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Triumph TR6 - Brake System Failure

I have been on the board a few months since purchasing a 1971 TR6. I have found the board to be entertaining and educational.

I went to take the TR out for a mid winter spin. When I started the car The Brake System Failure light came on and stayed on. Sure enough I had no brakes. There was fluid in the M/C. I cleaned the area where the M/C mounted on to the servo. When I pumped the brakes there was a leak between the 2. I am all new to the TR repair business and I planned on learning more of the mechanics as time wore on. Well the time is here. I removed the M/C but now am not sure if it is the culprit or perhaps the Servo.

Just before I put her away for the winter I had noticed a little amount of fluid running into the footwell. Is this an indicator of one of these areas as being bad or is that an entirely different problem I don't yet know about?

Any quick ways to determine this?

Thanks for any help

Don
Don B

Don Its the M/C just buy a new one, I went through the same symptoms and rebuilt my old one but It was too corroded and ended up buying a new one off eBay for $180 It is one of those things that you cant mess around with, Just do It and forget about It for the next 20 years!
Clive

It's at least worth a look to see how bad it is before just tossing it. Corrosion pits at the rear seal can be fixed with metallic epoxy, then honed smooth. If it's really pitted badly, though, toss it or get it resleaved.

Also - save yourself some grief and replace the o-rings in the PDWA while the system's open.

BB
Brent B

Don,
Yup agree the MC.
I tend to lean towards Clives' suggestion. Lets face it, it is 34 years old and they do corrode inside. By the time you have it re-sleaved which will include all new inner rubbers and pistons you may as well just put in a new one. We love to drive them but it is more important that they stop:)
Since you have it off you may as well drain the entire system..it probably needs it. Remove the "out" connections to the PDWA and take it off the frame. This is when you can replace the o-rings in it as Brent says. You might need air to blow out the shuttle. Open up one bleed nipple at a time and with air or the handy little MITI-VAC brake bleeder drain that line. Then do the other three. Look for black particles in the fluid as you drain. Maybe an indication of rubber failure in the four corners. I suggest you then (you can only do this with the MITI-VAC) pump new cheap fluid through the system to clean the lines out. Re-install the PDWA. Leave the plastic electrical connection off for now..you will see why. Pop on the new MC and fill it up. I recommend Castrol LMX Dot4. Do not use DOT 5 unless you know for sure it was/is a DOT 5 converted system. As you bleed, starting at back right, corner, make sure you continue to top up the MC. Then left rear. Then R front then L front. When you had the PDWA off and replaced the o-rings you saw that the shuttle moves back and forth within the brass housing. The V-groove in the shuttle needs to be recentered. Use a very small tipped screwdriver or what ever to go down the hole and center it so the v-groove is in the center. Replace the plastic electrical connection and be carefull not to over tighten. Top up the MC completely to the top. Go for a short drive and use the brakes. Check the MC fluid level. Should not have gone down.

And I must say this...ANOTHER '71. What is your commission number?

Have Fun Don
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Thanks to everyone for the input. I will go looking at ebay for a new one and avoid all the hassle.

Rick I am unfamiliar with the term "Commission Number"
Where might I find that number?

Thanks again
Don B

Don
TR6s have Commmission numbers...North American metal has serial numbers.
There is a black plate mounted on the"B" post of your driver side door. It is just below where the door locking latch is. This will tell you month/year built and the paint code number. The other place that your cars commission number is located is on a small metal tag pop rivited to the driver side window frame near the bottom of the frame.
Why I asked is simple. Go check out another current thread TR-6 PAINT. Add your number there.
Rick C
You might also want to check out the supporter of this BBS who advertises at the top of this page... LBCarC.
Rick Crawford

Don, if you have brake fluid in the footwell, it's also an indication that your clutch Master Cylinder may need a rebuild. Becuase of the angle it sits at, if the seal is gone, the fluid leaks into the footwell. Both my brake and clutch MC went at the same time. I've heard some say that while the Brake MC should be replaced, the clutch MC is easy to rebuild.
Mati Holland

This thread was discussed between 06/03/2005 and 13/03/2005

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