Adrian Jones wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
> Went for a nice drive this afternoon. After about thirty miles I
> could smell
> something burning and the MG slowed time, despite me giving it more and
> more gas. As I got
> out, all this smoke wafted past me. I looked under the hood - nothing
> amiss. Looked in the boot for tools - none there. Looked under the hood,
> then looked in the boot again for tools - still none there.
> Well, I got back in to ponder the predictament.
> I stuck my foot on the brake pedal and it was stuck! It woudn't budge.
> Got out the car and, with the hand brake off and in neutral, I couldn't
> push it. So it looks like the brakes were not releasing (Jeez, and there
> was me giving it more and more gas - the abuse this car has seen) I felt
> the front and back hubs and neither was particularly hot. Got back in the
> car to think and the pedal had now some free play. Fired it up and drove
> back home, no problem.
> Anyway, yesterday I had put in a rebuilt brake master cylinder, adjusted
> the back brakes to take up slack and also took some slack out of the pedal
> movement by adjusting the "stoplight switch locking nut" Right now there
> is 3/4" of play before resistance is felt. Oh, confession time: I didn't
> bother "bench bleeding" the master cylinder.
> I'm sure this is a classic case of something, though I don't know what.
> (Apart from incompetence, of course) Tomorrow I"ll take off the wheels and
> look at the brakes but in the meantime has anybody got any suggestions.
> Thanks everybody.
> Adrian (Smoking everyone in his Midget)
Adrian-
I am probably the umpteenth person to respond with this but here goes
anyhoo.
Sounds like your rubber brake lines are deteriorating. The inner
portion of the hose absorbs fluid and swells. As you apply brake
pressure, the fluid is forced through the reduced passageway, but it
cannot return easily, thus causing the brakes to bind. Hence, after you
allowed the car to sit for few minutes, the brakes had enuf time to
release. New hoses, followed by a good system bleeding should remedy
the problem.
Regards,
Chris
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