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MG MGA - Help - Uprating MGA Brakes?

Hello everybody!

I am upgrading my 1600 Mk2 A (disc brakes) to a B 1800 engine, and so I want to uprate the brakes. I'm wondering what the benefits are of:

A) fitting a brake servo
B) converting the brake system to dual line (like on modern cars)
C) both A and B

I've seen some pretty affordable brake servo kits for single line brake systems (Moss, MGOC, etc), but I've not seen any for dual line.

Can anyone help?

Many thanks,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Grant,

Did you buy the moss or whoever adapters TMG30770

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/MossUK/SearchResults.aspx?Search=TMG30770&Category=

There a tad pricy at £118

I removed the Servo from one of my cars, as it took away all the feeling, plus I started racing.
Servo certainly reduce the effort on your leg, but don't make the car stop any better, plus they look really ugly under the engine bay.

I intend to try and fit the MGB dual line master to my Twin Cam, but only if I don't have to cut a hole in the firewall.
We had one fitted one to my bothers car MKII racer and they just cut a hold in the firewall. Then we converted the car from LHD to RHD and though better of cutting another hole.

There is no substitute for safety and these things are a major step forwards.

People in the past have fitted two single one's with a balance bar between them. But I've never really heard anyone say.
"Buy this one" have it machined out to size x and you won't need to cut a hole in the firewall.

Maybe someone else knows a suitable model.

Cheers <MARK>

Mark Hester

Mark,

Twin cam?! Jealous! ;-)

Cheers for that. No I've not bought the Moss or other servo kit yet (prices I've seen range from £130-180). I'm still trying to decide if it's worth going for the dual system or just stick with single line brakes and go for the single system servo (as this is easier to get hold of).

Cheers,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Grant

You'll be even more Jealous when you here that I got it for £3000 in 2002 off eBay...
£8000 later it still looks like a dog, but good fun though.
If you go MGB brakes, you can use MGB V8 or SD1 rover pads... this is the major advantage and this cost is about £5 more.

My brother's MKII has willwood callipers and ventilated disc's, but I'm sure your not ready for that.

Shop around I'm sure you can get those adapters cheaper somewhere else and MGB callipers or Triumph 2000 I think which use 5mm or so thicker disc's are better still... I have those on my MGB GT.

Front callipers are £10 each from here.
http://www.mgbreakers.com/MGB.html#Brakes

You have to mate the inner Triumph to the outer MGB to get MGB GT V8...

But V8 pads fit standard MGB callipers...

All make sense ?

<MARK>
The fleet
http://freespace.virgin.net/marka.hester/
Mark Hester

Grant

I upgraded my 1500 front drum brakes to discs about a year after I did an 1800 engine/5-speed box conversion.

My comments are that you drive your car according to its stopping capability. The 1500 drum brakes stopped me perfectly ok and the disc brakes stop me perfectly ok. The only difference is my judgement on distances when lifting off and braking.

FWIW I would say that you will have no problem with your stopping capability in its current configuration.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Grant

Stafford Vehicle Components (www.s-v-c.co.uk) have an interesting but pricey piece of kit. It is a dual remote servo and it might solve the problem for you. I have no idea if you could find a place to fit it in the car or if the master cylinder bore sizes are suitable. It takes the single feed from your existing master cylinder, so is not completely dual, and then the servo provides two independent outputs.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

I used a servo bought from Brit Vic. and buried it in the right front fender so you can not see it. It makes braking easier but not necessary better I have a 1800 with 5 speed and disc brakes. Works great!!!
JEFF BECKER

Cambridge Motorsport (www.cambridgemotorsport.com) do a modified dual line MGB master cylinder. I do not know whether it can be fitted to a MGA but it looks like it is longer than the existing MGA master cylinder and you may have to penetrate the bulkhead to fit it.

Alternatively you can do what I have done which is to remove the dual master cylinder and install 2 separate master cylinders (one for the clutch and one for the brakes) with a remote reservoir with a level sensor. Not as good as a dual line system (if you have a major failure of a line) but at least it tells you if you have a fluid leak. Of course you have to fabricate a bracket to take the master cylinders and the remote reservoir but that is not a problem if you can weld.

Rod
R J Myers

this might be a way to a dual liner system:

http://www.autovintagery.com/images/av6.jpg

all stuff easy to get...

Siggi
Siggi

Hi, I agree with Steve, "If it aint broke, why fix it".
The 1600 disc brakes work just fine if set up correctly and the 1800 engine is not that much more powerful than the 1600 Mk11. A servo just gives the softer pedal of modern cars and if you wanted that you would have bought a Mazda MX5 anyway! Cheers Cam
C Cunningham

Cheers guys,

very interesting. I think I'll give it a go with the standard brakes (maybe some uprated pads), and see how it goes.

Many thanks,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Hi Grant

I modded my brake's using the mgb caliper adaptors but I've used Princess 4 pots instead along with a 2:1 servo. You can't be that far away from me, I live near Cheddar, you're welcome to see my setup. Be careful with upgraded pads, I bought some that were to hard for road use. Adding a servo is a good starting point with standard brakes.

Regards

Terry
Terry Drinkwater

Terry,

You're right I'm not far away and I often pop down to to Cheddar for some of the scrumpy they sell in the gorge. If I could have a look at your setup, that'd be great. 4-pots? I've heard rumours about Princess callipers, but never seen them fitted before.

Please e-mail with contact details.

Many thanks,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

If you see an immaculate black MGA being driven at breakneck speeds around Lancashire watch out!!.....
It is Cam Cunningham.Apparently he can't fix his brakes, but he has made his horn louder!!
See u at the AGM Thursday!
Robert Collier

I would be interested in seeing how the princess 4 pot calipers fit.
If you could take some photo's and email me that would be great...

Are they still easy to get these calipers.
What about pads, do they use MGB pads ?

Do they still use the same mounting holes and offset?
What about disc's, did you change them also ?

We've used Willwood 4 pot on this car, which is off the road at the moment.
http://freespace.virgin.net/marka.hester/MKII_April2005.jpg

Cheers <MARK>
Mark Hester

Triumph Rover Spares TRS in Adelaide sell a kit for 4 pot calipers and ventilated rotors that I installed into my A that is fitted with a B front end.

It all fitted with just and additional wheel spacer.

The kit included pads etc. for about A$ 1,100.

Car stops well. Watch to front / rear bias.

Regards ..... Ross.
R Warner

Grant: would that Scrumpy be the same as Non Alcoholic Scrumpy they served at Bisley?
Sandy Sanders
Hudson Florida
Sandy Sanders

I brought this up on the MGB board. This was meant to work on the later MGB axle, but if would also fit the early axle it would mean a rear disc upgrade for the MGA too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MGB-MG-GT-rear-disc-brake-conversion-rotor-caliper_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34199QQitemZ4606720968QQrdZ1

It looks interesting, but I just don't know what the quality would be like.
Mark

This thread was discussed between 06/01/2006 and 28/01/2006

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