When I bleed the system, I just sit the cap loosely over its hole to keep out any dirt from my feet as I pump. It's important not to have the fluid level in the master cylinder too high, or it may overflow during the pumping.
Here's a funny.....the Polish for 'pump' is 'pompa'. When I asked my partner Katie to help me bleed the brakes, I went through the instructions. When I say 'pump' just...etc etc.
Anyway, me being me, when it came to it I was shouting "pompa pompa pompa!" very quickly to give her the signal, in what I thought was a humorous voice.
After four 'pumps', she appealed for a rest. I asked why. She replied that she couldn't keep up. Keep up with what, I asked.
All this 'pompa pompa pompa', she said.
She had been trying to pump at the same speed as my instruction!
Replacing NS Rear Wheel Cylinder
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I'd say it's about 1mm in diameter at the most. Well done with the chisel, and thanks for the gold star - I was eleven when I got my last one!
Chisel theory is a very interesting subject - many different kinds, for different applications. There is a chisel specially designed for breaking spot welds, for instance.
Old ones are better than new ones generally. Remember to grind the hitting end smooth when bits of metal start splaying out from it - the 'mushroom' effect - as these can fly off under impact and do you some VERY serious damage!
Keep your mouth closed and teeth covered by the lips when chiselling - damaged lips usually heal, damaged teeth never do! Eye protection a must, also.
Chisel theory is a very interesting subject - many different kinds, for different applications. There is a chisel specially designed for breaking spot welds, for instance.
Old ones are better than new ones generally. Remember to grind the hitting end smooth when bits of metal start splaying out from it - the 'mushroom' effect - as these can fly off under impact and do you some VERY serious damage!
Keep your mouth closed and teeth covered by the lips when chiselling - damaged lips usually heal, damaged teeth never do! Eye protection a must, also.
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xpress
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I was a bit embarrassed because I have put a flathead hole in the cap the width of my little fingernail, I didn't really understand that the filler cap was this big round disc with the nut on the top of it! As Homer says, "Doh!"
I picked up these chisels with wodden ends that have been wacked into a flat shape and a wooden mallet! I can see how handy it is to turn in and out bits and pieces with them now!
Can I still get on with the job and bleed the air from the system and have functioning brakes with this interesting filler cap while I find another cap?
Last thing is, where can I get a new filler cap? :S
I picked up these chisels with wodden ends that have been wacked into a flat shape and a wooden mallet! I can see how handy it is to turn in and out bits and pieces with them now!
Can I still get on with the job and bleed the air from the system and have functioning brakes with this interesting filler cap while I find another cap?
Last thing is, where can I get a new filler cap? :S
They sound like wood chisels - engineering chisels do not have wood on them, as a rule. Files may have wooden handles. Check car boots and your local recycling centre, if you have one, for good old British chisels, and start a collection!
Bmcecosse pointed out earlier that you can just cover the master cylinder with a (clean) rubber floor mat, or the like, and carry on. Just be sure no dirt gets into the master cylinder.
No need to feel embarrassed - I can understand how you thought the hexagon on the cap was the filler plug.
Oh, the joys of coasting along the learning curve. Mental surfing, perhaps?
Bmcecosse pointed out earlier that you can just cover the master cylinder with a (clean) rubber floor mat, or the like, and carry on. Just be sure no dirt gets into the master cylinder.
No need to feel embarrassed - I can understand how you thought the hexagon on the cap was the filler plug.
Oh, the joys of coasting along the learning curve. Mental surfing, perhaps?
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xpress
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Thank you Mick I have chiselled my name with a love heart onto a passing tree .. 
I see what you are saying about engineers chisels!
Well the filler cap seems to be not too easy to get, I am going to carry on as advised and replace this wheel cylinder and probably do the other rear one shortly afterwards!
I was going to ask before I start about this grease I found, behind the brake drum, presumably axle grease, I looked on the drum and this grease is on the face of it that meets the plate that sits flush to the drum. this grease doesn't seem to be going into the area that the brake linings touch but just on the perimeter of it. is this normal, or should it be bone dry? or is a bit of grease there ok?
cheers for your help, it is most appreciated!
I see what you are saying about engineers chisels!Well the filler cap seems to be not too easy to get, I am going to carry on as advised and replace this wheel cylinder and probably do the other rear one shortly afterwards!
I was going to ask before I start about this grease I found, behind the brake drum, presumably axle grease, I looked on the drum and this grease is on the face of it that meets the plate that sits flush to the drum. this grease doesn't seem to be going into the area that the brake linings touch but just on the perimeter of it. is this normal, or should it be bone dry? or is a bit of grease there ok?
cheers for your help, it is most appreciated!
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xpress
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I have just popped in from outside, I managed to get the split pin off and the clevis pin, there's the spring clips, do they need to be removed?
i can lever the brake shoes out of the way of the cylinder, with two pairs of hands can i leave the spring clips in and the springs and the shoes and wiggle the cylinder out? if not, how do i remove the spring clips? with a flathead screwdriver? do i wiggle them out?
I am on the brake pipe union at the moment. I have backed off the small bolt.
for future reference for people doing this, you undo the small brake pipe union bolt with a clockwise movement.
"If the gods are smiling on you and the pipe doesn't twist when you start to undo it then I just run it back far enough to Allow the big fitting to turn then undo that".
now the question is, how many quarter turns do i need to get on this small pipe fitting before i can turn this bigger fitting? because just after slacking the small bolt, i cannot move this bigger bolt, but the whole thing has loosened up because the part with the bleed nipple can be moved around. so there you go, i am out there right now, i will pop back in and see if anyone has written, i am going to stay out here even until midnight in the dark with a torch to get this job finished tonight! i am just wary of backing off this small bolt too far ..
.. does the bigger bolt undo the same direction as the small bolt and should it undo just after slackening off the small one or do you have to turn this small one out a few times and if so how many usually, should you see a thread coming out of it?
thanks for your help!
i can lever the brake shoes out of the way of the cylinder, with two pairs of hands can i leave the spring clips in and the springs and the shoes and wiggle the cylinder out? if not, how do i remove the spring clips? with a flathead screwdriver? do i wiggle them out?
I am on the brake pipe union at the moment. I have backed off the small bolt.
for future reference for people doing this, you undo the small brake pipe union bolt with a clockwise movement.
"If the gods are smiling on you and the pipe doesn't twist when you start to undo it then I just run it back far enough to Allow the big fitting to turn then undo that".
now the question is, how many quarter turns do i need to get on this small pipe fitting before i can turn this bigger fitting? because just after slacking the small bolt, i cannot move this bigger bolt, but the whole thing has loosened up because the part with the bleed nipple can be moved around. so there you go, i am out there right now, i will pop back in and see if anyone has written, i am going to stay out here even until midnight in the dark with a torch to get this job finished tonight! i am just wary of backing off this small bolt too far ..
.. does the bigger bolt undo the same direction as the small bolt and should it undo just after slackening off the small one or do you have to turn this small one out a few times and if so how many usually, should you see a thread coming out of it?
thanks for your help!
I think you could just turn one, then the other - the small union first. The the big one will be going back on to the little one with each turn.
I think you're doing this to make it easier to get back in later, but you can separate them now, and for reassembly screw the small union into the big one all the way, then back off two or three turns, and then put the big one through the banjo with the copper washer and into the cylinder. Turn them alternately, until the big one stops, then nip that up by itself, then nip the small union up as you hold the tightened big one with a spanner, so you set the torque correctly (or tightness, really) for it.
I think you're doing this to make it easier to get back in later, but you can separate them now, and for reassembly screw the small union into the big one all the way, then back off two or three turns, and then put the big one through the banjo with the copper washer and into the cylinder. Turn them alternately, until the big one stops, then nip that up by itself, then nip the small union up as you hold the tightened big one with a spanner, so you set the torque correctly (or tightness, really) for it.
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MarkyB
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Grip the spring clips with a pair of pliers then push and twist.
They come out easier than they go in.
One turn of the small fitting should be plenty.
Almost every bolt undoes in the same direction, including this one.
get a nice fitting spanner on it and give it a short sharp shock.
Don't work on it all night The brakes need to be right.
They come out easier than they go in.
One turn of the small fitting should be plenty.
Almost every bolt undoes in the same direction, including this one.
get a nice fitting spanner on it and give it a short sharp shock.
Don't work on it all night The brakes need to be right.
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MarkyB
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The gods are smiling on you but it isn't a nice friendly smile.
You brake pipes are very rough looking and need to be replaced.
A brake failure from a pinhole is much more shocking than you might think.
The brake pedal goes straight to the floor and you have NO brakes. If you pump them you just squirt brake fluid about.
You don't get to choose when this happens.
It is more than worth spending time and money to do this job right.
Then you enjoy yourself with the rest.
You brake pipes are very rough looking and need to be replaced.
A brake failure from a pinhole is much more shocking than you might think.
The brake pedal goes straight to the floor and you have NO brakes. If you pump them you just squirt brake fluid about.
You don't get to choose when this happens.
It is more than worth spending time and money to do this job right.
Then you enjoy yourself with the rest.
The 'spring clips' are more usually called 'bee-hives' - and very few Minors still have them in place! Works fine without them.
The little 'bolt' as you insist on calling it is the UNION - and it unscrews like nearly every other bolt/set-screw/union etc ANTI-clockwise - as you look at the head. In this case - you are looking at the end of the union - not the head - so it appears 'clockwise' to you, but it will confuse others to say it unscrews 'clockwise' - the convention is to look at the head and unscrew anti-clockwise.
I agree with others - no point rushing this - although for most it would be a 1 hour job max! And yes -your brake pipes look to be in urgent need of renewal!!
The little 'bolt' as you insist on calling it is the UNION - and it unscrews like nearly every other bolt/set-screw/union etc ANTI-clockwise - as you look at the head. In this case - you are looking at the end of the union - not the head - so it appears 'clockwise' to you, but it will confuse others to say it unscrews 'clockwise' - the convention is to look at the head and unscrew anti-clockwise.
I agree with others - no point rushing this - although for most it would be a 1 hour job max! And yes -your brake pipes look to be in urgent need of renewal!!
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xpress
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I do definitely heed your warnings about the condition of the brakes and I intend to sort this all out asap.
Hiya, I just read through your messages, many thanks to you all.
When I unscrewed this small union a few turns, i saw the brake pipe bend a bit, and I held it in place, i turned it a couple of turns but the big union turns with it as if they are stuck together or part of the same union. There's a bit of clearance either side of these unions and I tried to work in some penetrating fluid. I left it for tonight, I might get a neighbour of mine to take a look at this. How does this sound when you slacken off the small union and the big union turns with it, should you be able to turn the big union against it with two spanners after opening up the small union a few turns? The big union should spin on the open thread shouldn't it?
Is it normall practise for people to bend and twist these brake pipes as they are twisting this small union off, or should the brake pipe not twist and stay in place as the union bolt is taken off in the ideal setting?
Could anyone confirm if it sounds like these two unions are stuck together?
Hiya, I just read through your messages, many thanks to you all.
When I unscrewed this small union a few turns, i saw the brake pipe bend a bit, and I held it in place, i turned it a couple of turns but the big union turns with it as if they are stuck together or part of the same union. There's a bit of clearance either side of these unions and I tried to work in some penetrating fluid. I left it for tonight, I might get a neighbour of mine to take a look at this. How does this sound when you slacken off the small union and the big union turns with it, should you be able to turn the big union against it with two spanners after opening up the small union a few turns? The big union should spin on the open thread shouldn't it?
Is it normall practise for people to bend and twist these brake pipes as they are twisting this small union off, or should the brake pipe not twist and stay in place as the union bolt is taken off in the ideal setting?
Could anyone confirm if it sounds like these two unions are stuck together?
Yes, they are stuck together. They probably haven't been moved for a very long time.
Even if you got the pipe and everything off, there's no knowing what damage you may have done to it in the process. You may have further weakened a weak spot, which could possible hold for a while......but..........
Don't forget that as a motorist you have a responsibility for the safety of not only yourself but of other road users also.
Keep at it - the best way to learn.
I'm off to bed now...early start tomorrow.
Even if you got the pipe and everything off, there's no knowing what damage you may have done to it in the process. You may have further weakened a weak spot, which could possible hold for a while......but..........
Don't forget that as a motorist you have a responsibility for the safety of not only yourself but of other road users also.
Keep at it - the best way to learn.
I'm off to bed now...early start tomorrow.