Club 80-90 Forums

Hello to all,

I have just bought my first T25, a 1987 EMC High Top conversion, which started life as a 1900 petrol but is now a 1.6 (non turbo) CS diesel.

The guy who I bought it form had left it stand for a few months with little use and as a result the brakes were not as effective as they could be (and were before being laid up), so before I bought it he had them bled. I am looking for a little guidance with my camper, I am mechanically competent (not a lot scares me), but I want to know where I should start before replacing lots of components unnecessarily. The issue is as follows: -

Firstly the brake pedal is what I would call spongy, the van does stop but you need to stand on the pedal, this leads me to possible rear wheel cylinders or master cylinder, from what I have read. Is it worth bleeding the system again (I believe it is dual circuit?), as the pedal stiffens (not loads) when pumped before ignition on.

I think I will be putting new drums and shoes on it and new front discs but I wanted to trace if there were any other issues first, so I ask has anyone had any similar experience, or know where to start.

Many Thanks

You need to follow all brake lines, inspect them carefully, including hoses at wheels. Fitting new discs and pads a great move. If wheel bearings are in good shape - reuse them if you can. If you remove rear hubs, make sure you've soaked all the brake line union at back of hubs in plusgas (not WD40) at least a day in advance and make sure you have new wheel cylinders to hand. I have yet to remove a brake drum and not find cause to fit new ones. Do all that and then see how it performs.