Daf 33 brake cylinders

[spunkymonkey]

I've been on a hunt for front cylinders for Betty because of slight seepage (and a very small resevoir!).

Had seen elsewhere that Mini parts fit, but were 9/16" bores instead of the 3/4" used on Dafs. That works out at about a 40% reduction in brake force for a given pedal pressure - not so good for Sian & her arthritis!

Anyway, courtesy of these guys:

www.ocoop.com/mini-parts-brakes.htm

I've discovered that the Classic Mini range from 2000 used the same cylinder but with 3/4" bore. Have a pair on order, with a set of shoes, for £31.49 including postage. The on-site prices inclde VAT, so it's just postage to add to what you see.

Part numbers are:

Product ID: GWC1102
Product Name: Rear Wheel Cylinder (Late) LW11396
Unit Price: £6.50
--------------------------
Product ID: GBS834AF
Product Name: Rear brake shoe set (& early front)
Unit Price: £7.50


I know the shoes will fit, if the cylinders do as well that has to be bargain of the year for peace of mind!!!

Will let y'all know how it goes when they arrive.

[spunkymonkey]

John,

It was the note on your site that sent me looking for Mini stuff in the first place As far as I remember, there was discussion at the time about piston diameters, so I was pleased when I found they've used the larger size in the Mini Classic range.

Only thing I need worry about now is the pipe threads - don't know if the Dafs used metric or imperial and don't know which the (BMW) Minis use either. Still, it's a 50/50 gamble on that which is worth taking at £6.50 each!

As for the site I ordered from, have to give them full marks for efficiency. I placed the order about 6pm on Tuesday and they arrived safely today. Now just need a dry day for fitting

[Bob Scrivens]

Hi Joe
As you are replacing the brake cylinders, there is a tool which makes changing them on the car a piece of cake, Steve Bidwell mentioned it in an artical in the Club magazine.
It was to put the securing clip on the back of the cylinders, I bought one off Ebay for about £12 and its well worth it.
I think it was called a Darlington brake cylinder tool.

Bob.

[spunkymonkey]

Did the work today and can confirm they're a direct swap, with the correct thread . Not sure if it's metric or imperial but who cares if it's right??

Now get a reassuring degree of nose-dive under hard braking rather than the feeling you'll drift to a stop when the old girl feels like it. I think that may have been down to the self-lubricating shoes that were fitted

Quite scary to think that they were up to MOT standards (50% or more braking efficiency) as they were before but there was no external sign of the leaks so can't blame the tester for not spotting it. It's easy to write it off to being an old car, but Dwayne Chavtastic in his Corsa would have been road legal at that efficiency!!

As for the circlips, the first one was a nightmare (guess I'm out of practice) but the second only took a couple of minutes using my trusty old 3mm screwdriver

[littlebelter]

Hey that is great news spunkymunky.

Must get the front drums off asap. I bet "Littlebelter" Has got the wrong cylinders on.

And I was thinking about fitting a servo ! . . . .doh!

Cheers.

Pete.

[spunkymonkey]

I've measured the old cylinders now and it seems they were 15/16" so these are a little under size (but better than other Mini ones). If anyone is really desperate, it seems that 15/16" ARE available for the very early Minis ('59 - '64) BUT they come in at a cool £40 each instead of £6.50.

www.minisport.com/acatalog/info_GWC101.html

I'm all in favour of the best brakes possible, but not quite THAT much in favour! MiniSport do have original Lockheed seal kits for them at about £8.50 a time so I may try a set if the old bores look good enough when they're cleaned.

[jeremy]

The seal kits are available for the 15/16 cylinders (very early Mini before they went twin leading shoes) at a reasonable £7 or so. I got a pair from Mini Sport and they went in fine. See repair kit for GWC101 at www.minisport.com/acatalog/Mini_Wheel_Cylinders_Repair_Kits_for_front_and_rear.html
The cylinders were fine after a thorough clean in the parts washer (put one of these on your list for Santa) even though the old seals had siezed in place. Still got a problem with the brake force being below MOT standard but I hope that a de-glaze of the shoes will sort that. Jeremy.

[Bob Scrivens]

Hello feller Daffers
John check out the following sites on Ebay UK they have the circlip tools on the following items:
160253936009

390001773649

Sorry the tool I have, is called the Franklin tool, and well worth the money.

Regards Bob.

[pauldaf44]

would these cylinders fit a 44?

[spunkymonkey]

Looking at the book I doubt it, Paul. They're shown as being held on by bolts on the 44, whereas the 33 ones have the old Girling spring clip fitting.

brakeparts.co.uk list the shoes but not cylinders - doesn't mean they don't do them, just that they haven't got them cross referenced to the Dafs (mine were bought as Mini ones).

[daf44]

hi paul.

be careful with 44 cylinders. reading the autodata book of lies, there may be as many as 4 different bore cylinders used on the 44 depending on age and if it is single or dual circuit.
there is no way of knowing what has been done in the past either.
one of my rear cylinders is too big according to autodata.
it may have been changed for a later cylinder. i now need to check the other cylinder to make sure it matches.
you should change these in pairs, or at least check the bores on both sides to make sure they match.

paul44

[pauldaf44]

sent the old cylinder off to be copied by a parts fabricator so the new one should be indentical minus the hole. I am also having this work done profesionaly now as I didn't have anywhere to work when it went. Call me a woos but I really don't like working on brakes or at least the consequences if I get it wrong so I think I will stick to jobs that if I get wrong are less likely to find me wrapped around a tree lol

[spunkymonkey]

Totally understand your reluctance to do brake work without experience, Paul, but there's really no need to be permanently scared of it. It's really only like electrical work but with fluid in the wires instead of magic and a squidgy pedal if it leaks instead of a car fire ;D