Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing New-to-me 1975 4/4 brake rebuild advice

Dear TalkMorgan,

Firstly, thanks for having me, it's great to be here! I'll post in the welcome subforum soon, however first I have more pressing matters...

I've just acquired my first Morgan, a 1975 4/4 1600 crossflow model. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with it as I got it for an incredible price. Whilst it was running it wasn't running well, and spat its coolant out on the way home, so this weekend it was treated to a new Head Gasket, Intake Gasket, Exhaust Gasket, Rocker Cover Gasket, Water Pump, Thermostat, Thermostat housing gasket, Coolant Change, Oil & Filter Change, and new plugs. It's also about to get an accuspark electronic ignition conversion. The valves were all far too tight so with that all reset she's running well, and I want to turn my attention to the brakes.

The car has been sat for quite a while (It's done about 200 miles in the last 13 years...) so various things are in need of a refresh, the brakes being high on my list. They work and none are binding, but for peace of mind I think they're worth a rebuild.

My thoughts are to go ahead and fit new rear drums, wheel cylinders, shoes, and springs along with brand new front callipers, pads, and discs. The car has steel wheels (though is getting conversion hubs from MWS very shortly, but those bolt on to the existing hubs) and I think I've managed to find the various parts through mogparts, but I was wondering if anybody knew where the parts originated from? I would guess they were Triumph or Ford parts originally, and I was wondering if there was a part number equivalency I could look up?

Whilst I'm diving into the brakes, is there anything I should know or be particularly aware of that's Morgan specific or can I treat it like any 1970's braking system?

Many thanks in advance and happy motoring!

Welcome! Another one of my Grandads Morgans (he will have built some of your wooden framework)

Firstly, my recommendation would be to avoid accuspark and get a decent electronic dizzy. I recommend H&H but 123 are good as are Aldin.

Wheel cylinders are readily available (check eBay for bargains), but drums are stupidly expensive. See if you can get away with a refurb.

Arwyn will be able to help with alternative part numbers and such like, but some bits are Morgan specific.

And be very pleased that you have the best model Morgan ever built (opinions do vary)

"And be very pleased that you have the best model Morgan ever built (opinions do vary)"


Not in this house they don't!! 🙂

K

Hi MoM, Welcome to the forum.. I note your mention of a degree of initial incontinence now seemingly resolved, though read no mention of flushing out the rad... might be a task worth considering..?

Also beaming up gomog.com will open the door to a wealth of reading matter on all things technical related to Morgans..

I suspect early Morgans have the potential to keep going on and on, a bit like cockroaches, when more modern kit fails... ?

Welcome to the world of Morgan ownership!

Couple of points from working on a various 1970's (and later 4/4's)

Front calipers are standard Girling Type 14 and whilst new pattern ones are available quality is a bit suspect! Probably best if you have your originals reconditioned. Classicar Automotive (Cheshire) or Contract Auto Engineering in Stourport can help here.

As fitted, the Girling tandem master cylinder is NLA though some new old stock ones do turn up at a huge (250 quid plus) price tag. Academic as will need a rebuild anyway from sitting on a shelf! Replacement is from a later model or better still have your existing one fitted with a stainless sleeve and rebuild. Again, Classicar and Contract Auto Engineering can help here.

There is a circuit splitter/shuttle valve which is aimed at isolating the brake circuts in case of a fluid loss. Only problem is I've never come across one that has actually worked!

Give some thought to the brake lines - I think the original steel ones will be past their best by now. I use Kunifer to make new ones but you could use copper at a push.

I use stainless steel braided hose for the flexible pipes. Last set of rubber hoses I fitted in 2023 were actually date marked 2015 and had been sitting in a Lucas Girling box on a shelf slowly deteriorating.

Rear brake set up is based on the Austin A60. Wheel cylinders are A60/Sunbeam Alpine. Ditto brake shoes, springs and adjusters

Refitting the wheel cylinder is a bit of a pain the arse but the trick is to lubricate the back plate and the wheel cylinder. Also fit the middle of the three securing clips last.

Brake adjusters seize at the drop of a hat, so strip clean and reassemble with copper slip

As TBM says, I have parts numbers but most of my parts books are packed due to a house move

Arwyn

Welcome. GoMog is your friend with lots of info.
Here is the link to GoMog Brakes

Welcome to TM.

When I started to rebuild my MOG back in 2019 someone on TM sent me a link to a page that a person had put together when he rebuilt his MOG. I'm sure if you Bing/Google it, you will find it.
Agree totally with the above, the Crossflow engine MOGs are the best. All the engine parts are still available, Burton Power is a good souce for all things Ford.
Anyway enjoy the MOG.

Arwyn, good luck with the house move, it's more stressful than owning a Mog !

Thanks CooperMan.

My good lady and myself are moving back to my Dads place now that probate is progressing nicely.

Only condition is that Sam wants the dining room to be returned to being a dining room hence a couple of vintage motorcycles have had to find new homes.

Also the various Morgan parts which have been in there have been redistributed into the sheds

As you say....stressful

Arwyn