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Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:50 pm
by 67-2door
Hi all.
In the next few days I'll need to bleed my brakes. A previous owner has fitted a remote brake fluid reservoir under the bonnet. Obviously I don't have any instructions for this or even know what brand it is, when I bleed the brakes do I ignore the master cylinder now & just keep the remote reservoir topped up?
Alternatively are the remote kits any good? Is it worth keeping or should I look at returning it to standard (and how would I do that).
Thanks.
Neil.

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 3:48 pm
by philthehill
As regards bleeding - no different - just a different place to top up the fluid.

As regards returning to original - you may well have to take out the master cylinder - the remote fluid feed into the master cylinder reservoir proper is through a modified blanking plug in the rear of the master cylinder - without taking out the master cylinder you may have difficulty extracting the modified blanking plug and replacing with a standard blanking plug.
You will also have to obtain a standard blanking plug or seal the hole in the modified blanking plug.
Therefore as it is fitted I would keep as is until you need to take the master cylinder out of the chassis leg and then decide what to do.
Phil

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:08 pm
by 67-2door
Excellent, no need to lift the flooring again then to touch the master cylinder.
If I ever have to replace the master cylinder I'll probably do away with the remote reservoir, but I'll keep it until then.
One more daft master cylinder related question if I may: When I was checking the fluid levels the other week I took the lid off the master cylinder to check the level as I'd forgotten it had a remote reservoir (I'd not touched the car for 18 months) :oops: . The fluid level started to rise as I took the lid off (obviously siphoning down from the reservoir), at which point I remembered and whilst cursing put the lid back on a bit sharpish.
Can it have done any harm to the system? I cant really see how it could've introduced air.
Thanks.

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:13 pm
by simmitc
Keep the remote reservoir, it's much easier to see and check the fluid and is cleaner all round. Ignore the old under the floor one, and just top up the one under the bonnet.

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:25 pm
by philthehill
Any air that found its way into the master cylinder when you removed the cap would have found its way back up to the remote reservoir so no harm done.
Only air that has found its way into the pipe work will have an effect of the braking system.
Good job you mentioned the original Minor reservoir cap as with the remote reservoir fitted the Minor master cylinder cap vent will have been sealed and the cap vent will have to be unsealed or a new cap fitted when removing the remote reservoir kit.
Phil

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:40 pm
by 67-2door
Brill, thanks chaps. :D

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:30 pm
by bmcecosse
But the good news is that with that high mounted reservoir, the 'gravity bleeding' will work like a charm!

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 7:53 pm
by 67-2door
By gravity bleeding, do you mean once the new rear cylinders are fitted just open a bleed nipple (with a pipe going into a jar of brake fluid obviously) and let the fluid run through to eventually bleed itself of air?

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:22 pm
by bmcecosse
Indeed - one pump of the pedal to get it going - oh and a mug of coffee to drink while you watch the little bubbles in the jar.....

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:04 pm
by 67-2door
Will tea do? Not a fan of coffee.

Re: Remote brake reservoir

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:04 am
by bmcecosse
Tea/beer/G & T - whatever you prefer! And a comfy seat of course. Have a look at the pipe from the remote res - some appear to become porous and allow fluid to leak through - obviously not a good thing...