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BJ8 not stopping

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spritenut

Luke Skywalker
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Having just finished the restoration of my BJ8, I find it very hard to stop. Is this just the nature of the beast?
Shoes adjusted and system bled, no excess pedal travel and no pumping required.
I have a 100% NEW brake system. Master (rebuilt), pipes, hoses, calipers, pads, shoes, and w/cyls.

Picture, click here. https://www.exit109.com/~spritenut/beasty1.jpg

Frank
The drums and rotors have been cut.
I can not lock up the brakes if I stand on the pedal.
It does stop, but it stops like a cement truck with 9 yards of concrete on it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
No servo and the master is a 7/8 bore.
The car came like this and I assume it was correct.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif Hi Frank. Very nice looking car. Your Bj8 probably had a booster and requires a booster [Servo} to stop it.-Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
I understood that the brake servo, which previously had been an option, became a standard fitting on the BJ8 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
If you stand on the brakes in a BJ8 that has a power booster (servo), you can Definately lock the wheels. After going to all the effort of renewing your system, I would suggest that you look into a servo upgrade regardless of whether it came with the car or not.

I love your description: "It does stop, but it stops like a cement truck with 9 yards of concrete on it". I had a Pontiac like that once in my life, I'm lucky I survived it!
 
I met 2 interesting older gentlemen in Carmron's pub in Half Moon Bay following the Palo Alto British Car show/drive. They were drinking Guinness and chatting with them I found that the owner was legally blind and his friend and driver exclaimed that they lost their brakes shortly after leaving to the drive. He said they were stopping by a combination of downshifting and the handbrake. They were driving a MGTD. Wheeee Heeeee Look Mom no brakes. BTW there were some pretty steep grades on the drive. They did not seem concerned and we shared some more Guinness and stories. Neither were younger than say 75 or 80.
 
You really have not had the true British Car experience if you have not had to use downshifting and the hand brake to stop your LBC at least once. And of course it usually happens downhill at a fairly high rate of speed.
BJ8's did have a Girling Brake Servo (now unavailable). Moss, Victoria British or Little British Car Co sell replacement Lockheed units for around $600. Apple Hydraulics have rebuilt ones for about $375. You may need a bracket to install the new unit. The servo installs on the right side of the frame, under and to the right of the distributor. The brake line connects where the brake stop light switch is located. A vacuum line hose runs from the servo, over the engine and connects to an opening at the back of the manifold. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
No servo and the master is a 7/8 bore.
The car came like this and I assume it was correct.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the 7/8 bore was the size used with a servo. The 5/8 bore is used on the non-servo cars (same size as the clutch MC) If the above is correct (I don't have time to look it up right now) then it is understandable that you are having a hard time getting the car to stop. Either put in a servo or change to the smaller bore MC.

Cheers,
John
 
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