• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Brake/clutch resevoid replaced do I have to bleed the system

Goldie

Senior Member
Country flag
Offline
I have replaced my reservoir. Do I need to bleed both systems.Lines remained attached to MC's. I use silicone dot 5.
 

Michael Oritt

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
No, not unless the fluid level in either system fell below that of the hydraulic cylinders.
 

vette

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
I agree with Michael. If the fluid was still in the lines between the MC and the reservoir then no air could get in. But having said that, if the fluid did by some chance get way down in the line near the MCs then there could be an air trap when you refill the reservoir. If the air is near the reservoir it will perculate out. If it got near the MCs it could get sucked into the MC there-by needing bleeding. This is very unlikely but possible. Pure physics.
 
OP
G

Goldie

Senior Member
Country flag
Offline
I lost very little fluid at the reservoir coupling. I never let the open end get below the MC and I asked the question because it seemed to me that air would not get to the MC. Also the reservoir is not under pressure. I will test drive to make sure.
 

Bob_Spidell

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
This is a 'maybe, maybe not' situation. I say bleed your brakes; there are enough things to keep us awake at night as it is.
 

vette

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
yep it's going to be a judgement call but I believe if you have good brakes after you swap the reservoirs and you take it for a ride and you still have good brakes, then you will always have the good brakes. I happen to have experienced this very situation in May of this year. I was checking my Healey over for the trip to the Smoky Mountains and I found the reservoir fittings leaking. Nothing I did would stop the leak so I bought a new reservoir. Popped it on, filled the can and when for a drive. Brakes worked perfectly. I drove it a few more times before I went to South Carolina. Down there I drove for 5 days and covered 1200 miles. Brakes still worked perfectly. Have been out many times since, including this evening for about 3 hours , have never yet bled the brakes. They work perfectly.
 
OP
G

Goldie

Senior Member
Country flag
Offline
I drove the car about 10 miles after replacing the reservoir with several stops along the way. Brakes and clutch were basically no different than before. My instinct was that if I kept the lines to the MC with fluid then the fluid would displace the little bit of air at the couplings. I will pay attention to how the brakes and clutch are working. I really don't want to deal with the slave cylinder at the tranny. I can deal with the brakes.
 

steveg

Yoda
Gold
Country flag
Offline
I drove the car about 10 miles after replacing the reservoir with several stops along the way. Brakes and clutch were basically no different than before. My instinct was that if I kept the lines to the MC with fluid then the fluid would displace the little bit of air at the couplings. I will pay attention to how the brakes and clutch are working. I really don't want to deal with the slave cylinder at the tranny. I can deal with the brakes.

If there was any air in the lines you would have had a spongy pedal. If not, you're good.
 

vette

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
Steve, just for conversation, If there would be an air bubble between the reservoir and the master cylinder that would not cause spongy brakes because it is not part of the pressurized system. That tubing is just feeding fluid to the MC via gravity. But if air got into that reservoir line it would most likely perculate up and out of the reservoir. Only if the line was almost completely void of fluid would the air in the line have a chance to get drawn into the MC.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
71TR6 TR2/3/3A Aftermarket brake and clutch master cylinders - black extension? Triumph 6
Lin Brake/Clutch Fluid Austin Healey 11
K TR2/3/3A An Unusual Brake and Clutch MC Set Up? Triumph 2
K TR2/3/3A Clutch and Brake Master Cylinder push rod stop bolts? Triumph 15
C TR2/3/3A TR3A clutch/brake cylinder rebuild Triumph 4
mctriumph master cylinder brake/clutch Tr3 Triumph Classifieds 9
fpstude TR4/4A Brake / Clutch Fluid for TR-4A Triumph 8
J For Sale Triumph TR 2/3 original brake/clutch master cylinder Triumph Classifieds 2
B Flushing brake/clutch Austin Healey 16
D TR2/3/3A clutch/brake pedal question Triumph 4
angelfj1 TR2/3/3A Possible UK Source for Authentic looking Clutch/Brake MC Triumph 5
SD Bugeye Clutch and brake clevis and pins Spridgets 3
vette Brake/Clutch Reservoir Austin Healey 14
M TR2/3/3A Fitting on Moss Brake/Clutch Masters Triumph 16
M TR2/3/3A Brake/Clutch Reservoir Seal Triumph 9
R Bug-eye clutch slave cylinder and brake cylinder kit interchange Spridgets 1
K TR2/3/3A Brake and clutch MC housing.... Triumph 2
petnatcar GAS, BRAKE and CLUTCH PEDALS for a BT7 Austin Healey 2
D Brake/clutch lines Spridgets 14
T TR2/3/3A Girling Brake/Clutch Master Cylinder [slant port] Variations? Triumph 6
A TR2/3/3A TR3 Brake / Clutch Resevior & Lines needed Triumph 2
Rob Glasgow Brake/Clutch Reservoir Lines Austin Healey 9
S Clutch Fluid / Brake Fluid consumption Spridgets 3
B TR2/3/3A Gaskets for Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir? Triumph 15
D brake /clutch pedals Austin Healey 2
M_Pied_Lourd TR2/3/3A Brake and Clutch Master Pushrod Question Triumph 4
I TR2/3/3A Clutch and brake pedal assembly problem Triumph 4
jlaird Brake and Clutch bleeding Spridgets 7
S "59" 100-6 brake/ clutch master cylinder upgrade Austin Healey 3
PatGalvin TR2/3/3A Brake and Clutch pedal to MC adjustments? Triumph 4
H master cylinder brake vs mc clutch Austin Healey 14
Crankshaft TR2/3/3A Brake/Clutch fluid question Triumph 6
K TR2/3/3A Brake and Clutch MC pushrod/pedal bolt stops? Triumph 2
nevets Replacing the brake/clutch fluid reservoir Austin Healey 21
vette Silicone DOT-5 Brake & Clutch Fluid Austin Healey 17
C Sealing Healey clutch fitting on brake reservoiur Austin Healey 13
Jim_Newman brake/clutch fluid reservoir Austin Healey 4
Lukens More clutch / brake master cylinder questions. Triumph 7
Rut Brake and clutch pushrod Spridgets 1
T BN1 clutch and brake shaft Austin Healey 4
mgedit TR2/3/3A Routing of Clutch and Brake Pipes from MC 56 TR3 Triumph 7
richberman brakes/clutch fluid out top of brake reservoir Austin Healey 11
RAC68 BJ8 Brake/Clutch Reservoir Fluid Loss Austin Healey 14
T TR2/3/3A tr3 brake/clutch reservior question Triumph 1
T Clutch and Brake Help Spridgets 13
CZ_Dave T-Series Need Help, Clutch/Brake MC on 1959 Magnette MG 3
R TR2/3/3A TR 3a brake/clutch master cylinders/pedal movement Triumph 4
mgedit TR2/3/3A 56 TR3 Clutch/Brake Pedals Triumph 4
J TR2/3/3A TR3 Lockheed brake/clutch MC bracket... Triumph 11
CJD Brake/Clutch pedal adjustment Triumph 29

Similar threads

Top