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MG MG Y Type - Brakes

YB pulling to right under braking. Advice appreciated.
E Winters

4 classic guesses:

-left front wheel cylinder piston(s) stuck
-lubricant leak inside left front drum
-left front brake fluid rubber hose clogged or pinched
-left front shoe adjuster too slack or right front shoe adjuster too tight

Would these answers qualify me to win something?
Gilles Bachand

YB pulling to right under braking. Advice appreciated

Dont brake unless you want to turn right?

Slightly more seriously though hard to say until you strip the front brakes down (drums off at least)and see if, when you press the pedal do the left shoes (both cylinders on a YB with twin leading shoe) expand and contract, and see what condition the brake pads are in, then do the same on the right hand side.

Were the hose clogged or pinched you would get hydraulic lock where the brake would come on and not go off and the heat build up would/could then boil the brake fluid and you would lose all braking efficiency, so I dont think it is likely to be that.

It could be as simple though as your brakes need adjusting too.

Paul
Paul Barrow

This is a common problem - one I have had a number of times with my YB. It is often caused by not using the car over the winter. What happens is one or more of the four (2 each side) brake cylinders sieze (as they are aluminium and this corrodes) with exposure to water in the atmosphere and also as it builds up in the brake fluid (which is hygroscopic) - the only answer is to remove the front brake drums (preferably with a puller) and remove the brake cylinders and (if possible) take them apart, fit new seals and replace them. It sometimes happens that one or more of the cylinders has siezed solid; so you will have to replace these. I have just done this on my YB. I aways have 2 spare cylinders to hand for such an eventuality. Siezed cylinders might (just might) free themselves if you stand an old cylinder in thin oil for about a week or by pouring hot or boiling water on them but if sucessful you MUST replace the seals after cleaning them out and be careful of the plastic cap and the little spring [narrow end under the plastic cap]which fits under the seal.It's also a good idea to use the car if its laid up and even to back off the adjuster a bit so that the cylinders have some 'travel' [not too much] when the brakes are applied. Whilst you have the front drums off clean out the backplate and tidy up the whole assembly. NB. If you have asbestos linings wear a dust mask and think about using non asbestos linings as asbestos dust is a killer - believe me I know from my job at HSE.
D MULLEN

This thread was discussed between 03/05/2011 and 04/05/2011

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