Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Brake fade

I took my 2014 plus 4 on a long run down to Bicester for the scramble in October. A run of about 95 miles. Luckily it was a warm day and the sun was out. The traffic on the way down was horrible and we queued a lot, the car was getting hot and the water temp was showing upto 102. This in itself is not unusual but it was at a high temperature for extended periods.

The brakes then began to feel very different two hours into the journey. At one point the pedal virtually went to the floor when normally the pressure on the pedal is pretty hard. I was wondering if the high temperatures can affect the brake fluid? The brakes have been back to normal since. I have not done any extended drives since nor has the engie been quite so hot.

Any ideas before i take it to the garage?

When was the hydraulic fluid last flushed / changed ?

Agree with Jon on the fluid. I would start there and get it changed.
Is it possible also that the calipers were sticking on heating the fluid. Normally then you would feel the drag and car would feel sluggish

Not aware if the brake fluid has ever been changed. Certainly not seen anything on service reports. Been serviced by Morgan dealer all its life.

Change the brake fluid immediately, or at least check the boiling point (there are cheap instruments for this). If your car has been serviced by a Morgan dealer the brake fluid should have been changed, but when in doubt - change or check. As the fluid - which is hydroscopic - gets old it absorbs water and can start boiling at increasingly lower temperatures. Vapor bubbles will appear and as they are compressible the pedal will go in and you will lose your brakes. And while you are at it, check the drum brake cylinders at the rear. They can get completely stuck with rust, moreso if the fluid is old with i high content of water. The fluid should be changed every two years. Brakes are your life insurance, MUST work perfectly. I once had an old Merc very close on my tail going steeply downhill. When we got down and stopped both the driver and his wife was white with fear. The brake fluid seeped out of the reservoir, boiling hot. I asked when the fluid was changed - he did not know....

Agree change it today

Hygroscopic, not hydro. But everything else Robbie has said is very important.

Agree with others here.

The brakes themselves will not get hot in traffic , no matter how heavy , it is much more likely that they will be cool due to lack of use.

The fluid is critical , it is cheap , and can easily be changed. Much better to build this into an maintenance schedule if you do the work yourself , or get the service agent to do it every 2 years.

The only exception are race cars where it is changed much more frequently.

On the other hand, it is possible that I you may have an intermittently sticking brake pad, causing the fluid to boil in that calliper and thus you end up with the situation you describe.. A simple check is on level ground, apply and release the brakes when the car is at stand still, then try to push it to check for resistance to movement, though if the issue is intermittent it might not be immediately obvious..

Good luck.

My experience is that a sticking rear cylinder is more likely, and easily checked by feeling the drum after a run (or jacking up & rotating the wheel).

I also doubt that many Morgan Dealers will do a fluid change as part of a standard service unless requested. VW suggest fluid changes but because it's extra cost, it's done on request.