'89 LT28 MOT failure

 

If you read the section on bleeding brakes it's says that the front and rear are on separate systems so unless you touch the master cylinder you can bleed the front and rear separately.  When you bleed the rear you bleed it in the following order (assuming it's a right hand drive vehicle).  Rear left, rear right and brake pressure regulator.

 

I suppose it makes sense that you have to bleed the brake pressure regulator but I wouldn't naturally think that you have to.  Also you would think that it would have to be bleed before the wheel cylinders because it comes before them?  I can only think it's because it's higher than the rear wheel cylinders so if there's any air in the system it will rise to the brake pressure regulator?

 

Anyway i'm waffling.  But that could have been the reason why you had so much trouble bleeding the brake system?

 

I made the mistake of using a tube when I did it.  Then I felt a bit of a wally when it was pointed out to me that it makes much more sense to turn it around and press from the stud side with the shaft going through a hole.  That way you are only pressing over a short distance.

 

It's annoyed me no end because i'm sure I could do the job now, but i'm a bit wiser now   My dad told me to take it to the engineers in the first place and is now taking great pleasure in telling me ' I told you so' and 'you'd be £80 better off now'.

 

This might be a bit obvious but you haven't adjusted the dash lights out with the dimmer wheel?  Feel free to tell me to fook off if it's not

 

My brakes went a bit soft after a week or two.  Re-bleed the system again and the brake pedal was better than before.

 

I'm in the process of changing the rear wheel bearings as you have, what a nightmare of a job.  Because we have burning gear and a press at work I thought i'd have ago at doing it myself, which was a mistake.  I heated the bearing and it slide on the shaft right to the end no problems.  My worry with the shrink collar was they said to heat it cherry red then press it on.  As you know if you heat metal that hot and press it too hard it will change it's shape, also you have the seals to worry about as well.  So I thought as the bearing went on so easy I wouldn't heat the shrink collar so hot, just off cherry red which was a big mistake.  It went on so far and then because the work press wasn't quite big enough or powerful enough it seized on solid.  Had to cut it off and the bearing and buy a new one.  I got the new bearing from a local company rather than wanapart (but it was £80!) and the heat shrink collar on that kit had a taper on one end to help seat it better, which would have made the job easier.

 

It's down a local engineering shop at the moment and they are going to do it.  They are going to heat it correctly press it on and then cool it to protect the seal.  I was a bit worried about the cooling but they are an automotive engineering shop which has been around for ages with an excellant reputation.  I think where I went wrong was not heating the shrink collar hot enough.  I should have heated it to cherry red as it states then it would have slid on to the end and it just would have required a small press to make sure it and the bearing were seated correctly.

Have not got up the nerve to turn the jetwash on it, incase it all falls on the drive. Just brushed off all the rest of the crap from the last eight weeks, well whatever did not end up in my hair.

Thank you all again for the support and guidance. I shall endeavour to do the same for others.

MOT passed, but they fitted a washer motor???...like I could not manage that.

Walking round in the rain, riding back in style

Skippy, the Aussie garage man, drove it back from the MOT branch and thought it a 'sweet old bus, drives beaut'

Then I bollocked him for not ringing about the washer motor. Not picked up on the original test, but strangely no good today. Ditto the short rigid line to the NS calliper, and the section of line between the master cylinder and the front union. 'Bollocks, I said, They cannot go from fine to not fine in two months standing still.'  Had a nice little chat about the van, and what we are going to do with it. He knocked a tenner off for the lack of a call.

Anyway, not bothered particularly, but it means redoing the brakes again at some point. Actually enjoyed driving back, about 1/2 mile.