MG On Track! BlueOsprey, Season 2
05-11-2011, 11:40 AM
#52
Thread Starter
Ed Hyman has been posting pictures from the VSCCA Spring Sprints on his Facebook page. He has a few of me, but I'm hoping he caught something more exciting than what he has posted so far. Meanwhile, I found this picture of my car, driver by the builder, then owner, Chris Duerr at the 2008 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
Looks like Chris might have taken a hay bale out with the driver's side front clip.
Since I'm posting, I might as well report on my master cylinder. Since I don't really know what my problem is, and since I only have 3 weeks to fix it, I thought I'd get started.
So last night I dropped the car off the trailer and pulled it into the barn. (Fuel gauge reading again!) Then I started pulling the master cylinder. I had some 1/4" clear plastic tubing and I just gravity fed the brake fluid from the master cylinder into a glass jar. Then I disconnected the master cylinder ( 6 points) and removed. Took about 1 1/4 hours.
Then I proceeded to break down the master cylinder. First, I turned the master cylinder upside down over my glass jar to remove any fluid that I didn't get with the gravity feed. Some pretty sketchy fluid came out - not much, but seemed to be a thicker consistency and a slightly different color. Then I pulled the front plate and pulled out the piston assemblies. There was a lot of crud (rust??) on the brake side. The bore of the pistons looked good and felt smooth, but there were a lot of black particles in the fluid and at the bottom of the bore. There also seemed to be some more of these particles in a somewhat congealed mass near the outlet into the brake line. The clutch side was dirty, but nothing like the brake side. Then I took the cover off the reservoir and the bottom of the reservoir also had a lot of crud. To be honest, I was quite surprised (shocked you might say) to see the system so dirty. I can imagine how this material could get between the bore and the seal and maybe cause some fluid bypass. But even if this is not my problem, I'm glad I decided to take the master cylinder apart. I'm guessing I had a fair amount of water in brake side of the master cylinder (maybe not now, but at some point), so maybe that is my problem.
I thought the master cylinder was supposedly rebuilt. So this morning, I looked at the bore of the pistons again, and it appears that the bores have been sleeved. Measured the bore and ordered new rubber parts and gaskets. Will probably clean up the master cylinder tonight and paint exterior with clear coat.
Looks like Chris might have taken a hay bale out with the driver's side front clip.
Since I'm posting, I might as well report on my master cylinder. Since I don't really know what my problem is, and since I only have 3 weeks to fix it, I thought I'd get started.
So last night I dropped the car off the trailer and pulled it into the barn. (Fuel gauge reading again!) Then I started pulling the master cylinder. I had some 1/4" clear plastic tubing and I just gravity fed the brake fluid from the master cylinder into a glass jar. Then I disconnected the master cylinder ( 6 points) and removed. Took about 1 1/4 hours.
Then I proceeded to break down the master cylinder. First, I turned the master cylinder upside down over my glass jar to remove any fluid that I didn't get with the gravity feed. Some pretty sketchy fluid came out - not much, but seemed to be a thicker consistency and a slightly different color. Then I pulled the front plate and pulled out the piston assemblies. There was a lot of crud (rust??) on the brake side. The bore of the pistons looked good and felt smooth, but there were a lot of black particles in the fluid and at the bottom of the bore. There also seemed to be some more of these particles in a somewhat congealed mass near the outlet into the brake line. The clutch side was dirty, but nothing like the brake side. Then I took the cover off the reservoir and the bottom of the reservoir also had a lot of crud. To be honest, I was quite surprised (shocked you might say) to see the system so dirty. I can imagine how this material could get between the bore and the seal and maybe cause some fluid bypass. But even if this is not my problem, I'm glad I decided to take the master cylinder apart. I'm guessing I had a fair amount of water in brake side of the master cylinder (maybe not now, but at some point), so maybe that is my problem.
I thought the master cylinder was supposedly rebuilt. So this morning, I looked at the bore of the pistons again, and it appears that the bores have been sleeved. Measured the bore and ordered new rubber parts and gaskets. Will probably clean up the master cylinder tonight and paint exterior with clear coat.
05-11-2011, 12:10 PM
#53
Former Moderator
Good to hear you are taking care of the brakes early in the season Jeff. Should make for more exciting racing in the days to come 
The picture is nice. I need to check out Ed Hyman's page. Is he on your list of friends on Facebook?
The picture is nice. I need to check out Ed Hyman's page. Is he on your list of friends on Facebook?
05-18-2011, 05:30 AM
#54
Thread Starter
A few pictures taken by Ed Hyman from the Lime Rock event on May 7th and 8th.
This is me just starting to round Big Bend (Turn 1) taken from the outside of the track. The white structure is a stairway for a bridge that crosses the track. Portions of the infield are shown. The car corners fairly flat. Probably have slowed down to about 50 at this point and shifting down to 3rd.
I think this picture might be of me coming into Turn One (Big Bend). The signs would be at the begining of the straight, at the Downhill Turn. I might be wrong though.
Picture shows me about to turn into the Uphill at the end of No Name Straight. This had to be taken on my first run on Friday as the SuperTrap tip is still on the exhaust.
This is me just starting to round Big Bend (Turn 1) taken from the outside of the track. The white structure is a stairway for a bridge that crosses the track. Portions of the infield are shown. The car corners fairly flat. Probably have slowed down to about 50 at this point and shifting down to 3rd.
I think this picture might be of me coming into Turn One (Big Bend). The signs would be at the begining of the straight, at the Downhill Turn. I might be wrong though.
Picture shows me about to turn into the Uphill at the end of No Name Straight. This had to be taken on my first run on Friday as the SuperTrap tip is still on the exhaust.
05-27-2011, 12:15 PM
#58
Thread Starter
Last weekend.
The rebuild kit came in from Moss Motors so I rebuilt the Master Cylinder. The pistons, when installed, were very tight and after being depressed did not return freely to their “home” position. I though the brake and clutch line pressure would provide enough “back pressure” to overcome the resistance, so I installed the Master Cylinder back on the car. Before doing so however, I ran denatured alcohol through the system to try to purge the silicone brake fluid (DOT-5), and then blew what I could of the system with compressed air.
Well, once I was ready to run new brake fluid through the lines via the Master Cylinder, I had tremendous difficulty because the pistons were hanging up. Eventually, I gave up and pulled off the Master Cylinder, opened it up and removed the outermost seals on the pistons, i.e., the seals that fit over a collar on the outside end of the piston. My old seals for this looked in good shape so I reinstalled those. I neglected to measure the two seals, old and new, to compare their diameters, but I could see that the new seal was slightly bigger, and the flexible apron of the seal flared out more on the new seal than on the old. With the old seals installed, however, the pistons had free movement. So I put everything back together, added the brake fluid and ran a lot of fluid through the system until everything was coming out of the bleeder valves nice and clean. I probably ran about 3 pints of denatured alcohol through the system and maybe 3 pints of brake fluid before I was satisfied that I had cleaned the system of both the silicone fluid (DOT 5) and the denatured alcohol.
I have to admit that the fluid that came through the system looked dirty and generally unsuitable, but some of the discoloration may have been the purple color of the silicone fluid being picked up by the other fluids. In any event, the system now has DOT-4 brake fluid. I’m not sure that the brakes have any better feel. I have about 3 inches of play before the brakes are fully depressed and I wished they engaged higher up. I’ll be back at Lime Rock on June 3-4 and intend to find out, at speed, how they feel and whether they work.
Yesterday (Thursday):
I go out my back door to find a client in the barn looking over the car. He had decided to fabricate a head rest for me and was there to "fit me up". So he says "do you have spongy brakes?" And I say, "Why yes, I just finished replacing the fluid and rebuilding the master cylinder." He points to the line leading from the master cylinder to the 4 way connector and says "That should be a hard line." What I have is a braided stainless steel line that is about 60" long. He say's "that's ok at the wheels, but not up here because it's too flexible. Should be a steel line." He's a race car guy, not an MG guy. But I went home and looked through the parts catalogue and it appears he may be right! BTW, the headrest is pretty sweet! I may break my neck, but at least I won't get wiplash!
The rebuild kit came in from Moss Motors so I rebuilt the Master Cylinder. The pistons, when installed, were very tight and after being depressed did not return freely to their “home” position. I though the brake and clutch line pressure would provide enough “back pressure” to overcome the resistance, so I installed the Master Cylinder back on the car. Before doing so however, I ran denatured alcohol through the system to try to purge the silicone brake fluid (DOT-5), and then blew what I could of the system with compressed air.
Well, once I was ready to run new brake fluid through the lines via the Master Cylinder, I had tremendous difficulty because the pistons were hanging up. Eventually, I gave up and pulled off the Master Cylinder, opened it up and removed the outermost seals on the pistons, i.e., the seals that fit over a collar on the outside end of the piston. My old seals for this looked in good shape so I reinstalled those. I neglected to measure the two seals, old and new, to compare their diameters, but I could see that the new seal was slightly bigger, and the flexible apron of the seal flared out more on the new seal than on the old. With the old seals installed, however, the pistons had free movement. So I put everything back together, added the brake fluid and ran a lot of fluid through the system until everything was coming out of the bleeder valves nice and clean. I probably ran about 3 pints of denatured alcohol through the system and maybe 3 pints of brake fluid before I was satisfied that I had cleaned the system of both the silicone fluid (DOT 5) and the denatured alcohol.
I have to admit that the fluid that came through the system looked dirty and generally unsuitable, but some of the discoloration may have been the purple color of the silicone fluid being picked up by the other fluids. In any event, the system now has DOT-4 brake fluid. I’m not sure that the brakes have any better feel. I have about 3 inches of play before the brakes are fully depressed and I wished they engaged higher up. I’ll be back at Lime Rock on June 3-4 and intend to find out, at speed, how they feel and whether they work.
Yesterday (Thursday):
I go out my back door to find a client in the barn looking over the car. He had decided to fabricate a head rest for me and was there to "fit me up". So he says "do you have spongy brakes?" And I say, "Why yes, I just finished replacing the fluid and rebuilding the master cylinder." He points to the line leading from the master cylinder to the 4 way connector and says "That should be a hard line." What I have is a braided stainless steel line that is about 60" long. He say's "that's ok at the wheels, but not up here because it's too flexible. Should be a steel line." He's a race car guy, not an MG guy. But I went home and looked through the parts catalogue and it appears he may be right! BTW, the headrest is pretty sweet! I may break my neck, but at least I won't get wiplash!