Morris Minor Owners Club

Dear All, Hoping someone can answer a mystery!
We are in the process of renewing the front brake cylinders on our 1962 minor and the old ones seem to all have a piece of loose metal between the cylinder and the adjuster, which is not on the new cylinders (see picture).
Has this fallen off the old cylinder or was it added by someone for some reason?
Should we be putting them back on or will the new cylinders already have them?I
Can't find them listed as a part anywhere!!

Thank you
Amber

I would suggest that someone has fitted the extra piece of metal to compensate for either adjuster or brake lining wear.
Either way it should not be there so I would recommend that you discard the pieces of metal and fit the new cylinders as they should be.

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... ii-p829437

The drums currently fitted may have been skimmed internally and the piece of metal inserted to take up the difference between the original brake drum internal diameter and the new skimmed internal diameter.

Larger adjusters are available to compensate for any skimming of the drum.

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... s-p1238194

Thank you so much for your enormously informative and helpful reply - that's very reassuring to hear - we will enjoy discarding them!!

Only with trepidation do I dispute with m'learned friend Phil but I suspect those bits of bent metal went underneath the adjusters so they were raised slightly rather than between the cylinder and the adjuster. They've the folds at their ends to keep them in place. DON'T THROW THEM AWAY YET! Do as Phil says and with luck you won't need them again - but you never know on old, old cars.
Over the years I've used them a number of times! MikeN.

When I fitted new wheel cylinders to my car (all 4 wheels) I found that I had to make spacers exactly like these.
I think the new cylinders aren't exactly correct dimensionally so its either these spacers or try to find NOS cylinders. Guess the over-size adjusters may work as well but at £9 per adjuster its more cost effective to bend a bit of steel!

I confess that I have made and installed them too!

Its reassuring to know that I'm not on my own.

Don

It's exactly what they are,many on here have found that after fitting new cylinders/shoes or drums that there is not enough adjustment to get a good pedal. Another method is to put a stroke of weld on the non cylinder side of the shoe, has the same effect,but a bit safer than a bit of metal which could slip.

My car has those too. I put them there to compensate for wear in the brake drums.
They are aluminium and made from a bit of traveller bodyshell. It is easier to cut than steel.

Thanks everyone - we haven't got round to chucking them yet! In terms of brake renovation we're about 3/4 of the way around the car - most of the brakes seem good even with the pieces of metal removed, but the rear left side seemed poorer, so we've decided to finish off where we're at and go back to sorting that one - probably by replacing the drum.
We've learnt a lot from this particular brake renovation project, not least how helpful you all are!