Sealing Healey clutch fitting on brake reservoiur

[climbingshuksan]

An old sealing repair to a 1963 Austin Healey brake/clutch reservoiur never held well. In re-working the reservoiur the original fitting lacked any rubber washer or any such washer(s) between the fitting and the tin can. On this reservoiur some kind of alloy type "washer" appears to be original. It's not a true washer in that it is fused to the clutch fitting. It no longer seals - likely due to changed shape from previous repairs. Best fix? A rubber washer? I've seen an image of a similar reservoiur apart. However, rather than this fitting - it has what looks like a normal thin style washer with some kind of rubber fused to it.

 

[John Turney]

One can get metal washers with "rubber" fused to it from a well-equipped hardware store. The metal washers have a mild cone shape so that the rubber is squished against the fitting shaft when tightened. The existing alloy washer should be removed if you think you can get an unthreaded section of the shaft to seal against. If the threads go all the way to the shoulder, the fused rubber waser might not seal well there. Also, I don't know how compatible the rubber is with brake fluid. You would probably have to find out by experiment.

 

[vette]

I'm afraid I don't have a good recommendation for you. Only wanted to report that I too had problems after my old reservour started to leak. I believe the original sealing washers were aluminum, but they may have been a coated copper. Mine became so distorted from overtighening that i tried to use copper which is used in older similar applications. for some reason just couldn't get it to seal. finally gave up an bought the 'Classic Gold' one from Moss. # 582-982. It is a much improved version and top fits and seals better than the original design as well.

 

[healeyblue]

Moss lists a copper washer for this application. Don't know if it has been tried or how well their washer seals it, but it could be worth a try. Part number 435-567.
https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=28905
Jim

 

[climbingshuksan]

Thanks greatly everyone. I'll look at the Moss Motor's copper washer option. As said by Healeyblue, it may be worth the try and fits with John Turney's suggestion. Potentially it could be something designed specifically to work. I'll get the metal washer off to see if the shaft is threaded all the way to the shoulder, but I think that is highly likely. However, if Moss designed the rubber-washer combo specifically for this purpose it may be designed to sqeeze into the threads forming a seal. Fingers crossed. I'd like to keep the original can if possible. I'll let you know the outcome.

 

[climbingshuksan]

Healeyblue - not an easy solution. Called Moss just to check the listing. The washer given in part number 435-567 is a flat copper washer without the sealing rubber. The next one down that is listed should have been the right part, but that one is no longer available. I might just try a copper sealing compression washer or some kind of very tight fitting fiber washer with JB weld added to help form a complete seal. There's got to be a solution other than replacing our 50-year old stuff.

Vince

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Healeyblue - not an easy solution. Called Moss just to check the listing. The washer given in part number 435-567 is a flat copper washer without the sealing rubber. The next one down that is listed should have been the right part, but that one is no longer available. I might just try a copper sealing compression washer or some kind of very tight fitting fiber washer with JB weld added to help form a complete seal. There's got to be a solution other than replacing our 50-year old stuff.

Vince

How about flat rubber washers or O rings?

 

[vette]

Vince, you probably have looked at the Moss Classic Gold replacement reservour, but notice that it is a good replication including the decals. I found that fibre & copper washers did not seal and any rubber would not withstand the brake fluid. (might hold up to silicone fluid if that was used). I think maybe the reason the copper washers didn't work is because they by necessity are trying to squeeze against the tin of the can instead of a harder surface like a banjo fitting on a pump. The original washers weren't copper. Dave.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I just looked at an old reservoir off my BJ8 that AFAIK is the original part. The washers are on the outside fitting and appear to be aluminium.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I've never had any problem with these joints (brake and clutch) sealing, but it might come down to how you're going about tightening them.

With the soft (copper or aluminum, either should work) washer on the outside of the cleaned bottom of the can, and all hardware assembled in the proper sequence, securely hold the fitting stationary, and tighten the nut(s) from the inside. You have to do the brake fitting (with thicker washer) first, then assemble the clutch fitting, thinner washer and its isolation chamber.

The thicker washer goes on the brake fitting, and the thinner washer (plus isolation chamber) goes on the clutch fitting.

 

[Randy Forbes]

I just looked at an old reservoir off my BJ8 that AFAIK is the original part. The washers are on the outside fitting and appear to be aluminium.

This too is from a BJ8, and appear to be copper, so it could've been a matter of what was on hand at the time of assembly.

Pure speculation, but these reservoirs were likely supplied already assembled by Girling/Lockheed, and again, the choice of copper or aluminum could've come down to which bin was closest to the person putting them together.

A closer look (since this picture seemed to get "automatically deleted" from my previous post...):

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Moss lists the washer as copper as well. Who knows, mine might have been replaced but, as you say, either would do.

Wonder which is softer: copper or aluminium? Work-hardened/unannealed copper would probably be hardest, though this part isn't likely to get work-hardened (unless the reservoir was dis/assembled a lot).

 

[climbingshuksan]

The original washers on my can are aluminum. As Randy said, his are copper. Perhaps the thickness of the copper is key - copper being more apt to conform to the tin can by more easily filling small voids, etc. We though a copper O ring might work as suggestd by Partick, but I'm going to try and replicate Randy's parts. We'll find a good fitting thin copper washer and give it a try. I'll remove the aluminum so as to give the copper a flatter surface to be pushed against when tightening.

 

[tenderle]

Check out Stat-O-Seals, an aluminum crush washer with a rubber o-ring bonded to the inside diameter. The 7/16" (AN-4) size fits the Triumph and Healey brake/clutch fluid reservoir adapters. I use two on each adapter; one on the inside under the nut, the other on the outside between the adapter hex and the bottom of the reservoir. They're available at Pegasus Auto Racing
(https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3245) and Summit Auto (https://www.summitracing.com/search?keyword=stat-o-seal).

Ted Enderle