Gypsy - master cylinder question

[MattF]

Okay then chaps. Quick brainpick. Decided to shift the Gypsy onto the drive, to fnd that the clutch and brake master cylinders are well and truly stuck solid. Have a spare cylinder, (my hoarding does come in useful), that's going onto the clutch, and have disassembled what was the clutch one, (have a nice dent in the fire surround now, thanks to the airline and the cylinder piston), and just wanted to check. Seals appear okay, but would I be best off replacing them and the spring, just for good measure, or just reassemble as is and pop back in?

Edit: Btw, they are the old Girling 3/4's, so I assume parts should still be readily available if needed?

[BioHazard]

Personally i would replace the seals and spring.....just due to the length of time it's been standing unused

[MattF]

Thought that might be the best bet. I'll go on the hunt tomorrow. I'm just hoping all the slave cylinders are in slightly better nick. Just had a look at the clutch slave, and that appears to be a fairly new, so fingers crossed. Why are the bleed nipples always in the most inaccessible spots, btw?

[BioHazard]

Just to scrape your knuckles

[tintin]

good luck with the hunt Matt, how bout some decent pics of the ol' girl.
Very nearly bought a gypsy many years ago, still think they look great.

Alan

[surfenstein]

while you have the cylinder apart just check the inside walls for pitting.if they are pitted then get your self a piece of 10mm rod about 150 mm long cut a slot throught the middle at one end and slide a piece of emery cloth about 300mm long into the groove wrap this around the shaft of the rod until it bunches up, attach to a drill and use this to linish the bore of the cylinder.

[MattF]

while you have the cylinder apart just check the inside walls for pitting.

I've been lucky in that regard. The inner wall appears practically mint. Only thing it did have was a layer of fine rust on the top end where it had seized from the piston itself, but I managed to sort that with a bit of 600 grade and the old pinky.

[MattF]

good luck with the hunt Matt, how bout some decent pics of the ol' girl.

There ain't no decent pics yet. She still looks like Frankenstein's bride.

[MattF]

Just to scrape your knuckles

By the looks of it, she'll score 10/10 on that one.

[MattF]

By the looks of it, she'll score 10/10 on that one.

Ironically, the clutch one is a doddle to get to. Realised there's a hole in the gearbox tunnel to get to the nipple. You can bleed it and operate the clutch at the same time. Front wheels are a different ball game, however. Guess who has two snapped nipples? (One was already done, btw).

Finally got her off the garden and onto the drive. Still got to finish flushing the clutch slave to clear the old fluid out, and the two front brake cylinders are obviously gonna have to come off for some direct attention, and then got to flush the brake system through, but she's in movable condition now.

My left arm is practically dead as a door nail. Between the lack of power steering, and the fact that she was stuck in 4wd no matter how hard I tugged that lever, it's practically lifeless. (Bugger popped out of 4wd no probs as soon as I got her on the drive and stopped the engine. Typical).

[BioHazard]

Typical Austin .....always does the unexpected ,Some thought went into the design to allow maintaince then .....Must be english .....too used to it breaking down

[MattF]

Typical Austin .....always does the unexpected ,Some thought went into the design to allow maintaince then .....Must be english .....too used to it breaking down

Aye, I was merrily cursing away at where they had put the cylinder when the penny dropped. So, pulled the seat out to check under there, (two screws), then realised it was under the tunnel, where that nice big rubber grommet was.

Just gonna try and get one of the front wheels off now, to make a start on those cylinders.

[MattF]

Another quickie question regarding the brakes. Is it usual, with the old fashioned master cylinder with reservoir pot on top, for the first push of the brake pedal to be a tad more spongy than the second, or have I still got a tad of air somewhere? Bled the brake system for all it's worth, and flushed through with nigh on 3/4 a litre of fluid, but can't get rid of that last little spongy bit. So, is it normal?

Cheers muchly.