).
I'm might even drive the car around a bit this spring. I want to pull all the brake cylinders down first and clean/check them. as the two front are full of rust when you peel the boots back (even though they work fine).
Shane good to hear that progress is made, each problem, poor previous work, is nailed one by one.
Some things do not change, I recall doing all that on my big 15 back in the 60s when I was just a green apprentice, and finding similar things that would not adjust/had chiseled lock nuts, butchered parts etc etc. I was lucky to come across an "old" guy (say 30 ) Sid, that gave me some parts and advice. So I got it back into some sort of usable shape as a daily driver. A very cool car to drive around in and at the car club. So people were stuffing them up even back in those days.
My advice on the brake cylinders is to pack them with brake grease putting them together and pack under the boots also to help prevent the moisture getting in and rusting them. As full as you can get. Brake grease is available every where now and not expensive.
Good luck jaahn
Hi Shane
Sid the guy who helped me back then had been a Citroen mechanic and probably loaned me some tools, as he had built himself a pristine LT15 with a D motor. He moved to England afterwards for some years and shipped his beloved LT15 there too.
The moisture does come out of the air and indeed that shit hygroscopic brake fluid sucks it in anywhere it can, There is a Standard for flexibile hoses that covers that subject as they let it through. The wheel cylinders do allow it in past the rubbers and the gap as well as the master cylinder. That is why you should use silicon fluid and rubber grease on all the cylinders . Beats me why they continue to use standard brake fluid at all.
Jaahn
PS I had never heard or seen rubber grease till the R8 came out and i worked on them a bit. Reading the manuals they referred to special rubber grease which was recommended to use on the disc calipers when assembling them. Gees new idea and only the Renault dealers had it. Castor oil based then but it was good stuff. I have kept some since then for all brake assembly work disc or drum. I did the Traction wheel cylinders when we recod it as they were rusting from new.
So have I installed old vehicles but not recommended with boosters or ABS systems. Assembling pistons etc. use rubber grease. Those assembling with DOT other than 5 brake fluids can have corroded pistons before ever driving! If brake fluid is outside the closed system air will get to parts & corrode.
Where on earth have they come from?? (now I think about it, I reckon my father grabbed some arms "jonf" on here years ago.
They are the same!
" anti-rollbars .... its just insanely soft ... the seats are utterly fabulous and they cocoon around you like a big soft cushion. The clutch travel is about 1/2 inch as I let it out and we float up the drive ....... Oh yeah. now I get it big time.
I've been using silicone brake fluid now for a good 30 years on my two Renaults. As long as you don't aerate it when filling up, it is fantastic. I pulled my 4CV brakes apart (for an upgrade) and after 25 years everything was like new. Trouble is, standard brake fluid is hygroscopic so the moisture is absorbed right at the wheel cylinder seals. You can flush them all you like every couple of years, but the moist fluid is not shifted right at the seal, so the rusting continues. At least that's what I think and the condition of my cylinders after 25 years of use seems to bear this out. I guess LHM would be just the same, as 2CVs suggest!Realistically these cars are just here so in 10years time I have something to play with. There is just so much going on right now, there is barely any time for general maintenance on the cars we actually drive
How on earth did you get one apart without all the special tools to repair it ??
I'm thinking the moisture comes out of the air into the vented master cylinder? From here it drops to the lowest point which is the wheel cylinders. They were all lined with stainless steel years ago when my father first re-did it (it hasn't been driven since) and always stored in a dry garage. So I was thinking it wouldn't be the cylinders themselves sucking in the moisture ?? (not sure).
What my preference would be is to convert every cars braking system to LHM ..... you will then never have an issue again. The parts wouldn't exist to do this on a traction though.