Rebuilding brakes

[moggiegeek]

I'm rebuilt Riley 1.5 front brakes and wolseley 1500 rears to uprate brakes given all the other mods on the car with new brake cylinders (NOS ) but replacing the seals and dust covers with new items as I have no idea of their age. Should I use red brake grease to rebuild or just brake fluid?
With the wolseley expanding type rear brake adjuster do I use white brake grease or a lithium based one?
The above is a bit of an experiment having collected the bits over the years . I could fit Wolseley 1500 brakes front and rear. I currently have a servo fitted. As this is for a modified road going 1275 what's the advice as to the optimal set up. It has antiroll bar and spax telescopics all round.
Finally do the moggie handbrake cables mate up with the Wolseley rear brakes?

[philthehill]

Firstly - good period modifications.

I used to have Riley 1.5 brakes on the front of my Minor and currently have Wolseley 1500 brakes on the rear.

Red brake grease will be more than adequate.

White grease on the rear mechanicals.

You have to change the Wolseley backplates from side to side to get the handbrake cables line up.

A problem I found with the Riley front brake adjusters was they easily came loose in the backplate and I had to change the back plates several times. You can get repair kits off 'e' bay.

The Riley 1.5 brakes are more than adequate for a modified 1275cc.

Make sure that you have the right nipples on the end of the brake metal pipes where they fit into the brake cylinders.

The only down side with the Riley 1.5 brakes is the weight of the brake assys which does not help with the un-sprung weight.

I eventually sold on the Riley 1.5 front brake assys and fitted Marina 1275cc disc brakes.

Wolseley 1500 rear brakes below which have the 8" dia drums - drums are same as the 1098cc front.

Wolseley 1500 brakes.JPG (1.03 MiB) Viewed 1433 times

[moggiegeek]

Thanks Phil, I'll go with Riley fronts and Wolseley rears to begin with then. What do you think about retaining servo as it's already fitted?
With the Wolseley rear brakes I just swap LHS for the backplates and this places the lever and cylinder at the front of the axle?

[philthehill]

I have never run a servo on my Minor and the car still stops on a sixpence. Even now with the Marina discs I do not use a Servo. More feel of what the wheels and brakes are doing. I feel that the servo takes away a lot of feel back through the brake pedal.

Just change the brake back plates side for side and the handbrake cables will line up in front of the axle.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Girling Green Brake Grease is marketed specially for the mechanical bits.

A brake servo does not improve stopping, it reduces the pressure needed on the foot pedal. The vast majority of aftermarket servo fitments I have encountered have been unnecessary and troublesome, with delays in releasing the brakes.

[philthehill]

Girling green mechanical brake grease was originally blue.
I have an original unused tube of Girling brake grease code 64947027 (same code as the green) bought especially for use with the Riley 1.5 front brakes.

The Girling brake grease code 64947027 must not come into contact with any items that use or are in contact with DOT brake fluid or hydraulic fluid unless using a special mineral based brake fluid.

https://mullard.org/products/girling-me ... 25g-pfg101

[ColinChandler]

Evening all.

Just to clarify in my own mind please, the different brake pipe fittings mentioned in this post are to suit the Riley front brakes rather than the Wolseley rears? Am I right assuming standard Minor rear brake pipes and fittings will fit standard Wolseley back brakes?

Also, and I've searched this form loads of times without luck, do I remember that someone had fitted Minor rear cylinders to the Wolseley rear brake back plates. Can anyone point me to the thread please or say what mods have to be done?

Sorry to be a pain on a Sunday evening.

Many thanks. Colin.

[philthehill]

The brake pipe ends/connections to the Wolseley 1500 rear brake cylinders are different to the Minor and must be made to suit the Wolseley brake cylinders.

[ColinChandler]

Thanks Phil.

I'm building up a "box of bits" as this is my next project. I'll check out and see what the pipe fittings are so I'm ready.

Thanks again for your superb knowledge.

Cheers, Colin.