PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 4, 2009 I have a 205 Gentry. It was running perfectly - at least until last week - when I found the brake pedal needing a lot more travel to stop the vehicle. The brakes work, but the pressure requirement does tend to vary of late. I decided to have a proper investigation this morning. There don't appear to be any fluid leaks and there hasn't been any work done on the brakes in living memory to change the existing setup. I'm left with the impression that there is a faulty brake servo. When the engine is off, if I push the pedal as far as it can go it it eventually makes what can only be described as a 'groaning' sound and, albeit with significant resistance, will allow me to push the pedal all the way down. This can also be achieved when the engine is switched on - albeit without the aforementioned 'groaning'. Would wiser heads than mine tend to agree with my amateur diagnosis? Does it sound mechanical, or might it be something that might merely require the replacement of some worn seals? I've tended to avoid any kind of experimentation with DIY braking over the years, so would greatly appreciate your imput! Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 4, 2009 8pm Update: They've died altogether now! Thank god for the handbrake!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben 0 Posted April 4, 2009 master cylinder i reckon mate, had pretty much the same thing happy to me in two previous cars! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 4, 2009 Thanks for the input; it's appreciated. What do you suggest? Do you think I ought to replace the Master Cylinder as a complete unit, or would it be worthwhile to look at replacing the seals, etc? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted April 5, 2009 I had that and changed the master cylinder which had died and did need replacing but the groaning was there with the new MC too. It turned out the nuts holding the pedal box in needed tightening along with the servo, the extra pedal effort needed when the MC failed revealed the loose pedal box which had probably been gradually loosening for a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted April 5, 2009 What do you suggest? Do you think I ought to replace the Master Cylinder as a complete unit, or would it be worthwhile to look at replacing the seals, etc? Just fit a new MC. But if the brake components are original don't be surprised if bleed nipples snap and brake lines/hoses are too deteriorated to reuse so you may end up buying a caliper or two and some hoses/lines as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 5, 2009 That all sounds like excellent advice. Thank you. Looks like I'll be busy today! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tom Fenton 1,526 Posted April 5, 2009 As above. If you haven't got any, invest in some brake spanners, these are a cross between an open ended and a ring spanner, to give you the best possible chance of getting stuf undone. Also make sure you've plenty of spray penetrating oil, I like Wurth Rost-off but anything you can get is better than nothing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 5, 2009 The Master Cylinder was surprisingly easy to fit, but it's unfortunately done nothing to alleviate the problem. I obviously topped up the brake fluid, and bled each of the brakes in sequence using a one-man kit from Halfrauds, but the brake pedal gives no resistance and very little brake fluid seems to actually emerge from the bleed screws - meaning that I'm no further forward than I was. Back to the drawing board. Haynes says new vacuum servo - which is expensive. Any ideas? Presumably the lack of pressure to the brake fluid will give a clue as to the problem? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackherer 543 Posted April 5, 2009 The one man kits vary considerably, which type do you have? A stubborn old brake system will probably need an assistant on the pedal, or more pressure in your spare tyre if you have an easy bleed type tool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 5, 2009 It's the one-way valve type. It's my first 'brake-bleed' (as I've always left my brakes to the pros in the past) so I'm open to any ideas that will save me the £130 that euro car parts are quoting for a new servo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 6, 2009 Right, I had another crack at this today and have made some progress, but have some way to go. I spent a good deal of time bleeding each brake and passed around 200ml of fluid through each wheel. That is, with the exception of one. The driver's side front wheel was bone dry and refused to pass water (forgive the pun) despite a good ten minutes of trying. Would this suggest that the brake caliper is at fault in some way? Is the fact that this wheel is nearest to the master cylinder related? The others seemed fine. I don't have my brakes 'back' again, but I do now have some limited stopping power. Would you say that this stubborn non-bleeding brake simply requires a bit more patience and more bleeding, or would you suggest another course of action? I look forward to your advice and thank you in advance for of your kind efforts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshpug 1,626 Posted April 6, 2009 check the condition and routing of the brake hose, also remove the bleed nipple fully and see if any fluid comes out (mind your eyes!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PUGPIRATE 0 Posted April 6, 2009 Mission accomplished! Looks like all it needed was a little patience. Am now back on the road! :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
