Morris Minor Owners Club

Thanks Phil. I'll examine them and treat them accordingly.

The leaf springs on my pick up are rusty and scruffy looking. Once wire-brushed off, should I paint them or simply coat them in old engine oil, waxoil or something?
What's the best treatment?
Ta.

MarkyB wrote: As the chances of the bore in a sticking Minor rear cylinder being in good enough condition are minimal and given the low price of replacement trying to refurbish one seems like a waste of time.

The conclusion I came to.

BM is correct..... it's impossible to get the hydraulic piston to move out of the cylinder without first removing the handbrake linkage and pin.,the lever prevents it. I know :wink: There are two pistons in the rear brakes,and the one that usually sticks is the outer one, I know there is. The outer...

Oh, I never thought to check the coil! Do you think that might be why the piston has seized in my brake cylinder?

bmcecosse wrote:I dunno why you bothered coming on for advice - when you know so much about it! Good luck.

Thank you bmcecosse.

I actually wish I hadn't bothered now

You actually said is was 'sized'... And you didn't explain the cable was disconnected.... Hard to diagnose when you don't give us the facts. The pin for the handbrake lever is stopping it... If it moves 2mm it's not seized... But carry on - new cylinder! May as well do both sides.... In my original...

Thanks Richard.
I've got the shoes off, hand brake disconnected and dust cover off. The hydraulic piston moves from being flush with the cylinder to protruding 2mm when you press as hard as you can on the brake pedal.
It's seized. As I said in my original post.

bmcecosse wrote:The handbrake cylinder is simply stopping the hydraulic cylinder from moving more than 2mm because you have the CABLE tightened up too much

Er, no I don't! The hand brake cable is not even connected!!

Hang on a minute, the hand brake part of the cylinder is completely independent of the foot brake. If the hand brake has stopped working on that drum the outer piston has seized and it is quite alright to clean this part up without disturbing the hydraulic part of the cylinder saving a lot of work ...

I've managed to free off front cylinders in the past, with an able-bodied assistant heaving on the brake pedal while I eased the piston, rotating it slightly and easing it in and out. I think due to the additional bits for the handbrake etc. that that won't be possible on the rear, so the best cour...

I'm sorry but 2mm piston movement is NOT enough to apply the brakes!

The handbrake has worked fine in it's present state of adjustment up until the brake cylinder 'SEIZED'

It's not working fine as the piston cannot be pushed out of the cylinder!
Either when the foot brake is applied or when the hand brake is applied.
The rear brake DOESN'T work on this side of the car.

Yes it is the cylinder on the rear brake.
The piston isn't being pushed out of its cylinder by hydraulics when applying the brakes.
I don't know what you mean by the handbrake cylinder?

It's still connected up on the car but the hydraulics won't force it out.

Has anybody got any tips for freeing a seized rear brake cylinder? It's seized in the 'in' position. It does move in and out about 2mm from flush but that's as far as it goes. Cheers.

Cheers guys.

I've just taken my 1966 pick up for it's MOT and it's failed because it has no rear number plate light. There's been a blanking plate over where the light would be since it was restored around 12 years ago. I realise that if it had one fitted that it would have to work The same garage has passed it ...

So, Moss would be better than ESM?

I had the front suspension replaced under 3 years ago. I've been going over the car in readiness for it's MOT which is due. Due to the crap quality of the rubber nowadays, the dust seal on the top of the bottom trunnions has completely disintegrated, one has gone altogether (it was an advisory last ...