame someone else for them being "so bloody tight".

NEW FLUID always.

Dot 3 is fine, but Dot 4 is better.

Old fluid is perfect weed killer.

The BFH or whatever comes out AFTER the bleed is finished, but I knew you knew that, and you were just testing me out.

 

Greg. I like you trick to put a block under the brake pedal. I've bleed many brakes in my way but never thought about what. Makes really good sense. Thanks again

 

Well I think I had a win with the brakes.

Got a $10 fluid extractor kit from Supercrap that had the right size tube in it.

I pretty much did the basic method of having my assistant (my eldest son) apply pressure, I opened the nozzle, his foot fell with the pedal to meet my little socket set wedged under there (I was creative), I closed the nozzle, told him up, then lather rinse repeat.

O.B I forgot to do your U shape method but mainly because I did the inboard rears first so she was already jacked up pretty high in the air and the tube I had was only about 3 foot long. I will do your method next time I can get a longer piece of tubing.

Oh....and I um....spilt some of the dirty brake fluid on my shirt and almost wore it on my face....lucky is all I can say

All in all I pretty much did what you guys said. Kept bleeding until the clear stuff came through and I couldn't see any air bubbles.

Tube going to my old fluid I syringed out. Kept the pipe submerged so she wouldn't suck air:


The old fluid looked darker than the new stuff that is for sure:


Can't really see it in the photo but as new fluid came through I could see little black specs in there...is that just gunk in the line?


The fronts of course....much easier. Forgot to do the U shape method however I did close off the nozzle each time my son came up on the pedal:


My assistant. It was a good chance to show him how the brakes work so it was an educational venture:


I will give her a test spin tomorrow. Sitting in the cab and slamming on the brakes she seems pretty sturdy.

Now...I was thinking of doing the OB checks next. So...if I understand correctly, I am to take out the brake pad and make sure they aren't jammed in there correct? So that is just a matter of pulling that little pin and ripping them out with the pliers?

Now this Brakeclean stuff in a spray can you get from the Auto parts store. Where do I put that? Is that just to spray on the pads once they are out?

What about the Brake Grease? Where do I put that?

Guys thank you all again for all your help.