Marina Brakes

Post by **Matt** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 1:37 pm

I don't think thats as bad as having a car, it going wrong and still not been fixed by the time you pass!

Post by **iwant1** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:18 pm

when you said to tak out the little rubber top hat, did you mean the small rubber that sits inside the valve body? and also, do you have any contacts for getting a marina disc kit, seen as most people i have spoken to have said that the kit has now been discontinued. I dont have the cash to get a sierra one.

Post by **Kevin** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:28 pm

Yes Minor Mania can still supply the bits you want

http://www.minor-mania.co.uk/photogall_2.htm

Post by **iwant1** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:53 pm

Nice one Kevin, have you ever used the kit without a servo, if so how tricky is it to brake without one. Ive heard its horrid with no servo, but cant see why it would be so difficult.

Post by **Kevin** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:05 pm

I have not got discs on my current saloon at the moment, but opinion is devided on the fitting of a servo some like it as it gives a lighter brake feel but others dont like it as it removes some of the brake feel, if those with discs with and without servos can give their opinions it might help you decide

Post by **Cam** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:24 pm

I have Sierra disc brakes on mine and I prefer the feel without the servo. It feels harder and more positive. Servos (in my opinion) make the pedal feel too soft and travel further than it should.

Servos don't increase the braking effectiveness, they only make the pedal easier to press.

Post by **Matt** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:29 pm

I know irs not quite the same thing, but i much prefer the standard moggie drums to the servod disk on the fiesta..... the drums seem more predictable some how.....

Post by **iwant1** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 8:52 pm

Just to let you all know, i sourced a marina- some how! got all the bits i needed for £30 definately the way to do it if your on a budget like me, the quote from charles ware was £420! ouch. Still had to get various coversion bits, but i was dam lucky to find that rotten old marina hadnt been squashed. Will be fitting when the welding has been done, which began today. Cheers for all the help. Ben

Post by **Peetee** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 1:14 pm

Servos don't increase the braking effectiveness, they only make the pedal easier to press.

Very true. It depends on whether you are happy with the pressure that would need to be applied in a nasty situation. It may be that with a couple of passengers in on a long descent you just can't comfortably apply the pressure. I had a servo fitted to my second car because I wasn't happy with the force I had to apply. I actually got cramp in my calf halfway down a long hill in North Yorkshire once and had to throw it into neutral and use my left foot!

In such a situation a servo does in fact make the brakes far more effective!!

Post by **Cam** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 2:06 pm

In such a situation a servo does in fact make the brakes far more effective!!

Ha ha!

yes indeed it does! But I have had no problems and have managed to lock all 4 wheels up before now so the pressure is OK!! But I have not tried the long descent yet!

Post by **iwant1** » Tue Feb 24, 2004 10:36 pm

im stuck yet again with my marina disc conversion kit, i cannot seem to get the braided new pipe to fit the old minor pipe on the drivers side. Its the pipe that has a big nut on it, and is on the braket which is welded to the inner wing. I know the new ones good and the threads are fine, it just wont go on far enough to start threading it on

Post by **iwant1** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 9:10 pm

no worries, all sorted except for excess play on the passenger wheel, although i think that its too much play to be just the bearing. Any ideas?

Post by **Cam** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:46 pm

Just out of interest what was the problem with the hose??

Also if you have fitted new hubs with taper-roller bearings (different from the original ball-bearing types), then they should have a SLIGHT amount of play in them.

I was advised about this by the Minor Centre in Birmingham and also JLH. I also heard a horror story about a woman who had the conversion done by a garage then later on MOT'd the car and the garage tightened the bearings too much which wore them out in no-time and they collapsed!

If they are the original type then there sould be NO play at all and should be torqued up according to the manual. If they are replacement bearings are they the correct size?? or there might be wear in the stub axle?? Try swapping the hubs over (drivers to passengers) and see if the play moves wheel or stays. This should identify the cause.

Post by **iwant1** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 9:47 pm

Hmm, i realise that there should be some play, but i thought it was just too much, they are off a scrapped marina by the way! Yeah, the problem with the hose is fixed bnow, its just that they were all really trickey to thread on, every hose, i think they were dirty though, after cross threading two new hoses i finally learnt my lessoin and took more time over them!

Post by **Kevin** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 9:20 am

i think they were dirty though, after cross threading two new hoses i finally learnt my lessoin and took more time over them!

I assume you mean the old threads, did they not have anything on them when you took it apart, but still at least you learnt that you should really clean old components properly before trying to reconnect them.

Post by **iwant1** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 5:43 pm

Yep sure did! i have another problem though, here goes
The master cylinder has a slow leak, i assume that if the leaky part was under pressure then it would (excuse the language) p*** out quite fiercely and it doesnt when i push the pedal. Does this mean that the leak is coming out of the chamber somewhere rather than where the line connects? Like on the big plug where the new pipe has been fitted for the disc kit? very confused now! Cheers guys, also would i be able to fit a different master cylinder, as i dont fancy spending 70 quid on a new one grrrr. Or does anyone have a spare with good seals?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:27 pm

iwant1,
The master cylinder is prone to corrode in the area around the secondary seal home position. If that's the case, then you'll be wasting your time with a seal kit.

The MC is only £42 plus VAT from Bull Motif (That's a heck of a lot less than people pay on the average classic car).

There is some rule of thumb to check a leaking secondary seal - if you look in the reservoir when you press the brake pedal, it normally sends a spurt of fluid up (make sure it is filled otherwise it can spit fluid a long way and you dont want it in your eye!!!). If there is a little bubble of air when you press the pedal from home position then it's a leaky secondary seal.

Post by **iwant1** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 7:40 pm

Hmm, well i think it must be that seal, is the secondary one you mentioned the one where the plug is normally on the back of the master cylinder? i want to try and get a rubber washer for there, as new seals are already in throughout the master cylinder. Other than there obviously. I really wanted to know if it was that seal for sure, i thought that if it was an internal seal then it would be really easy to see fluid leaking out when pressurized. Its only a slow leak which lead to the thought of it being the big cardboard like washer on the plug.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 8:04 pm

the one where the plug is normally on the back of the master cylinder?

No the secondary is the one on the plunger nearest the brake pedal.
Did you replace the copper washer on the plug when you fitted the remote reservoir plug? If not, did you soften the washer (normally stated in the instructions)?

Anyway - if you follow the instructions above and see the bubble, it's a leaky secondary anyway - not the plug. Did you see any corrosion in the main bore of the M/C when it was in bits?

Post by **Kevin** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 2:01 pm

Also remember that the cup washer should be removed or at least have a hole drilled in it (depends who you speak to) as it will hold the pressure constantly on the pads instead of releasing it, as is needed with discs.