The brake pipes are clipped in place now. The chassis didn't get chipped too much.
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The Brakes |
17th Feb 2001
Before I painted the chassis I bent the brake pipes to shape and drilled all the holes for the P-clips. This should save me scratching the fresh paintwork.
The brake compensator that Tiger sent was rather scruffy with a bent bracket. Just not bright and shiney enough for my new bright shiney car ! A new one only cost £38, and it's nice a bright and shiney !
The brake pipe from the compensator to the rear flexible hose was about 10" too short, although I suspect it's because I took a longer route than Tiger planned. The instruction book isn't very clear about these things ! I went to the local tyre centre and asked them to make up a new pipe using my ends. I should have asked "How Much ?" coz they ripped me off for £17. :~(
19th March 2001
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The brake pipes are clipped in place now. The chassis didn't get chipped too much. |
14th April 2001
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I've put the brake compenator valve on the top of the chassi tunnel. I was going to put it inside the tunnel, but discovered that the gearbox would get in the way. Boy, am I glad I found that out now.
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25th May 2001
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Found that the bracket for the flexible brake pipe on the DeDion unit was missing. Got my brother to make a bracket out of stainless which I pop rivited inplace. Notice the nice shiney braided flexible hose ? I decided to replace the standard ones out of the kit. Should give a firmer brake pedal, and they look nice :~)
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13th June 2001
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The handbrake is being a right so-and-so. I couldn't work out where to run the cable. I eventually decided on going over the top of the diff. after talking to Tiger and help form Simon Ranson. I'm just waiting for my brother to make a nice bracket to secure the end of the cable now. The balance bar wouldn't fit so I had to make a new one. No great problems - just a bit of a pain.
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2nd July 2001
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Got the handbrake working at last. Paul made me a nice ally bracket to clamp the end of the cable, and I had to re-shape the balance bar to allow enough movement in the cable.
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17th October 2001
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Got the handbrake fitted. It's a bit of a pain trying to get it fitted along with the tunnel cover. With the cable attached the handle just doesn't want to come up far enough for the tunnel to slide over easily.
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7th December 2001
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With the front suspension fitted I could finish the brakes. Well, the foot brakes anyway. I got an Easi-bleed pressure bleeding system, and for the paulty sum of £14 it was well worth it. This should have been an easy job, but I have never got on with bleeding brakes. (Read that how you like !) Anyway, in with the fluid, on with the pressure, and out with all the air. This is going far too easily. Let's sit in the car and see how the pedal feels. Firm, not too bad, press a bit harder, pedal hits the floor with a 'psssss' noise and brakes fluid pees out of the front caliper. Damn !!!!! Phones Sue, and she is out of stock, but calls there brake suppliers who are also out of stock, but offer to do one for me that day and courier it straight to me. I wish I could get that service from more companies. Anyway, on with the replacement, re-bleed the system and Hey Presto - a firm brake pedal. Wonder how it will work when the car's moving ? Notice the nice shiney braided hose ? Good init ? |
2 Problems with the brakes. The first one was a leaky T-piece on the Di-deon unit. Much fiddling and muttering, then I saw Sue at the Tiger stand a Stoneleigh (Hi Sue) who gave me a spare ( If somebody buys an Avon kit, and the T-piece is missing - er, sorry - my fault - but you ain't getting it back !) There was nothing obvious wrong with the original, but the new one cured the problem (I hope).
The second problem was brought to light by the brake lights not working. The electric circuit was OK, but the pedal seemed to go a long way doing nothing, then suddenly went hard and worked well (at least, it locked up the front wheels OK). I eventually found that there was an air lock in the master cylinder, and the back brakes were not doing a thing. I bled the air out of the master cylinder via the switch hole, and the brake pedal has now gone very spongy. I hope it willbe hunky dory when I get round to bleeding the rear brakes properly.
