Brake master cylinder advice.

[travellinbob]

Hey all, i am in the middle of a rotary conversion to my morris minor and am adapting a fiat uno pedal box to suit the car. So after cutting the pedals off and re-bending and welding them so that they fit around the steering column the next problem I have is the brake fluid resovoir that sits on top of the brake master cylinder at the end of the booster.( follow? think i am confusing myself here )
 Anyway. The way that I have installed it onto the firewall is on more of an angle. before it was only on someting like a 15 degree angle to the horizontal wheras now it is more like 25 degrees. So the fluid res is at too great an angle to be used. Can I fit remote resovoirs to the standard unit? And will the fact it is on a greater angle worry it at all.

 second question, (sorry but yes there is more :2Rolleyes ) the brake master cylinder has 3 outlets but has the posibility to have 4 as one is blank. But I reckon I could drill and tap it out. My brakes are fd calipers on the front and Mk2 escort drums on the back. I know that they will not be too well balanced so might look at fitting a balance bar. Should I bother drilling out the 4th hole?
 I could just have 2 out of the 3 hole going to the front calipers and one going to the rear and having a \'t\'  junction at the diff. Anyone know what might be better.
 hope I made myself clearish.
 cheers, michael.

[kev-yorks]

If going remote cylinder Michael don\'t forget it needs to be above the level of the cylinder. If there\'s any commercial brakers near you the old leyland remote res is a good size one. If you get stuck i should be able to locate one locally.
Kevin

[MikeLMR]

I\'m re-plumbing the rally car at the moment, its got a 3 outlet master cylinder too, I\'ve gone for using the two outlets for the front brakes and a single line to the rears with an aftermarket bias valve inline (and a hydraulic handbrake ... but thats and optional extra) on the rears and a T near the back end to split to the rears. I guess the moggy will have the escort style single flexi with a T on the axle?

Getting the bias right is the tricky bit I think ... not sure how mine will turn out as its the first time i\'ve played to this extent with brakes. (hence keeping it simple and using new tried and tested parts)

[clive]

Hi Michael.


Good to hear your getting on with your project.

I personally wouldn\'t think about drilling holes in the master but would think about looking at the comparison between the bore size of the unit you have compared to an FD.

Also just incase you are not aware to fit a bias brake bar you will need two master cylinders and then the balance bar adjusts the amount of push each bar has in each cylinder to give either more effort going to either the front or rear cylinder, apologises if you knew this.

Can you pack the pedal box with a spacer to bring your cylinder back level because you run the risk of an air lock in the cylinder at the angle you describe as you should always try and keep your master cylinder level, as Kevin suggests a Leyland / Daf lorry or similar should yield up a cheap reservoir and remember you only need a push fit rubber fitting to adapt your reservoir as its not under pressure only gravity.

Lastly if they are 9 inch Ford drums I think you will be surprised at the amount of braking these will give and because the moggie is such short wheel base I think you may have to fit an hydraulic bias valve in the rear line to limit the braking effort on the rear as you may find its unstable under braking with the back wandering around.

Sorry if you knew all of the above and I will get me coat.

[travellinbob]

Wow guys, once again you all come through. Ok, firslty Clive, no I didnt know even half of the above stuff you have said. I kinda did but as others will  know to put theory into practice is always alot more difficult.  I have seen remote resovoirs from rally design and the like that you can mount higher than the cylinder with plastic lines going into the cylinder. Think I might try to do this.
 Just to check....if the cylinder itself is on more of a steep angle than standard this is ok as long as I can get fluid into it and no air bubbles? yes. (hope so).

 I dont have twin cylinders but am figuring that if need be to get the set up right I will be able to get something to suit by brake booster.
  cheers all, think I have almost got it sussed.

 Kev, thanks again for offering to help out above and beyond!