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How much brake fluid?!?

Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
Hi everyone! I finished rebuilding my brakes and installing a replacement master cylinder. The system was completely dry when I started from the previous owner. I've used more than a half of a 32 oz container of brake fluid (maybe close to 3/4) and still not seeing any at the front left bleeder. hi tried searching and can't locate what an estimated capacity is on the full stock brake system on a SV. Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm going to wait for some feedback before I continue.
 
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
It also has fluid going out of the master cylinder reservoir even with all four corner bleeders shut...
 
Jimjordan2

Jimjordan2

Donation Time
Well, it certainly shouldn't take that much. But you say the fluid is going out of the master cylinder reservoir, it has to be leaking to something. Nothing showing up on the ground? Do you have a booster? It could be going into the booster. Just my thoughts. May be a leaking booster.
 
sunalp

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
Take your booster out and shake it. There's probably a bunch of fluid in there ! I have a customer that complained of
a fluid leak and yet there was no puddle on the ground. He would top up the master every spring and by the next spring
all the fluid was out of the master! His was almost completely full of fluid! Girling boosters are known to do this.

Hope this helps,
Cheers!
Steve
 
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
@sunalp you are 100% correct and I was one step ahead of you, while I was waited ng I decided to take the servo off... the minute I started undoing connections brake fluid came flowing out of all connections. My concer, now, is it looks like some brake fluid went out to the tube to the intake. What harm is that going to do?
 
Last edited:
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
So I need to buy a repair kit (or a rebuilt one) and it looks like I should have a MK2B based on chassis number, but it looks like the MK2A is what I have. How can I confirm?
 
sunalp

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
To be honest, I wouldn't bother with the Girling servo. They are expensive to have rebuilt correctly
and don't seem to last all that long when they are. They tend to be problematic. I'd recommend either
getting the Lockheed servo, used to be from Victoria British but probably Moss now, or refitting a different
diameter brake Master. The Series V uses a 7/8ths master in conjunction with the booster. Without the
booster the brakes take a lot of effort. The earlier cars used a 3/4 inch master with no booster. So actually have 3
choices, new booster, different master or harder brakes. By the way Girling boosters were either 5" or 7".
I believe the earlier boosted cars used a 5" and the later cars used the 7".

Cheers!
Steve
 
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
Thanks @sunalp that is much appreciated info. Just out of curiosity, does the Lockheed servo match the same mounting points as the original Girling?
 
sunalp

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
No. You can mount it in the stock location but you have to get inventive with the bracketry
needed to mount it. It's not really hard to do. I have a car in the shop that I mounted one in.
I'll take a few pictures and post later today.
 
sunalp

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
Here are a few shots of the Lockheed booster in a Series V. I mounted the front band to the mount where the
Girling was mounted previously. I used the small bracket that came with the servo and bent it until it worked
as you can see in the pictures. I made a piece of flat stock with holes drilled in it to meet up with the two nuts on
the front of the booster and bent the bottom flat to make an L shape and drilled and bolted that to the body.
It doesn't move at all.
Cheers!
Steve

IMG_1564.JPG IMG_1565.JPG IMG_1567.JPG
 
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
Thanks again Steve!

Sooooo..... Long story short, my girling is shot in the sense that the leather gasket is completely shredded and dried up. So I either have to send it to Harmon Brakes for a full rebuild and sleeving, or a order of Lockheed from SS, but Rick says he's currently on back order for Lockheed, or lastly I convert back to the previous generations smaller master cylinder unassisted.

That being said, has anyone on here converted their S5 back to a 0.70" master with no booster? How well does it work/brake?

I'd like to eventually have the girling servo rebuilt but I don't want to Shell out over $500 at the moment.

Thanks,

Stephen
 
Last edited:
sunalp

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
Stephen,

You'd probably want to use a 3/4 bore with no booster. I put one on a car that had a shot booster
and it worked well. The brakes do feel different with it, but the car stops!

As far as the Lockheed goes, try Curt at Classic Sunbeam. He may have them.

Cheers!
Steve
 
todd reid

todd reid

Gold Level Sponsor
I'm not a servo expert, but my understanding is that they are available with different ratios of force multiplication, so you might want to do some homework before choosing one (I see they have a similar unit with a different bore for essentially the same price). I also note that they are branded as "Powertune"- I don't know if that is good or bad. I bought a 5" Lockheed from Rick a few years back (for more than twice what Moss is charging). The Lockheed part # was LR17792 and the packaging indicated it was intended for forklifts, so you may be able to find one outside of the "traditional sources".

Good luck!

TR
 
F

Filister

Gold Level Sponsor
Steeman01:

I have series 5 front discs and rear drums on my 57 Rapier. I used the .7 master cylinder and no booster. The brakes work very well without a heavy foot and good brake pedal travel. So, I haven't compared them to a .75 cylinder but I am very happy with this combo . I believe the Rapier is just a bit heavier than the Alpine. Also, if any one is interested the Series 1 brake drums are heavily finned and will replace the alpine rear drums.
 
Steeman01

Steeman01

Donation Time
Thanks everyone for you input, lots of good stuff! Thinking I might go the .70 route for a immediate remedy (like @Filister) and in the long run, I think I want to pay for a refurb and sleeving on the stock girling. Not looking to do any long tours or heavy driving.

So that said, I assume I would just bend a new line from the M/C to the line splitter that they servo went to, right? Seems obvious, and simple, which makes me pause. Thanks again everyone!
 
T

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Steeman01 said:
So that said, I assume I would just bend a new line from the M/C to the line splitter that the servo went to, right? Seems obvious, and simple, which makes me pause.
Click to expand...
You can pretty much just re-bend the existing line to go to the tee, instead of to the booster. Bend carefully and you'll have no problem re-installing the booster later. You might even want to first try it with the stock MC, just to see how the pedal and stopping feels even before you swap in a different bore. Drive carefully, of course, until you have a feel for stopping. It will be noticeably different.
 
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