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Bleedin' Brakes!


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I spent the day yesterday changing all the fluids and filters on my 110. After the initial shock of finding metal flecks in the rear diff oil all went smoothly until I decided to change the brake fluid to finnish the 2 year service. I have always previously done it the old fashioned way using a helper to press the brake pedal while I open/close the bleed nipples on the brakes.

I had no helper yesterday so I had got myself one of those one-man kits from Gunson which use the pressure from a spare tyre to pressurise the system with fresh fluid. The instructions said use between 20 and 10 psi. I used my electronic pressure guage to confirm I had let enough air out to get down to 15 psi. I thought half way was a good place to start with.... what could possibly go wrong? :rolleyes:

I filled the bottle in the kit with fresh brake fluid, hooked it up to the reservoir and the spare tyre then off I went to the rear brakes spanner in hand - all started well with the old fluid coming out. I then looked towards the front to see a mist of brake fluid spraying everywhere. When I got to the front I saw a huge crack had appeared in the plastic brake fluid reservoir with brake fluid being forced out of it.

Any way the mess it made to one side, I've made more work for myself and the only reservoir I can find for a 110 of my vintage comes in a blue box (LR part number AEU1045). I have 3 questions:

  1. Was 15 psi in the spare tyre a silly place to start which was only going to end in failure?
  2. Is this just 30 year old plastic giving up the ghost and was going to fail any way at some point soon?
  3. The braking system is otherwise fine so I am only going to replace the reservoir - do the pins holding the reservoir to the master cylinder just push out?
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I feel your pain monkie, another one of those "Simple easy 5mins. Job" that ends up being a total rebuild near as damn it!?!

No idea on the pressure side, though i would have thought 15psi is fairly low!?!

As for new reservoir being in a blue box, i personally wouldn't be worried as it's not a moving part!?! Regards age related failure, i would say so. Least it happened on the drive and not under foot out on the road!?!

Andy 

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I thought 15 psi seemed low - I suppose its all relative. That's exactly what I thought in terms of not having a brake problem whilst on the road. I think the blue box part is my only choice, you never know who has supplied the reservoir on the branded master cylinder kit - it may well be the same part.

I'm thankfull that my wife wasn't in otherwise it would have sprayed brake fluid all over her car😬

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15 psi is fine on that bleeder. It must just be weak plastic. I think i have used 25psi on mine when i just let a little air out if the front tyre and hooked it up to that! My brake fluid reservoir will be about the same age as yours Phil so maybe I will be more careful in future!

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That's a swine!  

I never had a problem using higher pressures than that, so I think your reservoir was already weak or broken.  Mine were both old, too, so I suspect yours has suffered an impact, rather than it simply being age related, and that it was cracked but holding fluid before it was pressurised.

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I really was quite annoyed and my language went a bit industrial! You might be right about an impact, although it held the mighty force of 15 psi for a good 10 minutes while I faffed about. I've never really looked that close at the reservoir before. The really annoying thing is by the time I've paid for the parts, shipping and VAT it cost nearly 50 quid on top of all the oils and filters I got for the service!  There won't be much of the original vehicle left at this rate! 

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I've user over 30psi with an eezibleed, without issues apart from having to tighten the caps a bit more.

Your reservoir is perished/heat aged and clearly brittle.

tis a shame, but it is rare for a job not to need any additional parts at all.

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3 hours ago, Bowie69 said:

I've user over 30psi with an eezibleed, without issues apart from having to tighten the caps a bit more.

Your reservoir is perished/heat aged and clearly brittle.

tis a shame, but it is rare for a job not to need any additional parts at all.

Very true, I was thinking at one point the oil change on my rear diff was going to result in a new rear axel! 

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I bought one of those eezibleeds once, it p***ed brake fluid everywhere and I ended up buying a bleed valve which is just a little one-way valve on a bit of tube - you put it on the nipple, dip the end in a jar of brake fluid and then just pump the pedal and keep topping up the reservoir.

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Just to try and lighten your problems.

On 4/22/2019 at 12:27 PM, monkie said:

Here's a picture of my massive crack

I went through almost 3 liters of brake fluid and numerous times bleeding 2 man and pressure, trying to renew the old stuff only to have to change the master cylinder. Which was after having to put a servo on also. Land Rovers hooray or horror. 😖

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2 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

I bought one of those eezibleeds once, it p***ed brake fluid everywhere and I ended up buying a bleed valve which is just a little one-way valve on a bit of tube - you put it on the nipple, dip the end in a jar of brake fluid and then just pump the pedal and keep topping up the reservoir.

I used to have one of those years ago and broke/lost it. Having never used one before, I thought the pressurised one would be much better. Oh well, you live and learn. 

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I gave up on eezibleeds years ago, work ok when the stars are aligned but you're always in the wrong place when they start to blow fluid everywhere. 

Have got a vacuum bleed kit in the workshop but pretty much always use a cheap Vizibleed one way valve kit now - quick clean and easy. 

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The post arrived today with the new reservoir from LRseries. The shipping note said that part number AEU1044, (roll pins) to secure the reservoir to the master cylinder are no longer available. Fortunately they are included with the new reservoir which I didn't realise at the time of ordering. So if anyone is renewing their reservoir part number AEU1045 by Britpart comes as in the picture below with the seals and pins. All I need now is a dry couple of hours to fit it. 

 

IMG_20190426_164842.jpg

Edited by monkie
Wrong part numbers
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Exactly the same happened to me earlier this year - and interestingly - the reservoir failed in exactly the same place.  I wonder if it’s UV breakdown with light coming through the bonnet gap?

I was using the drivers side wheel for pressure. As I bent Down and connected the hose, the crack in the res squirted a jet of fresh brake fluid in my face.  I already had an eye infection. So wasn’t best pleased.  

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